National Park Service Harpers Ferry U.S. Department of the Interior Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

John Brown’s Raiders Twenty-one men followed John Brown to Harpers Ferry. Twenty-one individuals with different backgrounds and occupations, rich, poor, black, white, some born free and others born into bondage; men with many differences joined in one common goal--to end slavery. Knowing the risks, they joined Brown’s Provisional Army and sixteen gave their lives with the hope that four million slaves would one day be free. “I am dying for freedom. I could not die for a better cause. I had rather die than be a slave.” Raider John A. Copeland, Jr., John Brown, December 16,1859, the day of his execution circa 1859

Jeremiah Osborne Perry Oliver Brown Anderson Anderson March 9, 1838 - April 17, 1833- July 27, 1830 - October 18, 1859 October 18, 1859 December 13, 1872 Oliver was the A grandson of a A free African American youngest of Virginia slave - living in Canada, Brown’s sons to holder, Anderson Anderson worked for join the raid. He lived in Illinois and the Provincial Freeman fought with his Iowa before moving to Kansas in 1857. He newspaper in Chatham when he met Brown at father and brothers in Kansas. Oliver and fought with the Free State forces and joined the Chatham Convention. He escaped after the his 17-year- old wife, Martha, traveled to the Brown on a raid to free slaves in Missouri in raid by walking through the mountains into Kennedy Farm in Maryland to help prepare 1858. Trapped with Brown, he was bayo - Pennsylvania and taking trains to Canada. He for the raid on Harpers Ferry. He was neted by a Marine during the final assault on penned A Voice From Harpers Ferry in 1861 and mortally wounded on October 17 and died the Armory engine house. He died a few was recruited for the Union army in 1864. on the 18th. hours later. Osborne Anderson died of tuberculosis in Washington, D.C.

Owen Brown Watson Brown John E. Cook

November 4, 1824 - October 7, 1835 - May 12, 1829 - January 9, 1889 October 19, 1859 December 16, 1859

Named for his During the “Bleeding Cook came from a grandfather, Owen Kansas” years, Watson well-to-do family fought with his worked the family farm and studied law in father in Kansas in North Elba, New New York before and at Harpers York, while his father joining Brown in Ferry. Appointed Captain in Brown’s and brothers fought against the spread of slavery Kansas to fight against slavery. An advance Provisional Army, he guarded rifles and in Kansas. Four years later he decided to join his man for Brown, Cook moved to Harpers pikes, waiting to arm others who came to father at Harpers Ferry. Leaving a wife and baby Ferry more than a year before the raid. He join the fight at “the ferry.” His determina- he traveled to Virginia. Watson was mortally taught school and married Mary Virginia tion and great physical strength helped four wounded on October 17 while carrying a white Kennedy, a local girl. Gathering supplies raiders escape from Harpers Ferry. After flag. He died on October 19 after the raid had during the raid, Cook was stranded on the several years in Ohio, he moved to California ended. Maryland shore. He traveled north with with other family members and died there. other raiders, but was captured in Pennsyl - vania and tried and hanged in Charles Town on December 16.

John Anthony Barclay Coppoc Edwin Coppoc Copeland, Jr. January 4, 1839 - June 30, 1835 - August 15, 1834 - September 3, 1861 December 16, 1859 December 16, 1859 Brother of Raider Edwin Brother of Raider Copeland, a free Coppoc, Barclay gave up Barclay Coppoc, African American, his mother’s Quaker Edwin shot and was a student at beliefs and used violence killed Harpers Ferry Oberlin College in to end slavery. As a rear Mayor Fontaine Ohio and a nephew of Raider Lewis Leary. guard he never entered Harpers Ferry and was Beckham. He was captured in the engine Captured during the raid, his conduct at his able to escape. He became a first lieutenant in house, tried and sentenced to hang. The trial impressed Judge Richard Parker and the Third Kansas Infantry on July 24, 1861. He night before their execution, he and John Prosecutor Andrew Hunter to the extent that was mortally injured on September 2, when his Cook nearly escaped from the Charles Town they would have pardoned him, had it been troop train plunged into the Platte River, after jail. He was hanged on December 16, 1859, in an option. Copeland was tried and hanged Confederates had burned the trestle supports. Charles Town. in Charles Town. He died the next day. Shields Green Albert Hazlett John Henry Kagi circa 1836 - Decem- September 21, 1837 - ber 16, 1859 March 16, 1860 March 15, 1835 - October 17, 1859 Born a slave in Hazlett fought in Kansas South Carolina, with the Free State Kagi was a self- Green escaped, forces and joined Brown educated, intelligent finding freedom in there in 1858. He and man who developed Canada. In Roches- Osborne Anderson held a hatred of slavery ter, NY, he worked as a servant and clothes the U.S. Arsenal during the raid, escaping when while teaching in Virginia. Brown’s most cleaner and met Frederick Douglass. their situation seemed hopeless. He was caught trusted lieutenant, he tried to convince Douglass introduced Green to Brown and he near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on October 22, 1859. Brown to take the battle to the surrounding decided to “go with the old man.” He was He was tried and later hanged on March 16, 1860, hills. Brown refused. Kagi was in charge of captured in the Armory engine house, tried in Charles Town. the U.S. Rifle Factory during the raid. and hanged on December 16 in Charles Grossly outnumbered, he was shot and Town. killed while trying to escape across the Shenandoah River.

Lewis Leary William Leeman Francis Jackson Meriam March 17, 1835 - March 20, 1839 - October 18, 1859 October 17, 1859 November 17, 1837 - November 28, 1865 Leary, a free African At age 17, Leeman left a American, left a wife job in a shoe factory in Despite his frailty and baby to fight Massachusetts and and blindness in against slavery. He moved to Kansas with a one eye, Meriam’s and his nephew, group of anti-slavery hatred of slavery John Copeland, joined Brown on October 12. settlers. There he became a member of Brown’s made him determined to join Brown. He After rounding up hostages, he was ordered “Volunteer Regulars.” During the raid on served as Brown’s rear guard in Maryland to hold the U.S. Rifle Factory. He was Harpers Ferry, he was shot and killed while and escaped Harpers Ferry. During the Civil mortally wounded while retreating across the attempting to escape across the Potomac River. War he served as a captain in the Third Shenandoah River on October 17 and died South Carolina Colored Infantry. ten hours later.

Dangerfield Aaron Stevens Stewart Taylor Newby circa 1833 - March 16, October 29, 1836 - circa 1820/25 - 1860 October 17, 1859 October 17, 1859 Stevens, a soldier in the Born at Uxbridge, Born a slave, Newby Mexican War, had Canada, Taylor escaped from Fort discovered a moved to Ohio with Leavenworth after common bond with his mother, Elsey, attacking an officer. He Brown in their siblings and white father, Henry Newby. joined Brown in Kansas and followed him to hatred of slavery. Brown’s daughter, Annie, Their owner had given his permission and Virginia. Wounded while carrying a flag of described Taylor in this way, “He considered intention to manumit them. In Ohio they truce, he was carried by Joseph Brua, one of it his duty to go to Harpers Ferry and he did, would be free. Newby tried to buy his wife, Brown’s prisoners, to a nearby hotel. He was although he knew he was going to his end.” Harriet, and children, but their owner later tried and hanged on March 16, 1860, in Taylor was killed defending the engine house refused to sell. Hoping to free them, he Charles Town. on October 17. joined Brown and was the first of Brown’s men to be killed. Following the raid, his family was sold to a Louisiana slave owner.

Dauphin William Thompson Charles Thompson Plummer Tidd August, 1833 - October April 17, 1838 - 17, 1859 circa 1834 - February October 18, 1859 8, 1862 The Thompson brothers Dauphin was the were neighbors of the Tidd, a veteran of youngest of 18 Brown family in North the Kansas Wars, children and the Elba, NY. An angry had been with younger brother of mob seized William Brown since 1857. Raider William Thompson. On October 18 while he was carrying a flag of truce and held After the raid began, Tidd went back to Thompson was trapped in the Armory him captive in a nearby hotel. On October 17, Maryland for weapons and supplies. He engine house after the Marines stormed the after Mayor Fontaine Beckham was killed, the joined four other raiders and escaped. He building. He died from a bayonet thrust. mob dragged William out to the railroad bridge enlisted in the Twenty-first Massachusetts and shot him in the head. They threw his body volunteers on July 19, 1861. He died of fever into the river and used it for target practice. on a troop ship February 8, 1862.

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