| Existing comment:
On October 16, 1859, John Brown took the sleepy town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia, completely by surprise. As his first move in a bid to end slavery, Brown ordered his followers to secure the bridges and seize the weapons factories in Lower Town and on Virginius Island. His "army of liberation" would then campaign south using Loudoun Heights to strike deeper into slave-holding country. Lower Town became the scene of chaos and violence as townspeople and militia cut off escape routes and engaged Brown's men. The raid ended on October 18, but the controversy had just begun. |