abolitionist john brown made the infamous raid at harper's ferry in 1859.
who made the infamous raid at harper's ferry in 1859?
abolitionist john brown
in 1859, rosengarten witnessed abolitionist john brown's famous raid on harpers ferry, virginia. brown was attempting to start an armed slave revolt by seizing a united states arsenal at harpers ferry. brown's raid was defeated by a detachment of marines led by then colonel robert e. lee. rosengarten had been traveling at the time as a guest with the directors of the pennsylvania railroad, his father being one of the directors. his train stopped at harper's ferry and rosengarten witnessed the attack made by lee's men on the engine house where john brown had sought refuge. he later saw john brown lying wounded. rosengarten wrote a vivid account of the raid, and what he had witnessed, that was published in the "atlantic monthly" in 1865.
joseph george rosengarten
todd and the other residents of tabor generally supported brown until he (brown) and his men in 1857 'invaded' missouri and forcibly freed about a dozen slaves, killing one slave-owner in the process. brown was given safe haven in tabor, but the citizens made it clear they did not condone his actions. brown left soon thereafter, and had the weapons and supplies stored in rev. todd's basement shipped east. the 200 sharps rifles included in the cache of weapons were used two years later in brown's ill-fated and infamous raid on the federal arsenal at harper's ferry, virginia (now west virginia). but rev. todd had no knowledge of the use to which the weapons he had stored would be put, nor any involvement
john todd (abolitionist)