), ▁Virginia ▁Illustr ated ▁( 1 8 5 4 – 1 8 5 5 ), ▁North ▁Carolina ▁Illustr ated ▁( 1 8 5 7 ), ▁A ▁Winter ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁( 1 8 5 7 – 1 8 5 8 ) ▁and ▁A ▁Summer ▁in ▁New ▁England ▁( 1 8 6 0 – 1 8 6 1 ). ▁ ▁After ▁John ▁Brown ' s ▁Ra id , ▁Har per ' s ▁Month ly ▁commission ed ▁the ▁ 4 3 - year - old ▁St ro ther ▁to ▁write ▁and ▁illustrate ▁an ▁article ▁or ▁series . ▁Har per ' s ▁Fer ry ▁was ▁near ▁his ▁home , ▁and ▁he ▁soon ▁published ▁an ▁article ▁about ▁the ▁fl aming ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁arm ory ▁and ▁successful ▁capture ▁of ▁the ▁ra iders ▁by ▁Virginia ▁forces ▁led ▁by ▁L t . ▁J . ▁E . ▁B . ▁Stuart . ▁St ro ther ▁later ▁published ▁articles ▁about ▁the ▁trial ▁( d uring ▁which ▁his ▁uncle ▁served ▁as ▁pro sec utor ▁and ▁at ▁which ▁a ▁friend ▁pres ided ) ▁and ▁even ▁sketch ed ▁a ▁death ▁image ▁of ▁John ▁Brown . ▁Un like ▁more ▁part isan ▁writers , ▁but ▁like ▁many ▁trans mont ane ▁Americans , ▁St ro ther ▁ab hor red ▁both ▁the ▁fan atic ism ▁of ▁abol ition ists ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁milit ia . ▁ ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁Having ▁been ▁raised ▁in ▁Mart ins burg ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁sister ▁married ▁to ▁the ▁chief ▁civil ▁engineer ▁of ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁and ▁Ohio ▁Rail road ▁( of ▁cru cial ▁strateg