Brown, John

BROWN

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/27/2008 at 13:42:12

History of Cedar County, Iowa, 1878
Western Historical Co., Chicago

JOHN BROWN

As some of the scenes of this noble and courageous man’s career were enacted in Cedar County, its history would be incomplete without their mention.

In the Fall of 1856, John Brown, with four sons, left for the East, by way of Nebraska, stopping at Tabor, Fremont County, Iowa. Thence he traveled in company with one son, riding a mule and leading a horse. In this way he first entered the “Quaker” settlement of Cedar County. Wherever a settlement of Friends was to be found, there John Brown was sure of kind treatment. Springdale was one station of the noted “underground railroad.” He stopped at the “Traveler’s Rest,” the only tavern in West Branch, kept by James Townsend, probably in December, and dismounting, astonished the genial landlord by asking: “Have you ever heard of John Brown, of Kansas?” Without replying, Mr. Townsend took a piece of chalk from his vest pocket and, taking Brown’s hat, marked thereon a large X; replaced the hat; deliberately marked Brown on the back thus, “XX”, then placed a broad X on the back of the mule, and said, “Just put the animal into that stable and walk right into the house’ thou art surely welcome.” Such was the first reception of the hero of Harper’s Ferry, in Cedar County. There, at the “Traveler’s Rest,” John Brown ever after found a home, without price, as often and as long as he chose to remain, for he was always a welcome guest. The old house still stands, though the sign of the “Traveler’s Rest” has long since disappeared, and Mr. Townsend still lives at the old homestead.

John Brown went East, visited the principal cities and employed his time until November, 1857, in raising assistance for his beloved cause.

In February, at Collinsville, Conn., he contracted for 1,000 pikes – steel knives, eight inches long, to be attached to poles six feet long, for the use of slaves. In April, he arranged with Col. Hugh Forbes, author of a military text book, to instruct his young men at Tabor, Iowa. Col. Forbes went to Tabor in June, 1857, but as he and Mr. Brown could not well agree, he returned. Mr. Brown gathered recruits from Kansas and started East from Tabor to attend military school. At Springdale, Cedar County, they stopped, and as they could not sell their horses, according to plan, and continue the trip by rail, they remained in that vicinity during the Winter.

Two hundred Sharpe’s rifles, two hundred revolvers and other stores were shipped from West Liberty, Muscatine County, to Ohio, thence to Chambersburg, Pa., thence to Harper’s Ferry. The company then consisted of Capt. John Brown, Owen Brown, A. D. Stephens, alias Whipple, Charles Moffit, C. P. Tidd, Richard Robertson, Col. Richard Realf, L. F. Parsons, William Leeman and – Cook; Edwin and Barclay Coppoc, sons of Mrs. Ann Raley, of Springdale, and J. H. Kagi joined the company. They stopped with William Maxson near Pedee, where they pursued a course of military studies with A. D. Stephes as Drill Master. The people of the neighborhood were generally in sympathy with the work, and an old store room at Springdale was used as a store house. About the middle of April, they left for Chatham, Canada, via Chicago and Detroit.

At Chatham, a convention for the purpose of organization was called: Capt. John Brown was elected Commander-in-chief; J. H. Kagi, Secretary of War; Richard Realf, Secretary of State; Treasurer, Owen Brown; Secretary of Treasury, George B. Gill (brother of Dr. Gill of Springdale); Members of Congress, Alfred M. Ellsworth, Osborn Anderson.

This little band were next heard from at Harper’s Ferry, and the whole civilized world knows the result.

A great price was offered for the capture of the “out-laws.” During the stay of John Brown’s men at Springdale, a band of Iowa City men determined to make a raid upon them. As the secret leaked out, William P. Wolf, then in Iowa City, and Jerome N. Duncan, of the Iowa City Republican, secured a box car on the railroad, and ordered it left at West Liberty, subject to John Brown’s orders, intending to have Brown’s men “shipped” before the assault by the Iowa City men, and thus avoid a bloody conflict. Mr. Wolf then started to inform Mr. Brown, and met en route a man (who proved to be J. H. Kagi) of whom he inquired if John Brown was at Springdale. After ascertaining that Mr. Wolf was a “friend,” Kagi told him that John Brown had just passed them on a peddler’s wagon. They turned about and overtook Mr. Brown, who, one being informed of the condition of affairs, went on to Iowa City and watched the proceedings from a room opposite the headquarters.

Word being spread through Springdale the next morning of the projected raid, every man who could muster a gun was marshaled, together with Brown’s men and placed in battle array on the premises near the fort. Soon a number of covered wagons were seen coming in sight, and the conflict was supposed to be near at hand, when Squire James says to Emor Rood, “let’s go home.”

One after another, the citizens suddenly thought of important business at home, and hurried away.

The wagons proved to be those of movers who were innocent of any intent to attack Brown’s men.

Brown spread a report in Iowa City of the large numbers and determined spirit of his party, so that when the time for departure came, there were not enough warriors to be found to fill a wagon.

This is the only war of which we have an account in Cedar County, though Ed. Morrison and Charles Ball were afterward killed while ferrying negroes in Missouri.

Edwin Coppoc, of Cedar County, was hung with others at Harper’s Ferry. Barclay Coppoc reached home after a narrow escape and a long tramp in the mountains. In spite of the solicitations of friends, and in defiance of Virginia officers, he continued to remain at Springdale, braving the dangers of arrest. At times he would engage in organizing Union Leagues, and then he would disappear for a time, sometimes in one direction and again in another. When a suitable requisition was finally obtained, the Sheriff of Cedar County (Jesse Bradshaw) was ordered to go to Springdale and make the arrest. To Springdale he went, as in duty bound, and innocently asked everybody he met if they had seen a young man named Barclay Coppoc, adding that he had authority to arrest him and would be much obliged if someone would tell him where to find him. He went from place to place, peeped into sheds, turned over dry goods boxes, etc., and found nothing.