ported the arms and supplies by slow stages to Ohio, and thence to Chambersburg, Penn. From that place he proceeded to a farm he had rented in Maryland, on the Blue Ridge Mountains, about four miles from Har pers Ferry, known as the Kennedy farm. Here he further assured himself of the stead fastness and determination of his followers, who now numbered twenty-one men, of whom five were negroes. While on the route from Kansas, they from time to time received some kind of military instruction under one Col. H. Forbes, who later deserted; and the fear that he might betray the object of the ex pedition somewhat delayed Brown's move ments. John E. Cook, who by agreement had preceded Brown to the neighborhood of Harpers Ferry by nearly two years, had secured work at the canal locks, opposite Harpers Ferry, on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, and later married a woman in the neighborhood and opened a school. He had then opportunity to become quite familiar with Harper's Ferry and the sur rounding country. John Brown assumed the name and be came known in Harpers Ferry and the neighborhood as John Smith. From the mountain farm, now the headquarters of the party, under color of prospecting for ores, Brown and Cook reconnoitered the neighbor hood generally. They and others of the party often went into Harpers Ferry to purchase provisions, and at the same time to obtain such infor mation about the armory and arsenal as would make the attempt to capture them reasonably sure. They also made frequent visits to the near-by plantations in Jefferson and Clarke counties, Virginia, under pretence of business by day, and clandestinely at night, for the purpose of communicating with the negro slaves and inciting them to join the proposed insurrection. Although, as the result proved, he did not
succeed in inducing them to join him, it is certain he had assurances from quite a num ber that they would do so; many of them, no doubt, consented in order to get rid of him; a few perhaps, intended to wait until the success of the attempt should be assured. Brown evidently expected that a large num ber would join him, as he added to the arms secreted at the mountain rendezvous fifteen hundred pikes, with which to arm such negroes as might not understand the use of firearms. They were conveyed in strong boxes, marked " spades, shovels and picks." These pikes, were deadly-looking weapons, consisting of a double-edged blade, fourteen inches long by two wide, tapered to a point, with cross-guard, and attached to the end of a stout pole or handle some six feet long. Specimens of them are still in possession of persons in the neighborhood. A provisional constitution, for the govern ment of the territory expected to be over run, had been drafted and adopted at a secret convention of Abolitionists, held in May, 1858, at Chatham, Canada. John Brown was elected Commander-inChief, J. H. Kagi, Secretary of War, and Richard Realf, Secretary of State. It provided for legislative, executive and judicial branches. The draft of this provi sional constitution, was captured by the Virginia military, together with other papers, and a large number of letters addressed to Brown from northern accomplices. A short time before making the raid, Brown issued commissions to the men ap pointed as officers, and he and all of them took an oath of allegiance to the provisional constitution. The time first set for the attack upon Harpers Ferry was the 24th day of October, 1859; but owing to pressure from friends in the North, and fearing that the presence of his party in the mountain had excited sus picion, he suddenly determined to make the attack on Sunday night, October 16. The movement, accordingly, began about
