Staunton Spectator

The following narrative of Capt. H. Clay Pate, now of Petersburg, Va., will be interesting to our readers, as it gives some of the antecedents of Capt. Brown of Harper s Ferry notoriety.--It is dated Petersburg, Oct. 21, 1859: In the latter part of May, 1856, John Brown and his sons murdered five pro-slavery men on Pottawotamie creek in Kansas, in one night; they were old Mr. Doyle and two sons, Allen Wilkerson, a member of the first Legislature of Kansas, and a German named Wm. Sherman.- -These murders were done in cold blood, without any excuse, except that the victims were in favor of slavery for Kansas; and their only justification was Gerrit Smith s doctrine that "slavery must go out in blood."

I took the field with my company of 25 men and joined the U.S. Deputy Marshal, T. W. Hays, who was in search of Brown and his sons, to arrest them for their atrocious crimes, committed on Pottawotamie creek. Search was made for him in the neighborhood of Paola; his house was found, but not himself. In his house were arms, and evidence of lawlessness, like those found on his place near Harper's Ferry.

On discovering that Brown had left his home and haunts, the Marshal dispatched troops in various directions, in search of the murderers.

I was sent to the neighborhood of Prairie City, a point on the Santa Fe road about 45 miles from the Missouri line, and on Saturday night, the last day of May, camped at Black Jack, where there is a spring, and other conveniences for cooking, to rest over Sunday. Squads were sent out to scour the country, and find traces of Brown. I had been assured that honest free-State men all over the Territory would assist in Brown s capture, in which I was deceived.--I am sorry to say, however, that some of my scouts transcended their orders, and under the influence of liquor, perhaps, committed some indiscretions at least. Taking advantage of these, Brown, who was concealed in the neighborhood, excited all the inhabitants against my command, enlisted them in his service, and in forty-eight hours, had banded together some hundred and odd persons to overpower it.

I was attacked at sunrise Monday morning, the 2nd of June, by a company equal in numbers to my own, under the command of Captain Shore, whom we put to flight, and who afterwards left the field and incurred the censure of Brown, who charged the Captain with cowardice, in the New York Tribune.

Five of my men were wounded and disabled in the early part of the fight, as many more deserted, and after resisting the attack for over three hours, and almost exhausting our ammunition--seeing reinforcements of the enemy arriving every hour--and knowing we were surrounded, I determined to seek an interview with the commander--not even dreaming he was Brown, or I should never have done so. My object was two fold. 1st. I looked for help to arrive every moment, and wished to gain time.--2nd. I desired to apologize for and disclaim any unwarrantable conduct of my scouts, feeling that duty required my apology and disclaimer for the same--above all, I wished to be right. I expected to die, and possibly go down with every gallant fellow who stood by me; and it would have been a consolation to know that I had done all in my power to avoid bloodshed, and if no honorable compromise could be effected, after making proper concessions, I was ready and willing to die in defense of my country, and in the maintenance of the trust it had confided to my keeping. I never harbored the thought of surrender. In addition to this, my men had not eaten anything since the previous afternoon, and two of the wounded, whom I supposed dying, needed attention; they begged, in touching tones, for water and help. It was under these circumstances, and with the object just stated, that I sent out a flag of truce and asked an interview. It was granted. I went out under the flag, by the request of Capt. Brown, who would hear no proposition or explanation, but demanded my surrender. I told him he must wait fifteen minutes for my answer, and moved with the intention of returning to renew the defense, when he told me I was his prisoner; and at that moment his sons rose up from the grass where they were concealed, and forcibly took me, while the white flag was still floating over my head. Not content with this act of treachery, I and my gallant aid, Henry James, were put in front of a squad of men, so that my company could not fire and protect themselves without killing us, and seeing no alternative but instant death, being utterly surrounded, they threw down their arms. I never gave the command to surrender, and never would have done it, although it was demanded of me under penalty.--I was a prisoner and did not intend to open my mouth, preferring "to die and make no sign."--I did not compliment Brown s bravery, for I could not consider him truly brave, who would take one treacherously, when he had four to one, and every imaginable advantage on his side; for we were in a settlement of free-soilers exclusively, with an exception or two, and as it turned out, thirty or forty miles from any assistance.

This is as correct a statement as I can make in brief--there being enough matter in the affair for a book, which I am in no spirit to write now, and I would not have come before the pubic at this time, but that the misstatements of Northern have been copied into Southern papers. I expect slander and injustice from the Abolition press as long as I live, judging from the past; but when they come home to me, no one can justly impute blame to myself for defending my fair fame, which I ever intend to do "without favor or affection."

Every writer occasionally feels the want expressed by Lord Byron in the opening stanza of one of his celebrated poems, and breathes a sigh for a "hero." Under the pleasure of necessity the noble bard took his "ancient friend," that graceless scamp, "Don Juan." We, in common with the entire newspaper fraternity, are disposed to seize greedily upon the veteran leader of the Harper's Ferry insurgents, and turn a paragraph upon "Old Brown"--commonly called "Ossawotamie." Old Brown is emphatically the celebrity of the day, and he will inevitably continue to be talked about and written about even after he drops from the gallows into the grave. We want to get the benefit of "Old Brown" while he is going, and as he is very nearly gone we are almost compelled to use him a little this week.

We regret that there should be such eagerness to make way with the distinguished chief of the army of invasion. We consider it bad policy for more reasons than one. In the first place the demand for summary vengeance will give some color of pretense to the claim of martyrdom which Captain Brown is disposed to set up, and which his friends at the North will assert for him. The moral effect at the North would be much better, if, instead of manifesting so much hot haste" to inflict merited punishment upon the culprits, the justice were meted out to them with cool and calm deliberation, allowing them a fair and impartial trial, not only all that the law would entitle them to, but much that they might desire themselves, but not deserve. To hurry "Old Brown" to the gallows, even after his conviction, will, in our opinion, be a grave error.--It looks too much as if the great State of Virginia was in great trepidation, lest in spite of the bristling bayonets of a whole regiment of soldiers surrounding his prison, "Old Brown," battered to pieces with balls and bleeding from sabre wounds as he is, should rally his lacerated confederates, break through the iron grates of his dungeon, raise again the standard of insurrection, and fight his way to liberty. The effect upon all who have participated in or connived at the conspiracy would be much better if the soldiers were disbanded, and Captain Brown were kept caged for a few weeks by the jailor of Jefferson, just to satisfy all concerned that the people of Virginia have not been frightened out of their wits by the crazy enterprise of a few blinded fanatics.

In the third place, we protest against the premature hanging of "Ossawotamie," because the newspapers have not yet exhausted the supply of paragraphs which he will afford daily as long as he is permitted to live. "Old Brown" makes new developments every day, but "dead men tell no tales." While he survives every editor feels it to be a solemn duty to prick him with his pen and slice him with his scissors, for his own amusement and the gratification of the community, but the chivalry which belongs to the profession would forbid any interference with his bones after they are consigned to mother earth Then, bad as "Old Brown" is, no editor will relish the work of heaping obloquy upon his memory. We feel a professional interest, therefore, in the prolongations of Capt. Brown's days, until something else occurs to furnish abundant pabulum for voracious gentlemen of the press.

"A gentleman of this county has received through the Post Office a circular from the New York Tribune office setting forth the merits of that paper and appealing for assistance in extending its circulation. To cap the climax of assurance, several copies of the Weekly Tribune, containing an offensive article on the Harper's Ferry conspiracy have been sent to the same address, as a specimen of what the paper is.--'Horace Greeley & Co.' will perhaps be surprised to learn that the gentleman upon whose assistance they have counted, is a large slaveholder and a firm believer in the blessings of our 'patriarchal institution."

Some Northern papers which condemn Brown's conduct at Harper's Ferry, still seek to mitigate his crime by asserting that he was made desperate and almost crazy by the treatment he received in Kansas. He was, however, no peaceful settler in that Territory, but went there for a bloody purpose, and thus brought his sufferings upon himself. Moreover, his admirer and associate in Kansas, James Redpath, says in reference to the recent conspiracy: "It was not a 'mad idea,' concocted at Fair in Ohio, but a mighty purpose, born of religious convictions, which he nourished in his heart for half a life time."

The account of the trial at Charlestown which we publish, will be read with interest.-- Every citizen of the State must feel gratified at the calm manner in which the proceedings are conducted, under circumstances well calculated to inflame the Court and jury as well as other members of the community. The prisoner and his friends, however, will of course deny the fairness of the trial.

For some weeks past bears have been quite common in this county, as well as other parts of the State. We have heard of several adventures which different persons have had with them. On Wednesday night last, as Mr. Thomas Marshall, one of our Constables, was riding in the country, his horse showed signs of alarm, and was immediately assailed by a bear, which left the marks of his claws upon the horse ship. Mr. M. dashed off at full speed, but the bear kept up with him for a considerable distance.--Mr. James R. Paris, who lives about two miles from town, went into his meadow Friday evening, to feed some cattle, and found there a bear, which pursued him to the house. Before Mr. P. could get a weapon, Bruin had turned and made off. The next morning, Mr. Womelsdorf encountered the same bear, it is supposed, and with his dog between his feet, stood facing the enemy for some time. Another bear was seen on the farm of Mr. L. R. Waddell Friday evening, about the time of Mr. Paris adventure; and on Sunday morning it was pursued by some persons on the adjoining farm of Mr. Jefferson Kinney, but made his escape. The most serious adventure, however, happened to a gentleman, whose name we have forgotten, near Mt. Torry Furnace. He was out hunting, and discovering a bear up a tree fired a pistol at him.--The bear came down, and assailing his adversary threw him to the ground and scratched his face severely. For a few moments the hunter thought his life in danger, but finally got hold of the bear and turning him recovered his footing. The animal took to a tree again and was shot by persons who came up.

A number of the papers brought from the Insurgent's camp at Harper's Ferry are published in the "Constitution." Some of them are signed John Smith, in the handwriting of one of the sons of Ossawottamie Brown, and endorsed by the latter. The documents show that the conspiracy extended throughout portions of Ohio, New York, New England and some towns in Pennsylvania. One letter says:--"Our hands so far are coming forward probably better than I expected, as we have called upon them." The papers give the number of pick- axes, shovels, and articles of personal comfort, together with the bills for the same, while others ask for money, &c. F. B. S., of Concord, subscribes $55. One letter is dated October 1st, in which the writer remarks: "He was in Ashtabula county, and met with some success. Our old friend, J. R. G." he says,"took stock to the amount of $8."!!

Joshua R. Gidding publishes a letter in which he says Brown never consulted him in regard to his Harper's Ferry expedition, or any other expedition or matter whatever.

A letter from Charlestown to the Baltimore American, on the 26th says: The result of the insurrection is regarded here as proving the faithfulness of the slaves. No fears are entertained of them, but a military guard is kept up to meet any attempt to rescue the prisoners.--Great consternation among the slaves has been caused by a fear of being seized like those of Col. Washington's were, and they firmly believe that the object of the prisoners was to carry them South and sell them. Not a single slave has yet been implicated as even sympathising with the Insurrectionists. Those carried off have all returned to their masters.