1915 circa

Collin, James C., fl. 1906

Printed document signed

Title: [Printer's prospectus for "The Capture and Execution of John Brown"]

Original publisher's prospectus for "The Capture and Execution of John Brown," by Elijay Avey. Claims the book is "crammed from cover to cover with the most thrilling events in the life of the fearless, justice-loving John Brown." Avey was an eye witness to the execution, who later wrote a book on the event and Brown's life. Collin was the publisher's agent.

GLC06806.02.01

July 17, 1913

Sweeney, J.D, 1869-?

Photograph signed

Title: [Photograph of house of John Brown's widow]

Photograph of the house of John Brown's widow in California. Photograph taken by T. Major Edgecomb. Docket on verso in green ink states "After the execution of John Brown, his widow and several of her young children came to Red Bluff. Citizens raised a sum of money which came from near and far and built a home for her. There she lived for several years, then moved over the Coach Range. A few still remain who recall having played with the Brown girls."

GLC06806.02.02

1915 circa

Brown, John, 1800-1859

Printed document

Title: John Brown's Prophesy

The last words of John Brown, and a poem he wrote in prison, printed on a piece of paper that may have been intended to go inside Elijah Avey's book on Brown. A hand written note at the bottom reads "One of these to every book."

GLC06806.02.03

16-19 August 1856

Brown, John Jr., 1821-1895

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jason Brown and others

Discusses the fighting between pro-slavey and anti-slavery activists in Kansas. Explains that "Events of the most stirring character are now passing within hearing distance...more than 200 shots have been fired within the past half hour, and within a mile of our Camp. Have just learned that some 80 of our free state men have 'pitched in' to a pro-slavery Camp this side of Lecompton." Provides a rich description of both current events and happenings over the past month, both their own actions and those of the pro-slavey men. Recounts the capture of "The notorious Col Titus who only a day…

GLC08906

19 December 1859

Maitland, William G., 1846-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James M. Maitland

Informs his brother that he has purchased a farm 300 acres from Blair County. States, "Now in regards to Politics: I am an administration Democrat Squatter...Sovernty I care nothing about...any political doctrine that will not suit East west north & South is not the National or Union doctrine...I believe the territory of the United States to be common..." Continues on to discuss the question of slavery and state rights, writing "I believe James Buchanan done just what any honest man would have done who regarded his oath to carry out the laws of the constitution Douglass, Garney, Hickman…

GLC03523.10.023

April 21, 1859

Kagi, John, fl. 1859

Photograph

Title: [Photograph of couple]

Collateral photo accompanied with autograph letter signed (See GLC07235.01).

GLC07235.02

7 May 1864

Brownlow, William Gannaway, 1805-1877

Newspaper

Title: Brownlow's Knoxville Whig and rebel ventilator. [Vol. 1, no. 18 (May 7, 1864)]

Proclamation to the citizens of E. Tennessee, General R.E. Lee & John Brown.

GLC05959.50.17

19 June 1879

Brown, John Jr., 1821-1895

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander Milton Ross

Brown Jr. writes from Put-in-Bay Island located on South Bass Island (Lake Erie), Ohio. He mentions he will personally be traveling to Kansas and possibly Colorado to examine the land for the purpose of "settlement by Colored people of limited means; making the [inserted: results] of my observations known to the public through Newspapers friendly to their cause." Says he will be returning "by way of the Northern Pacific route from Bismark [sic] Dakota to St. Paul and Duluth," and plans on examining the land with the same purpose in mind. Sends a copy of his article "address before the…

GLC03007.56.11

30 November 1859

Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Maria Webb

GLC08360.04

1859 circa

Object

Title: [Twenty Star American "Abolitionist Flag"]

Large American cotton flag with only 20 stars. Fragile. The flag consists of 9 alternating red or white cloth strips sewn together with 20 somewhat irregular stars. The blue field is mottled and the flag has staining. The flag is identified as an "Abolitionist Flag" because it drops the slave states from the star field. (Measurements are approximate.) Discovered in Andover, Ohio, and may have been made there. Thought to show support for abolitionists like Brown.

GLC05762

February 19, 1892

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Hopes to unmask a man pretending to have been at Harpers Ferry with John Brown. "It is my wish that you publish this Richard W. Howard, who claims to have been with John Brown at Harper's Ferry, as a fraud and a humbug. It is evident that he intends to make a money making scheme out of this, by exhibiting himself as a last survivor. I think he ought to be 'nipped in the bud' before he has time to blossom into a full blown impostor." Sent in response to an article in the Chicago Tribune Ross sent her about Howard. Wants to prove this man was never at Harpers Ferry. She is "certain that…

GLC03007.30

1859/11/17

Brown, John, 1800-1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas B. Musgrave re: imprisonment

"I do not feel myself the least degraded by my imprisonment, my chain, or the near prospect of the gallows. Men cannot imprison, or chain, or hang the soul." With engraving, photograph, and collateral paperwork. Per Lee Shepard, Asst. Director for Manuscript and Archives at the Virginia Historical Society, the recipient of John Brown's letter is Thomas B. Musgrave rather than "F.B." Musgrave. Shepard writes (May 2001) that Musgrave "is identified as the son of a New England merchant and industrialist with whom Brown had dealings earlier in his life."

GLC07638.01

1859/11/24

Taliaferro, William Booth, 1822-1898

Autograph letter signed

Title: to "My Darling Wife" re: doubting reported plan to rescue Brown

Written while guarding John Brown in prison.

GLC07638.02

[n.d.]

Photograph

Title: [Brown, John]

Three quarter length standing view facing proper right. Photograph from painting or engraving. White mount.

GLC06391.14

1859 ca.

Platt, A.C., 1828-1884

Photograph

Title: Sepia head and shoulders image of John Brown, with lock of hair

GLC04463.02

1859/12/16

Newspaper

Title: Liberator. [Vol. 29, no. 50 (December 16, 1859)]

Whole no. 1511. It includes "Brown's letter to his wife.", the burial of John Brown; South Carolina's secession movement and the dissolution of the Union.

GLC07287

1859/12/08

Scott, Robert, fl. 1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George W. Randolph et al. re: the South's peril from the North

Written to Randolph and others. "The Northern People came to us with assurances that the south was in no peril...Harper's Ferry was invaded and captured...We have but to be one united people for security out of the Union or Justice & Equality in it."

GLC07410

1859/12/09

Newspaper

Title: Liberator. [Vol. 29 no. 49 (December 9, 1859)]

Whole no. 1510. It includes eyewitness accounts, the "Arrival of Mrs. Brown", "The Harper's Ferry Rising", the execution of Brown.

GLC07286

1856/12/10

Brown, John, 1800-1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother and sister Adair re: concern for his son Owen

Written while on the run from authorities after Pottawatomie massacre: "Owen (my son) is I trust somewhere on the way from Iowa; but I have a good deal of anxiety about him, as I learn that I was hotly pursued even in Iowa. I can only say that God has miraculously preserved and spared us." Docketed.

GLC07229

1859/11/20

Doyle, Mahala, fl. 1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Brown

By the widow and mother of three men killed by Brown in the Pottawatomie massacre: "My son John whose life I begged of [you] is grown up and is very desirous to be at Charlestown on the day of your execution, would certainly be there if his means would permit it, that he might adjust the rope around your neck."Published in the Liberator, 16 December 1859. Also quoted in Robert Penn Warren's John Brown: The Making of a Martyr (1929).

GLC07590

1839/06/19

Brown, John, 1800-1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mrs. Brown and children re: his homecoming

"I have left no stone unturned to place my affairs in a more settled & comfortable shape, & now should I after all my labour & sacrifice of boddy & mind, be compelled to return a verry poor man, how will my family receive me."

GLC07617

1862/03/12

Brown, John Jr., 1821-1895

Book signed

Title: Cavalry tactics: or Regulations for the instruction... of the cavalry

[Full title] "Cavalry Tactics: or regulations for the instruction, formations, and movements of the cavalry" by Philip St. George Cooke. Edition printed by Lippincott, 1862. Signed by Brown as member of Co. K., 1st Cavalry, 7th regiment Kansas Volunteers

GLC06724

1906, 1915/02/15

Avey, Elijah, fl. 1906

Book signed

Title: The Capture and Execution of John Brown: A Tale of Martyrdom

With thirty illustrations. Eyewitness account, inscribed. Printed by the Brethren Publishing House for the author and Publisher. Accompanied (.02) by publisher's prospectus, small printed leaf of Brown's last written words, photo of Brown's widow's house in California.

GLC06806

1859/12/06

Realf, Richard, fl. 1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Judge Duval

Offering a confession for his participation in the Canada Convention of 1858 and presenting himself for punishment in response to his actions. Also elaborating on the reasons for his participation. In part: "Sir: I have the honor to announce to you that, for the reasons which follow, I am desirious of surrendering myself...to the Constitutional authorities of the United States, as being, by my admission in the presense of witnesses, guilty of participation in the Canada Convention of May, 1838, which, it is suppossed, gave rise to the recent Harper's Ferry Insurrection....[My reasons…

GLC07886

1859/11/25

Wise, Henry A., 1806-1876

Letter

Title: to James Buchanan re: conspiracy to free John Brown

Copy of letter sent and signed by Henry A. Wise to President Buchannan regarding the plot to free John Brown from his cell in Charlestown, Virginia. Wise explicitly states that he has amassed over one thousand men at arms (militia) and is prepared to call upon Virginia's entire reserve should the conspirators make any attempts at releasing Brown.

GLC07897