15 May 1888

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Knows that John Brown first conceived of raiding Harpers Ferry before going to Kansas, no matter what magazines say. Reporters "say 'It is impossible to trace exactly how and when the Harper's Ferry invasion first took shape in John Brown's mind, but the indications are that it grew little by little out of his Kansas experience.' Now in reply to this I will say that my father explained his plan to capture Harper's Ferry in all its details, to me, the winter before he, or any member of his family, were in Kansas." Declares Brown also thought of New Orleans instead of Harper's Ferry, but…

GLC03007.19

1 July 1888

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses at length her faith in God, and how despair only makes it stronger, as her father taught her. Mentions smallpox incidents nearby and greater women's rights in California. Her oldest son, fifteen, has run off to become a locomotive engineer and she fears he may have drowned in heavy rain. Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.20

26 August 1888

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses George L. Stearns, who supported John Brown, and his family. Mentions Edwin A. Brackett's bust of Brown, of which she only saw the mold. Says her runaway son has returned, and she is very busy with ten children. Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.21

2 December 1888

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Wonders why there is so much evil in the world, is thankful for the good people she has known, and rejoices in the election of Benjamin Harrison as President. Has recently moved from Rohnerville to Petrolia. Wonders "why some people were ever permitted to be born into the world, They never seem to have a kind thought or do a good act, their lives are all wrong. Why did a good God create so much evil and so little that is really good, in the human race?" Despite this, feels lucky to have known some great men, "even if they are lost" too soon. On politics "greatly rejoiced with the results…

GLC03007.22

2 April 1889

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Intends to send him all of her recollections regarding Kennedy Farm and preparations for Harpers Ferry Raid, and gives a biography of John E. Cook, one of the raiders. Discusses Cook's upbringing, his marriage, and an affair he had. Tells how Stevens' fiance broke off their engagement hours before he was hung. Upset by comments against her father. Opposed to vaccination of her children. Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.23

January 15, 1890

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses terrible winter rains and failing health of her sister Ruth Brown Thompson.

GLC03007.24

6 March 1890

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Rain has been so heavy all winter that she and her family have been virtually unable to leave the house.

GLC03007.25

29 June 1890

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses bad weather, vaccination of her children, and the evil of most human beings. Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.26

11 September 1890

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Thanks him for his offer of "a scholarship at the College" and hopes her second daughter Bertha can raise the funds to attend, and wonders about requirements for acceptance. Plans to write biographies for more of the Harpers Ferry raiders for him when she gets a chance. Wishes times were not so hard for the family so she could give her children a better education, though admits "there are advantages even in hard times...education is not all in the school books." Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.27

8 December 1890 - 25 December 1890

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Thanks him for offering to help her daughters attend college. Says Bertha is too ill to go, but hopes Vivian, her eldest, may be able to attend, and awaits Vivian's reply. Second half of letter, dated 25 December, states that Vivian cannot attend college and thanks him for the "Chatterbox," a children's periodical. Reports on the rest of her family. Apologizes again for not yet writing her recollections of Kennedy farm and the preparations for Harpers Ferry, but hopes to do so soon. Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.28

22 August 1891

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Apologizes for not being able to accept his offer of helping her children attend college. Regrets not being able to allow them a better education. Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.29

19 February 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

2 May 1892

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses her sister, Ruth Brown Thompson and Ruth's husband Henry Thompson. Both have failing health. Argues that Kansas should give Henry a pension, since he fought under John Brown at the Battle of Black Jack to help keep Kansas a free state. Gives some details about the Brown family's time in Kansas, and emphasizes that her father began planning the Harpers Ferry raid before going to Kansas.

GLC03007.31

13 September 1892

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Wonders if her children should participate in the "John Brown's Fort" attraction at the Chicago World's Fair. "Mr. Holmes Pres. of the John Brown Fort Co." has asked if her children will come work at the exhibition. At first he promised good wages, but now only offers menial work and little pay. Is now very skeptical, and wonders if she should send her children. Notes that "Ever since John Brown's death, there have been parties raising money on one pretext or another for 'John Brown's poor family.' The poor family have never received but a small amount of what has been claimed to have…

GLC03007.32

21 October 1892

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses Ross' plans that somehow involve helping the black community. It is not clear exactly what this plan involves, but she suggests he try using the black newspapers to help his plans. Worries that few African Americans will care about his plan, since "they take too little interest in doing for their own kind. You will recollect that father only succeeded in getting five colored men to join him. He found it much easier to get white men and money from white men to help him. Doing good to others is often very, very discouraging, especially when they do not seem to take the slightest…

GLC03007.33

15 November 1892

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Thanks him for his help. Talks about her hard times financially, and reports briefly on her siblings. Discusses Richard Hinton, who is writing a book on John Brown, and Richard W. Howard, "the pretender" who is offering newspapers a fabricated story about having been with John Brown at Harpers Ferry. Hinton's book, "John Brown and His Men" was published in 1894.

GLC03007.34

7 December 1892

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses her financial struggles and John Brown. Her husband "has not earned a dollar for more than a year" since their is no work to be found, and her crops fared poorly. May try to write articles about her father for money, though "so many people write about him that I fancy people are getting tired of the subject." Promises to tell Ross more about Harpers Ferry once she gets the time. Two attached pages at the end belong with GLC3007.39.

GLC03007.35

7 January 1893

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses various men who have inquired about John Brown. Some seek relics, others want stories from her. Is disappointed with Franklin Sanborn and what he has written about her father. Also mentions Sanborn's plans to write a book about John Brown and give the proceeds to her sister Ruth. Talks of her own hardships, a bad storm, and thanks Ross for a gifts, including some that will help feed her poor family.

GLC03007.36

9 August 1893

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Encloses copies of some documents he might find interesting, and reports her sister Ruth is in poor health.

GLC03007.37

January 10, 1894

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Discusses Mary Stearns and a fund to help her family. Explains that Mrs. Stearns liked her father, but not his family, recounts a story of her unkindness, and wonders if Stearns has become infirm in her old age. Adams claims to hold no grudge against her. Also discusses a fund set up by John Brown's wealthy supporters to help his family. Says the money was misspent, and she received very little from it, and that much due only to the work of Franklin Sanborn. Says she has been very ill lately, and apologizes for inconveniencing him with news of her troubles.

GLC03007.38

24 June 1894

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

May write articles about John Brown for money, and discusses her family. Has "written a sketch for an eastern paper" which she hopes to get paid for, and has other offers to write about her father. Discusses her financial hardships, lives of her grown children and her sister Ruth, and a malicious neighbor. The last two pages are attached to GLC03007.35. Recipient inferred from content.

GLC03007.39

9 November 1894

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Reading Richard Hinton's book "John Brown and His Men," but doing so slowly, since much of it is painful to her. Says the book should have appeal and that it has a few small mistakes "that no one except I would notice." Received a letter from her Aunt Martha, John Brown's only living sibling. Got fifty five dollars for one magazine article, but another was rejected. Her husband is ill, and she just took a mortgage on her ranch to pay debts.

GLC03007.40

12 May 1895

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Has heard that her brother, John Brown Jr., is dead, but is not sure if this is true. Worries the sad news might be bad for her sister Ruth's health. Tried to write an article for Cosmopolitan Magazine, but poor health prevented her. John Brown Jr. died ten days before this letter was written.

GLC03007.41

2 December 1896

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Writes to say she hopes his health is improving.

GLC03007.42

January 16, 1897

Adams, Anne Brown, 1843-1926

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander M. Ross

Encloses a letter from Franklin Sanborn, to see if he knows anything about "the Dr. McLain mentioned therein."

GLC03007.43