<Li> 1859 John Brown's Raid (Virginia, Suppressed) </Li> <Ul> <Li> view </Li> <Li> talk </Li> <Li> edit </Li> </Ul> <P> On Sunday night, October 16, 1859, Brown left four of his men behind as a rear - guard: his son, Owen Brown, Barclay Coppock, and Frank Meriam; he led the rest into the town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia . Brown detached a party under John Cook Jr. to capture Colonel Lewis Washington, great - grandnephew of George Washington, at his nearby Beall - Air estate, some of his slaves, and two relics of George Washington: a sword allegedly presented to Washington by Frederick the Great and two pistols given by Marquis de Lafayette, which Brown considered talismans . The party carried out its mission and returned via the Allstadt House, where they took more hostages . Brown's main party captured several watchmen and townspeople in Harpers Ferry . </P> <P> Brown's men needed to capture the weapons and escape before word could be sent to Washington . The raid was going well for Brown's men . They cut the telegraph wire and seized a Baltimore & Ohio train passing through . A free black man was the first casualty of the raid . Hayward Shepherd, an African - American baggage handler on the train, confronted the raiders; they shot and killed him . For some reason, Brown let the train continue, and the conductor alerted the authorities down the line . Brown had been sure that he would win the support of local slaves in joining the rebellion, but a massive uprising did not occur, because word had not been spread about the uprising, so the slaves nearby did not know about it . Although the white townspeople soon began to fight back against the raiders, Brown's men succeeded in capturing the armory that evening . </P>

Who came to harpers ferry to take part in the uprising