Telegram from A.M. Barbour, Superintendent of the Arsenal at Harpers Ferry to the Secretary of War
10/19/1859
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On October 16, 1859, John Brown and his "army" of some 20 men seized the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). By the morning of October 18, Marines under the command of Bvt. Col. Robert E. Lee, stormed the building and captured Brown and the survivors of his party. Even after Brown was captured, false rumors persisted about abolitionists and slaves hiding in the mountains, preparing for a new attack on the town. It was in this atmosphere of panic, as the Marines prepared to withdraw, that the Superintendent sent this plea for help to the Secretary of War.
Transcript
HARPERS FERRY OCT. XIXTH. HON. SECY OF WAR. WASHIN. . I FIND A PERFECT PANIC HERE. YOU MUST BY ALL MEANS DETAIL A TROOP TO MY RELIEF IMMEDIATELY. THE MARINES WILL LEAVE. A.M.BARBOUR. SUPT. U.S. ARMORY.426 B 1859
Telegram
Harpers Ferry Oct 19/59
File with 386.W.59
A.M. Barbour
A panic there - asks for
Troops ---
B183 - Oct 20/59
Adjt Genl
Recd AGO Nov 23. 1859.
[stamp] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES
This primary source comes from the Records of the Adjutant General's Office.
National Archives Identifier: 300374
Full Citation: Telegram from A.M. Barbour, Superintendent of the Arsenal at Harpers Ferry to the Secretary of War; 10/19/1859; Letters Received, 1805 - 1889; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Record Group 94; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/telegram-barbour-secretary-war, April 26, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.