Private Luke Quinn - Harpers Ferry, WV
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 39° 19.458 W 077° 43.893
18S E 264536 N 4356323
Near this spot, Private Luke Quinn died while charging the fire house harboring John Brown and his co-raiders of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal in 1859.
Waymark Code: WMN5GR
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 12/29/2014
Views: 6
In Harper's Ferry, near the railroad station and not far from an obelisk marking the original location of the fire station that harbored John Brown, is this stone monument for Private Luke Quinn of the U.S. Marines.
The marker is located along Potomac Street, across the street from the railroad station parking lot.
The marker is roughly six feet tall and is about three feet wide and less than a foot thick. It sits on a base also made of stone.
Engraved on the face toward the road is a soldier figure. At the base is the following text:
"In memory of
Pvt Luke Quinn
Only Marine killed in John Brown's raid - October 18, 1859
Pvt Luke Quinn came from Ireland in 1835, and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1855 in Brooklyn, NY. He was sent to sea duty, then transferred to Marine barracks in Washington, DC. He came to Harpers Ferry with Lieut. Colonel Robert E. Lee then was killed in the storming of the engine house. His funeral was in St. Peters Catholic Church by Father Michael Costello, and he was buried in St. Peters Catholic Cemetery."
The back is bare of any designs, but the bottom has the following text:
"In Memory of
Pvt Luke Quinn
By the organizations, veterans, and citizens of Jefferson County, October 18, 2010"
John Brown's Raid refers to the attempt by John Brown and some accomplices to break into the Harpers Ferry Arsenal, steal as many rifles as they could, then give these rifles to slaves in plantations so that they could fight for their freedom. They were found out and withdrew to the fire house where they remained until the Marines were called in. The Marines eventually stormed the building where there were shots fired before Brown and his men were captured. Pvt Luke Quinn was hit by one of the bullets.
Website pertaining to the memorial: [Web Link]
List if there are any visiting hours:
None - faces a public road.
Entrance fees (if it applies): 0
Type of memorial: Monument
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