In North Elba, within the John Brown Farm State Historic Site, is a marker in a rock about John Brown and his band buried here, who made an ill-fated raid on the armory at Harpers Ferry to gain arms to be used to free slaves.
The John Brown Farm State Historic Site is located on John Brown Road, south of New York Route 73. From the center of the village of Lake Placid, go east on New York Route 73 to a fork where John Brown Road splits to the right. Take this split and continue down this road, crossing Old Military Road, to the end at a cul-de-sac. Park on the road.
The marker is within the cemetery, within sight of the cul-de-sac. Within the iron fence is a large boulder, where there are a couple bronze plaques are attached. One of the plaques has the following on it:
"John Brown of Osawatomie [Image of Brown]
Here lies buried
John Brown
Born at Torrington, Connecticut
May 9th, 1800
He emigrated to Kansas in 1855 where he took an active part in the contest against the pro-slavery party.
He gained in August 1856 a victory at Osawatomie over a superior number of Missourians who had invaded Kansas (whence his surname 'Osawatomie').
He conceived the idea of becoming the liberator of the Negro slaves in the south and on the night of October 16. 1859 at the head of a devoted band of 22 followers he seized the United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia with the view of arming the Negroes who might come to his fortified camp.
In the fight with the United States troops and civilians which followed he was overpowered and taken prisoner October 18, 1859. was tried by the Commonwealth of Virginia at Charlestown, Virginia and was executed December 2, 1859.
Here lie buried with him twelve of his followers
Watson Brown (Son of John Brown) of North Elba, N.Y.
Oliver Brown (Son of John Brown) of North Elba, N.Y.
William Thompson, of North Elba, N.Y.
Dauphin Adolphus Thompson, of North Elba, N.Y.
John Henri Kagi, Adjutant
William H. Leeman, Lieutenant
Jeremiah G. Anderson, Lieutenant
Steward Taylor
Dangerfield Newby, Negro
Lewis S. Leary, Negro
The above ten were killed at the Harper's Ferry Fight
Aaron D. Stevens, Captain
Albert Hazlett, Lieutenant
The above two were taken prisoners and hanged March 15, 1860
The following men of John Brown's band escaped but were captured and hanged, December 16, 1859:
John E. Cook, Captain
Edwin Coppoc, Lieutenant
Shields Green, Negro
John A. Copeland, Negro
The following men of John Brown's Band Escaped:
Own Brown, Captain (Son of John Brown)
Francis Jackson Merriam
Charles Plummer Tidd, Captain
Barclay Coppac
Osborne P. Anderson, Negro
John Anderson, Negro"
The event in Harper's Ferry, was intended to obtain arms for John Brown's 'army.' They would be used to arm those enslaved so that they could liberate themselves. The effort failed. But the event, and the trials and hangings of Brown and several of his followers would harden the pro-slave/abolitionist sides and would eventually lead to the start of the U.S. Civil War.
Sources:
National Park Service (Harpers Ferry National Historical Park):
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visit link)
John Brown Farm State Historic Site:
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visit link)