BROWN, Captain JOHN, the leader of the Harper's Ferry (U. S.) insurrection (1850), designed to incite the slaves of the southern states of America to rebellion, was descended from a Puritan carpenter, one of the Mayflower emigrants, and was b. at Torrington, Conn., in the year 1800. He intended to enter the ministry, but had to abandon his studies on account of weak sight, and subsequently became a wool-dealer. In 1854, having imbibed an intense hatred of slavery, he went to Kansas, iu order to vote, and, if need were, fight, against the establishment of slavery in that territory. In many of the con flicts which ensued between the pro-slavery party from Missouri and the free settlers, B. played a prominent part, and in one of these he had a son killed, a circumstance which deepened his hostility against the southern party. After the agitation in Kansas was settled by a general vote, B. traveled through the northern and eastern states, declaiming against slavery, and endeavoring to organize an armed attack upon it. In Oct., 1859, at
the bead of 17 white men and 5 blacks, he commenced active hostilities by a descent upon Harper's Ferry, a town of some 5000 inhabitants, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah, and possessed 'of an arsenal containing from 300.000 to 200,000 stand of arms. The arsenal was easily captured, and 40 or 50 of the principal inhabitants were made prisoners; but instead of retreating at once to the mountains with arms and hostages, as his original design had been—meaning to exchange the hostages for slaves—B. lingered on in the town until the evening, by which time 1500 militiamen had arrived. Next day, an attack was made on his position, which, after some loss of life, was carried. B. was captured, and shortly after was tried for treason, and executed. He is described as a singularly brave and honest man.