Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/552



Before going east Brown revealed his plans to Dr. H. G. Gill. He proposed to take fifty or a hundred men, well armed, into the mountains near Harper’s Ferry, collect slaves in the vicinity, seize conveyances and transport them to Canada. After the excitement had subsided he would make a raid in some other locality and thus continue until slavery ceased to exist. Dr. Gill assured him that he could not succeed in such plans and that he and his men would soon be killed or captured. He replied that for himself he was willing to give his life for the emancipation of slaves. He repeatedly said that he firmly believed that he was an instrument of God through which slavery was to be abolished. The doctor said to him: “You and your handful of men cannot cope with the whole South.” His reply was: “I tell you, doctor, it will be the beginning of the end of slavery.” As improbable as it seemed to all but Brown and his devoted band, he and they were not mistaken; the great sacrifice at Harper’s Ferry was the beginning of the end of slavery. Therefore every incident relating to that desperate enterprise becomes of absorbing historic interest. It is now known that nearly all of John Brown’s intimate friends to whom he divulged his plans, saw that they must end in disaster and tried in vain to dissuade him from embarking upon so hopeless an undertaking.

In the East, Gerrit Smith, F. B. Sanborn, Wendell Phillips and Theodore Parker remonstrated with him in vain. To all he replied that it was his mission to aid in the overthrow of slavery and every one of his followers was willing to risk his life in the attempt.

On the 27th of April, 1858, John Brown returned to Springdale and ordered his men to move east. There was a sorrowful leave-taking between their good friends at Springdale and the young men who were starting upon an expedition so dangerous and daring. Warm friendships had grown up and all realized that it might be the last farewell, as it proved to be. The party assembled at