Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/338

Rh from the second day of the Harpers Ferry events until the body of the executed man was delivered to his friends.

Without expressing any political or theological opinion as to the merits or demerits of Brown's action, I submit the evidence.

Pastor of First Reformed Church, Schenectady, N. Y.

COPY OF LETTER ADDRESSED TO HON. THOMAS HUGHES, BY REV. A. C. HOPKINS, D. D.

Co., W. VA., July 24th, 1882.

Hon., London, England:

,—I am pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Charlestown, Jefferson county, West Virginia (formerly Virginia). I read, years ago, with much pleasure your "Tom Brown's School Days," and recently your "Manliness of Christ." My attention was arrested by what you said in the eighth chapter of the last-named book respecting Captain John Brown and his treatment while in jail in this place, in the autumn of 1859. Not having been personally familiar with the scenes you represent there, I took the book to parties who were, and conversed with others still, and their testimony is concurrent to the effect that nearly every particular statement you make respecting Brown is incorrect, and that the necessary inference printed, viz: that Brown was maltreated while in legal custody, is unjust and injurious. I thought it right, and also sufficient, to ask Captain John Avis, the jailer and executioner of John Brown, to give me his affidavit touching the points made by you, which he has done voluntarily and without any sort of consideration but love of the truth. I send you herewith his sworn testimony on these points, which I hope will emancipate your mind from some of the errors into which you have been led by our Northern press, especially by Redpath's "Life of Captain John Brown," (which lies before me). Captain Avis holds the honorable and responsible office of Justice of the Peace in this county.

I ask now that you will avail yourself of the facilities offered by the public press of this country (especially the Northern press), and