The Anniversary of the Harper's Ferry Raid: October 16-18, 1859

The Anniversary of the Harper's Ferry Raid: October 16-18, 1859

The Two-Wheeled Historian (TWH) and his cousin, Mike The Engineer, made a visit to Harpers Ferry (they dropped the possessive tense over time), an odd little town in West Virginia.

The word odd was selected for a few reasons:

1. Geography: it sits in the armpit of Maryland and Virginia, on the bluffs of the Potomac River.  It was carved from Virginia as a result of the Civil War, almost to prove a point to the damn Virginians about rebellion and take-aways.  It's origins were Virginian but has as much influence from Maryland as any other state.  It sits a short distance from Pennsylvania, so it's a West Virginian city but seems to have its own identify.  In Harpers Ferry the past seems to influence the city more than its present.

2. Architecture: it's the 1850s all the time--unless something burns/falls down.  The majority of buildings are dutifully maintained by the community, which does a fine job of mixing history and tourism (and fudge shops).  [****SIDEBAR: there really should be a portmanteau of History and Tourism--but it doesn't work...Histourism?  That's too close to a gynecological procedure)****]. As such, there is a really ancient vibe as you walk the streets and climb steps--you become immersed in the past, just as you might in Boston, MA, Savannah, GA, or Charleston, SC.  The past is the past...but here it's also the present.  

3. History: Harpers Ferry's history is awesomely odd...and that's why we're here.

Harper's Ferry is named because Harper had a ferry, but he didn't just show up with a boat.  Harper bought out a squatter and the function of moving people across the river.

Squatters were quite common in the early 1700s, as immigrants (everyone that didn't have brown skin was an immigrant) often landed and headed west, settling down wherever they felt no one would really bother them.  That's pretty much how the west was won.  

The joining of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers was a great place to settle because those looking westward would need a river crossing.  Enter Harper.  He bought out the squatter and assumed the land, then known as Shenandoah Falls.

The land was owned by Lord Fairfax, the namesake of Fairfax, Virginia, the suburbs that lie just outside Washington DC.  His estate, Belvoir, became Fort Belvoir but is really best known for his efforts to try and hold onto the colonies during the 1760s and 1770s while revolution arose.  Even his neighbor, a young fella he'd hired as a land surveyor along the Blue Ridge Mountains named George Washington went "all rebellion and stuff" so Lord Fairfax and his family returned to England.  The family included Ms. Sally Fairfax, the married woman with whom GW was deeply in love.  Conspiracies abound that George Washington and Sally had a romantic relationship but there is no evidence at all and instead we just look at their letters that read more like a big sister/little brother relationship, even though only two years separated them.  He had a crush, but one of dignity and respect.  He was engaged and eventually married Martha and there is no evidence of anything other being a gentleman.

But back to Harper and the pre-Revolution era.  Knowing that a little money would chase off the squatter, he still had to contend with Lord Fairfax and wisely purchased the land and rights to what would become Harper's Ferry.  Ten years later, in classic governmental style, the Virginia colonial assembly granted formal rights for Harper's to operate his ferry.  Never mind that a ferry had been operating for decades, or that Harper had been on the property for a decade.  This is a little pessimistic, as they gave him a friendly, but unfair monopoly, but also regulated his business 10 years after he started.  Why keep competition down?  Why not allow more than one way across the river?

By the early 1800s this mountain town had an advantage beyond just being a river crossing for Harper and his ferry.  It had been identified as a strategic location to establish a federal armory and arsenal.  A nice place to stash arms for the western campaigns, as suggested by the very guy who surveyed the original property--George Washington.  

Robert Harper's heirs sold the US government a tract of land in 1796 (helps that George Washington, the original surveyor, was now the US President) and by 1799 the arsenal and armory were under construction.  Harpers Ferry would join the Springfield, MA Armory as the only two federal munitions manufacturing centers in the young republic.  

Harpers Ferry became an industrial center once the armory was established but it's industrial works were destroyed in 1861 to prevent capture and use by the Confederate Army.  The CSA army quickly made it a target of occupation.  The armory was where the Masters of War and the Mothers of Invention stood side-by-side inside this sleepy little town: the first major use of interchangeable parts was pioneered here, as was the M1819 Hall rifle, the first breech-loading weapon adopted by the U.S. Army (signaling the end of the musket).

Now we know why Harpers Ferry is Harpers Ferry and why there was an armory.  We also know why John Brown--probably the most interesting person in the history of these United States--selected the Harpers Ferry Armory and Arsenal for his raid from October 16-18, 1859.  Brown's purpose was capturing the federal implements of war to arm slaves and perform mass murder on slaveholders.  Brown knew the score--kill the slaveowners and that would pretty much solve the slavery questions.  And in defense of the politicians of the time, there were real questions.  Even those who knew slavery had to end were trying to operationalize a solution.  How about financial rights?  What about the suddenly freed men and women?  Do they deserve transport back to Africa or they now Americans?  Are they citizens?  With what rights, if any?  This is tougher than we like to admit...we can't handle modern immigration issues, much less manage the end to the tragedy of forced and brutal servitude.  

Back to John Brown.  On October 16, 1859, Brown led 21 men (5 were black: 3 free men; 1 freed slave; 1 fugitive slave) in the raid.  Of course raiding federal property was a crime, and so was the fact that he went after weapons; but it was still a crime to assist fugitive slaves (Fugitive Slave Act) so Brown was all in on this one...failure would be a death sentence.  The raid was initially successful, as he quickly captured several buildings but the raid had immediate and unexpected tragedy: the first shots fired killed Hayward Shepherd, a free black working as a night porter for the B&O Railroad near the armory.  

That shot alerted Dr. John Starry, a local physician who investigated the gunfire but was confronted by Brown's raiders shortly after 1:00a.  After Starry tended to Shepard and explained there was nothing more he could do, Starry was allowed to leave.  Instead of going home, he set out on horseback to neighboring towns to alert them of the raid.  At Charles Town, the citizen militia was gathered and Brown and his army was soon pinned down, taking refuge in the engine house adjacent to the armory.

The Navy Department was able to quickly respond with a unit of 86 Marines, but they lacked a field commander.  US Army Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee was on leave nearby and was issued orders to put down the insurrection with J.E.B. Stuart as his aide.  The US forces arrived by train on October 18th and attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender; upon failure to obtain Brown's surrender, the forces stormed the fire house.  Almost all were captured, a few killed, and the US Marine suffered a single casualty.  Brown was tried, convicted and hanged in nearby Charles Town for his treason against the State of VA.

Any motorcyclist will enjoy a visit the area.  In addition to some lovely scenery in VA & MD, West Virginia has some seriously twisty roads that make for some exciting rides, including a few just north of Harper's Ferry.  The area is a stone's throw from Antietam and Manassas, great Civil War battle sites you can enjoy history, scenic views, a little technical riding and even a bit of the Appalachian Trail...

...which also crosses, Newfound Gap on the NC/TN border and subject of a prior TWH post.  

Park your bike at the US National Parks Service Visitor Center and ride the shuttle over.  The old cobblestone and brick roads aren't too motorcycle friendly, nor are the steep roads and limited parking.  It's wholly walkable once you hop off the shuttle.