John+Brown's+Raid+at+Harper's+Ferry,+Va.



John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry
 * Setting**: Harper’s Ferry, WV
 * What happened**? John Brown, a northern abolitionist, rented a home near Harper’s Ferry under a fake name and housed a rag-tag group of young men to act as an army to fight the militia stationed at the fort. The goal was to promote abolition and denounce slavery as one of the few (and last) American Slave Revolts.
 * The revolt lasted four days.** It was an uphill battle for Brown at the start (with his 21 men against the 88 US Marines and Virginia and Maryland Militias). He lost 10 men -- the rest were captured or escaped capture, compared to Robert E. Lee's one casualty and one wounded man. Brown and Lee stood on entirely opposite sides in the battle for abolition, which made the raid attempt so important -- it was the culmination of sentiments at war.