zines, in the report of the Senate Investigating Committee and in most of the numerous biographies of John Brown. Rev. J. L. Coppoc, brother of Edwin and Barclay Coppoc, thought the letter was written by Richard Realf, the poet, who was one of Brown’s associates at Springdale.
In December, 1896, the author of this history prepared the following account of the origin of this letter, the purpose for which it was written and the manner in which its author obtained the information it contained. After the lapse of thirty-five years and the death of nearly all of the persons connected with the tragic events which inspired it, the only two persons living who had knowledge of its origin and author, decided to divulge the long kept secret and thus settle the controversy.
*In August, 1859, there were living with me in our log cabin on the banks of Rock Creek in the northwest corner of Scott County, Iowa, a cousin, A. L. Smith, of Buffalo, N. Y., and my youngest brother, David J. Gue, now of New York City. On the Thirteenth they drove to Springdale to visit Moses Varney, who was an old friend of Smith. During their stay the exciting topic of conversation among the Quakers of the village was “Old John Brown” and his men. They had made warm friends among the peaceful people of the settlement and several young men had gone from their homes to join John Brown’s mysterious expedition. Enough had been told to his most trusted friends to arouse fears that the expedition he was organizing could not succeed and must end in the violent death of all engaged in it. On Sunday evening Moses Varney took Smith one side and revealed to him in confidence what he knew of Brown’s expedition. He felt that something must be done to save Brown, his followers and the young men from Springdale, who had gone to join him, from the certain and terrible fate to which they were hastening. When Varney had finished his narrative so startling and well-nigh incredible as it appeared to smith, he exclaimed,
* Published in the Midland Monthly, in February, 1897.
