The First Civil War Sesquicentennial Event
October marks the beginning of the American Civil War Sesquicentennial. A century and a half ago on October 16, 1859, John Brown raided the town of Harpers Ferry and the Federal Arsenal at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. Local militia soon forced the insurgents to retreat into the engine house shown above where they were assaulted by a detachment of U.S. Marines under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee and Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart on October 18th. Most of Brown’s men were either killed, wounded, or captured in the assault. Brown was swiftly tried and hanged on December 2, 1859 by the State of Virginia. The John Brown Raid raised tensions within the United States and added momentum to the secession movement, thus bringing on the rebellion of Southern States. Below are photos of the confluence of the rivers and the nineteenth century town.
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Good photography. You took some nice pictures here.