714:
221:, during which time he argued heatedly with Brown over how to proceed tactically. Stevens suggested that the raiders flee. Brown, however, overruled Stevens and insisted that they remain inside the engine house waiting for the slaves to revolt and come to him "like bees to honey". When Brown sent him outside along with his son Watson Brown to negotiate under a flag of truce, Stevens was shot in the face and chest area and was captured by militia members. At first his captors could locate no pulse or heartbeat, yet Stevens remained awake and lucid. According to an eyewitness, when asked at this time if there was "anyone dear to him," Stevens responded "All those who are good are dear to me."
110:
31:
265:, "in order that witnesses of other States be summoned." However, his trial took place in Charles Town, in a special session of the Circuit Court which the Virginia Legislature authorized. For his part in Brown's raid, Stevens was convicted of conspiring with slaves to revolt, and was executed on March 16, 1860, in
245:
I do not feel guilty in the least, for I know, if I know, anything, that there was no evil intention in my heart. I thought I should be able to do more good for the world in this way than I could do in any other. I may have erred as to the best way, but I think every thing will turn out for the best
234:
silent fortitude, never complaining and absolutely without hope. He is a splendid looking young fellow. Such black and penetrating eyes! Such an expansive brow! Such a grand chest and limbs! He was the best, and in fact the only man Brown had who was a good soldier besides being reliable otherwise.
176:
of the 1st U.S. Dragoons at Taos, New Mexico
Territory, on March 8, 1855. Stevens was not drunk during the riot but was challenged by drunken Major Blake. According to testimony offered at a court of inquiry, the assault on Major Blake was precipitated by Stevens's outrage over Blake's continuous
233:
Stevens is in the same cell with Brown. I have frequent talks with him. He's in a most pitiable condition physically, his wounds being of the most painful and dangerous character. He has now four balls in his body, two of these being about the head and neck. He bears his sufferings with grim and
200:
While serving under Brown in Kansas, Stevens shot and killed a slave owner named David Cruise, in self -defense, while attempting to free a female slave. According to
Stevens's own account, while entering the home, Stevens saw Cruise reaching for a weapon and shot him dead. In subsequent years,
164:, at an early age, when his father became choir director of the First Congregational Church. Stevens ran away from home in 1847, at the age of 16, and enlisted in Cushing's Massachusetts regiment of volunteers, in which he served in Mexico during the
250:
I do not expect to be tried until next Spring, when I expect I shall be hung, as I think all the rest will. Slavery demands that we should hang for its protection, and we will meet it willingly, knowing that God is Just, and is over all.
201:
Stevens freely admitted the killing but disliked talking about it. "You might call it a case of self-defense," he recounted, "or you might say that I had no business in there, and that the old man was right."
217:, Stevens drilled Brown's men in military tactics and held "the active military position in the organization second to Captain Brown." He was eventually trapped with Brown and several other raiders in
1499:
193:
forces. He became colonel in the 2nd Kansas
Militia, under the name of Charles Whipple. He met Brown on August 7, 1856, at the Nebraska state line, when Lane's Army of the North marched into "
257:
My heart feels like bleeding to think how many thousands are worse off in this land than I am now. Oh, that I could see this country free, I would give a thousand lives if I had them to give.
1474:
745:
493:
418:
650:
241:
During his imprisonment, he never wavered from his conviction that the
Harpers Ferry raid was just. In a letter to a friend from the Charles Town jail, he wrote:
1519:
580:
1484:
614:
399:
A Voice from Harper's Ferry: A Narrative of Events at Harper's Ferry : with
Incidents Prior and Subsequent to Its Capture by Captain Brown and His Men
1504:
1154:
738:
515:
428:
1489:
503:
462:
284:, the latter of whom had nursed him in the Charles Town jail. A funeral was held there. He was buried at the Eagleswood Cemetery, at the nearby
731:
1514:
1494:
704:
1464:
1190:
1048:
229:
George H. Hoyt, Brown's counsel, in a letter to J. W. Le Barnes, October 31, 1859, thus recorded his first impression of
Stevens:
1509:
1217:
590:
177:
abuse of enlisted soldiers. Stevens and three other mutineers were sentenced to death, but these sentences were commuted by the
1159:
1126:
534:
1121:
754:
210:
137:
1469:
1149:
917:
792:
345:
169:
466:
1308:
1144:
1007:
555:
301:
640:
1358:
1248:
125:
1479:
685:
604:
1433:
1413:
1325:
1078:
1403:
269:, one day after his 29th birthday. His last words to Brown were "Captain Brown, I'll see you in a better land."
1203:
55:
1210:
413:
1265:
1073:
972:
680:
1302:
1196:
1185:
1169:
1116:
1058:
1043:
797:
787:
285:
266:
74:
1353:
865:
190:
675:
488:
1131:
997:
880:
802:
775:
609:
133:
165:
762:
497:
393:
366:
317:
277:
145:
129:
1231:
1136:
952:
937:
837:
770:
254:
There seems to be no mercy for those who are willing to help those who have none to help them.
214:
723:
1383:
1378:
890:
709:
1459:
1454:
1363:
1345:
1260:
1177:
1164:
1100:
1095:
1085:
1068:
832:
780:
305:
218:
161:
141:
85:
710:
Early images of
Stevens, and two letters written by him from the Kansas Historical Society
8:
870:
157:
51:
397:
370:
1330:
1319:
1314:
1297:
1270:
911:
262:
1368:
1340:
1292:
1287:
1063:
957:
947:
922:
906:
842:
422:
281:
173:
1017:
1002:
977:
718:
530:
376:
186:
178:
1392:
1373:
1275:
1012:
875:
827:
807:
585:
293:
194:
182:
337:
300:. In 1898 he was reinterred, with 9 others, next to John Brown's grave, at the
1408:
1398:
1224:
992:
967:
932:
927:
822:
676:
645:
626:
440:
270:
148:. For his role in the raid, Stevens was executed on March 16, 1860. He was 29.
458:
172:, and was tried for "mutiny, engaging in a drunken riot, and assaulting Major
1448:
1418:
1281:
1027:
987:
982:
962:
942:
817:
812:
297:
289:
109:
1428:
1423:
1090:
1022:
885:
1335:
1254:
857:
30:
197:." He later became one of Brown's bravest and most devoted followers.
1053:
238:
His father traveled from
Connecticut to Charles Town to visit him.
1500:
People executed for treason against a state of the United States
753:
261:
At one point his trial had been "removed" to
Federal Court in
132:
with military experience, he was the chief military aide to
1475:
American military personnel of the
Mexican–American War
705:
Photo and bio of Aaron Stevens at Dickinson University
213:, Virginia. According to the memoir of fellow raider
613:. Boston, Massachusetts. March 30, 1860. p. 3.
372:
John Brown, 1800-1859: A Biography Fifty Years After
185:, to imprisonment for three years at hard labor at
288:, an abolitionist school directed at one time by
124:) (March 15, 1831 – March 16, 1860) was an
1446:
548:
1520:People executed in Charles Town, West Virginia
686:The Magazine of History with notes and queries
160:, March 15, 1831. He moved with his family to
739:
605:"Execution and Burial of Stevens and Hazlett"
1485:19th-century executions by the United States
589:. September 17, 1899. p. 3 – via
189:, from which post he escaped and joined the
1505:19th-century executions of American people
746:
732:
338:"John Brown: The Conspirators Biographies"
29:
1049:B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing
388:
386:
168:. Later, he enlisted in Company F of the
392:
204:
108:
1218:Remarks After the Hanging of John Brown
591:California Digital Newspaper Collection
556:"Who is Albert Hazlett! (death notice)"
453:
365:
1490:People executed by Virginia by hanging
1447:
1160:John Brown Museum (Osawatomie, Kansas)
1127:Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
715:Works by or about Aaron Dwight Stevens
383:
224:
1191:John Brown's Provisional Constitution
1150:John Brown Farm, Tannery & Museum
1122:Burning of Winchester Medical College
727:
1145:John Brown Farm State Historic Site
633:
13:
755:John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
669:
653:from the original on June 14, 2021
617:from the original on June 14, 2021
528:
211:John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
14:
1531:
1515:1850s crimes in the United States
1359:Origins of the American Civil War
1249:Abolitionism in the United States
698:
506:from the original on July 6, 2021
469:from the original on July 6, 2021
431:from the original on July 6, 2021
276:His body was sent immediately to
209:In 1859, Stevens participated in
95:Chief military aide to John Brown
16:American abolitionist (1831-1860)
1495:Executed people from Connecticut
502:. November 12, 1859. p. 2.
1465:People from Lisbon, Connecticut
1434:Winchester and Potomac Railroad
597:
537:from the original on 2012-11-01
427:. November 1, 1859. p. 2.
348:from the original on 2018-08-10
273:was also executed on that day.
1510:Abolitionists from Connecticut
1204:The Last Moments of John Brown
1155:John Brown House (Akron, Ohio)
649:. August 29, 1899. p. 1.
641:"John Brown's Men Disinterred"
573:
531:"John Brown: The Conspirators"
522:
481:
447:
406:
359:
330:
56:New London County, Connecticut
1:
1211:A Plea for Captain John Brown
323:
280:, to the house of Marcus and
1074:Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
681:"A Lieutenant of John Brown"
170:First United States Dragoons
7:
1470:United States Army soldiers
1197:The Last Days of John Brown
1117:Battle Hymn of the Republic
1059:Charles Town, West Virginia
1044:Allstadt House and Ordinary
311:
286:Eagleswood Military Academy
267:Charles Town, West Virginia
75:Charles Town, West Virginia
10:
1536:
866:Thomas Wentworth Higginson
113:Young Aaron Dwight Stevens
1241:
1132:Heyward Shepherd monument
1109:
1036:
899:
881:Franklin Benjamin Sanborn
856:
803:John Anthony Copeland Jr.
761:
581:"John Brown's Companions"
459:"Letter to Jennie Dunbar"
99:
91:
81:
63:
37:
28:
21:
1186:John Brown's last speech
560:The Summit County Beacon
367:Villard, Oswald Garrison
292:, next to the graves of
219:the Arsenal engine house
562:. 1860-03-29. p. 2
498:Shepherdstown, Virginia
414:"The Insurgent Stevens"
278:Perth Amboy, New Jersey
151:
146:Harpers Ferry, Virginia
1232:Virginia v. John Brown
938:John E.P. Daingerfield
838:Francis Jackson Meriam
771:Osborne Perry Anderson
494:Shepherdstown Register
419:Buffalo Weekly Express
342:www2.iath.virginia.edu
259:
236:
120:(sometimes misspelled
114:
1379:Pottawatomie massacre
891:George Luther Stearns
402:. Boston: The author.
243:
231:
205:Raid on Harpers Ferry
126:American abolitionist
112:
1480:John Brown's raiders
1364:Battle of Osawatomie
1309:Fire on the Mountain
1261:Battle of Black Jack
1101:Winchester, Virginia
1096:Sandy Hook, Maryland
1069:Harpers Ferry Armory
848:Aaron Dwight Stevens
833:Lewis Sheridan Leary
763:John Brown's raiders
457:(December 3, 1859).
394:Anderson, Osborne P.
318:John Brown's raiders
306:North Elba, New York
166:Mexican–American War
162:Norwich, Connecticut
156:Stevens was born in
130:John Brown's raiders
118:Aaron Dwight Stevens
86:Execution by hanging
23:Aaron Dwight Stevens
1404:Henry David Thoreau
1303:Ralph Waldo Emerson
1266:Battle of the Spurs
918:Owen Brown (father)
871:Samuel Gridley Howe
225:Trial and execution
158:Lisbon, Connecticut
82:Cause of death
1331:Haitian Revolution
1321:The Good Lord Bird
1315:Wm. Lloyd Garrison
1298:Frederick Douglass
1271:James Madison Bell
912:Mary Ann Day Brown
263:Staunton, Virginia
128:. The only one of
115:
1442:
1441:
1369:Quindaro Townsite
1341:Elijah P. Lovejoy
1293:George DeBaptiste
1288:John Stuart Curry
1179:John Brown's Body
1171:John Brown's Body
1165:John Brown's body
1086:John Brown's Fort
1079:Historic District
1064:Gibson-Todd House
1008:George H. Steuart
958:Stonewall Jackson
948:George Henry Hoyt
907:John Wilkes Booth
900:Other individuals
843:Dangerfield Newby
679:(December 1909).
516:VirginiaChronicle
455:Stevens, Aaron D.
423:Buffalo, New York
282:Rebecca B. Spring
174:George A.H. Blake
107:
106:
1527:
1354:James Montgomery
1018:Lewis Washington
1003:Lysander Spooner
998:Heyward Shepherd
978:Wendell Phillips
793:Owen Brown (son)
748:
741:
734:
725:
724:
719:Internet Archive
694:
663:
662:
660:
658:
637:
631:
630:
624:
622:
601:
595:
594:
577:
571:
570:
568:
567:
552:
546:
545:
543:
542:
526:
520:
519:
513:
511:
485:
479:
478:
476:
474:
451:
445:
444:
438:
436:
410:
404:
403:
390:
381:
380:
377:Houghton Mifflin
363:
357:
356:
354:
353:
334:
215:Osborne Anderson
187:Fort Leavenworth
179:Secretary of War
70:
47:
45:
33:
19:
18:
1535:
1534:
1530:
1529:
1528:
1526:
1525:
1524:
1445:
1444:
1443:
1438:
1393:Seven Angry Men
1374:Allan Pinkerton
1276:Bleeding Kansas
1237:
1105:
1032:
1013:J. E. B. Stuart
923:John Brown, Jr.
895:
876:Theodore Parker
852:
828:John Henry Kagi
808:Barclay Coppock
757:
752:
701:
693:(6). : 329–334.
677:John T Allstadt
672:
670:Further reading
667:
666:
656:
654:
639:
638:
634:
620:
618:
603:
602:
598:
586:New York Herald
579:
578:
574:
565:
563:
554:
553:
549:
540:
538:
527:
523:
509:
507:
487:
486:
482:
472:
470:
452:
448:
434:
432:
412:
411:
407:
391:
384:
364:
360:
351:
349:
336:
335:
331:
326:
314:
302:John Brown Farm
296:and her father
294:James G. Birney
247:
227:
207:
195:Bleeding Kansas
183:Jefferson Davis
154:
142:federal arsenal
138:his failed raid
77:
72:
68:
59:
49:
43:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1533:
1523:
1522:
1517:
1512:
1507:
1502:
1497:
1492:
1487:
1482:
1477:
1472:
1467:
1462:
1457:
1440:
1439:
1437:
1436:
1431:
1426:
1421:
1416:
1411:
1409:Harriet Tubman
1406:
1401:
1399:Storer College
1396:
1389:
1385:Santa Fe Trail
1381:
1376:
1371:
1366:
1361:
1356:
1351:
1343:
1338:
1333:
1328:
1317:
1312:
1305:
1300:
1295:
1290:
1285:
1278:
1273:
1268:
1263:
1258:
1251:
1245:
1243:
1239:
1238:
1236:
1235:
1228:
1225:Tragic Prelude
1221:
1214:
1207:
1200:
1193:
1188:
1183:
1175:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1152:
1147:
1142:
1134:
1129:
1124:
1119:
1113:
1111:
1107:
1106:
1104:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1088:
1083:
1082:
1081:
1071:
1066:
1061:
1056:
1051:
1046:
1040:
1038:
1034:
1033:
1031:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1015:
1010:
1005:
1000:
995:
993:George Sennott
990:
985:
980:
975:
973:Richard Parker
970:
968:James M. Mason
965:
960:
955:
950:
945:
940:
935:
933:Samuel Chilton
930:
928:James Buchanan
925:
920:
915:
909:
903:
901:
897:
896:
894:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
862:
860:
854:
853:
851:
850:
845:
840:
835:
830:
825:
823:Albert Hazlett
820:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
784:
783:
773:
767:
765:
759:
758:
751:
750:
743:
736:
728:
722:
721:
712:
707:
700:
699:External links
697:
696:
695:
671:
668:
665:
664:
646:New York Times
632:
627:newspapers.com
596:
572:
547:
521:
480:
446:
441:newspapers.com
405:
382:
379:. p. 369.
358:
328:
327:
325:
322:
321:
320:
313:
310:
271:Albert Hazlett
226:
223:
206:
203:
153:
150:
105:
104:
101:
100:Known for
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
83:
79:
78:
73:
71:(aged 29)
67:March 16, 1860
65:
61:
60:
50:
48:March 15, 1831
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1532:
1521:
1518:
1516:
1513:
1511:
1508:
1506:
1503:
1501:
1498:
1496:
1493:
1491:
1488:
1486:
1483:
1481:
1478:
1476:
1473:
1471:
1468:
1466:
1463:
1461:
1458:
1456:
1453:
1452:
1450:
1435:
1432:
1430:
1427:
1425:
1422:
1420:
1419:Denmark Vesey
1417:
1415:
1412:
1410:
1407:
1405:
1402:
1400:
1397:
1395:
1394:
1390:
1388:
1386:
1382:
1380:
1377:
1375:
1372:
1370:
1367:
1365:
1362:
1360:
1357:
1355:
1352:
1350:
1348:
1347:Marching Song
1344:
1342:
1339:
1337:
1334:
1332:
1329:
1327:
1324:
1322:
1318:
1316:
1313:
1311:
1310:
1306:
1304:
1301:
1299:
1296:
1294:
1291:
1289:
1286:
1284:
1283:
1282:Cloudsplitter
1279:
1277:
1274:
1272:
1269:
1267:
1264:
1262:
1259:
1257:
1256:
1252:
1250:
1247:
1246:
1244:
1240:
1234:
1233:
1229:
1227:
1226:
1222:
1220:
1219:
1215:
1213:
1212:
1208:
1206:
1205:
1201:
1199:
1198:
1194:
1192:
1189:
1187:
1184:
1182:
1180:
1176:
1174:
1172:
1168:
1166:
1163:
1161:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1151:
1148:
1146:
1143:
1141:
1139:
1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1114:
1112:
1108:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1087:
1084:
1080:
1077:
1076:
1075:
1072:
1070:
1067:
1065:
1062:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1052:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1041:
1039:
1035:
1029:
1028:Henry A. Wise
1026:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1004:
1001:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
988:James Redpath
986:
984:
983:Richard Realf
981:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
963:Robert E. Lee
961:
959:
956:
954:
953:Andrew Hunter
951:
949:
946:
944:
943:Israel Greene
941:
939:
936:
934:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
913:
910:
908:
905:
904:
902:
898:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
863:
861:
859:
855:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
824:
821:
819:
818:Shields Green
816:
814:
813:Edwin Coppock
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
782:
779:
778:
777:
774:
772:
769:
768:
766:
764:
760:
756:
749:
744:
742:
737:
735:
730:
729:
726:
720:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
702:
692:
688:
687:
682:
678:
674:
673:
652:
648:
647:
642:
636:
628:
616:
612:
611:
610:The Liberator
606:
600:
592:
588:
587:
582:
576:
561:
557:
551:
536:
532:
525:
517:
505:
501:
499:
495:
490:
484:
468:
464:
463:Kansas Memory
460:
456:
450:
442:
430:
426:
424:
420:
415:
409:
401:
400:
395:
389:
387:
378:
374:
373:
368:
362:
347:
343:
339:
333:
329:
319:
316:
315:
309:
307:
303:
299:
298:Arnold Buffum
295:
291:
290:Theodore Weld
287:
283:
279:
274:
272:
268:
264:
258:
255:
252:
248:
242:
239:
235:
230:
222:
220:
216:
212:
202:
198:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
111:
102:
98:
94:
90:
87:
84:
80:
76:
66:
62:
57:
53:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
1429:Walt Whitman
1424:Wakarusa War
1391:
1384:
1346:
1320:
1307:
1280:
1253:
1230:
1223:
1216:
1209:
1202:
1195:
1178:
1170:
1137:
1091:Kennedy Farm
1023:Walt Whitman
886:Gerrit Smith
847:
798:Watson Brown
788:Oliver Brown
690:
684:
657:November 15,
655:. Retrieved
644:
635:
625:– via
619:. Retrieved
608:
599:
584:
575:
564:. Retrieved
559:
550:
539:. Retrieved
524:
514:– via
508:. Retrieved
492:
489:"(Untitled)"
483:
473:December 22,
471:. Retrieved
454:
449:
439:– via
433:. Retrieved
417:
408:
398:
371:
361:
350:. Retrieved
341:
332:
275:
260:
256:
253:
249:
244:
240:
237:
232:
228:
208:
199:
155:
121:
117:
116:
103:Abolitionist
69:(1860-03-16)
1460:1860 deaths
1455:1831 births
1336:Victor Hugo
1326:miniseries)
1140:(biography)
246:in the end.
1449:Categories
1414:Nat Turner
1255:La Amistad
1138:John Brown
1110:Afterwards
858:Secret Six
776:John Brown
566:2023-09-30
541:2008-12-22
375:. Boston:
352:2018-07-05
324:References
191:Free State
92:Occupation
44:1831-03-15
1054:Beall-Air
1037:Locations
621:March 15,
651:Archived
615:Archived
535:Archived
510:March 4,
504:Archived
467:Archived
435:March 4,
429:Archived
396:(1861).
369:(1910).
346:Archived
312:See also
122:Stephens
1323:(book,
1242:Related
717:at the
529:A.S.R.
140:on the
136:during
1387:(film)
1349:(play)
1181:(song)
1173:(poem)
914:(wife)
58:, U.S.
52:Lisbon
304:, in
134:Brown
781:body
659:2020
623:2021
512:2021
475:2008
437:2021
152:Life
64:Died
38:Born
144:in
1451::
691:10
689:.
683:.
643:.
607:.
583:.
558:.
533:.
491:.
465:.
461:.
416:.
385:^
344:.
340:.
308:.
181:,
54:,
747:e
740:t
733:v
661:.
629:.
593:.
569:.
544:.
518:.
500:)
496:(
477:.
443:.
425:)
421:(
355:.
46:)
42:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.