Stereoview photo shows bridges leading across river to Harper’s Ferry Armory.
The caption says “26113–John Brown Seized the U.S. Armory, Harper’s Ferry.”
The left margin reads “Keystone View Company Manufacturers, Publishers, Made in USA, Copyrighted, Underwood and Underwood” The right margin reads: “Meadville, Pa,. New York, N.Y., Portland, Oregon, London, Eng., Sydney, Aus.”
Back says: “26113 –John Brown Seized the U.S. Armory, Harper’s Ferry. Harper’s Ferry is a small city in West Virginia at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. It is not now an important city but it figured largely in our history during the Civil War. On the night of October 16, 1859, John Brown with about 20 men, five of whom were negroes, appeared at Harpers Ferry. They said the arsenal but were able to hold it only two days. Colonel Robert E. Lee, then in the United States Army, led a detachment of marines against Brown. In the fight ten of Brown’s men were killed, seven were captured and hanged for treason and the others escaped to the North. Brown was tried at Charleston, W. VA., and on December 2, 1859 was executed. The
South looked upon his action as a concerted attempt by the Republican party to start up a negro rebellion. The Republican Party had nothing to do with it. The intense feeling in the North led many men to endorse Brown’s action. Two years later Northern men marched into battle singing: “John Brown’s body lies a moldering in his grave, His soul goes marching on.” On September 15, 1862, Harper’s Ferry was captured by Stonewall Jackson with great stores of union supplies, guns, wagons and food. On the top of the hill behind the city the union forces made their last stand and there they surrendered. In the background lies the Shenandoah river and the mouth of the rich Shenandoah valley which furnished unlimited supplies to the confederate army until Sheridan laid it waste.”
“Copyright by The Keystone View Company”
The back also has a stamp saying “Oliver Wendell Holmes stereoscopic research library and public library Dayton Ohio.