After John Brown's army allowed the train to pass during the raid on Harpers Ferry, they continued with their plan to seize control of the federal arsenal located in the town.
What constituted the events?
The raid took place on the night of October 16, 1859. After initially capturing the armory, Brown and his men took hostages and barricaded themselves inside the engine house (later known as John Brown's Fort).
As news of the raid spread, local militia and federal troops, led by U.S. Army Colonel Robert E. Lee and his subordinate, Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart, arrived to suppress the insurrection. On the morning of October 18, 1859, a standoff ensued between Brown's group and the surrounding military forces.
The situation escalated, and a brief but intense firefight erupted between Brown's men and the approaching troops. The U.S. Marines, commanded by Colonel Robert E. Lee, stormed the engine house, capturing Brown and his surviving followers. Several of Brown's men were killed in the assault.
John Brown was subsequently put on trial for treason, murder, and conspiracy against the state of V.i.r.g.i.n.i.a. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry is often considered a catalyst for the tensions that eventually led to the American Civil War, as it heightened the sectional divide over the issue of slavery and inflamed passions on both sides of the conflict.