Jennie Chambers story said there were “only” two Armories and Brown had been in Springfield. This may have been conversation she later overheard, mis-heard or from an article in the paper. I don’t know how she was connecting the dots. She does not say where she got this information but it doesn’t sound like something school girls would spend much time talking about even in their lessons. I’m scanning it to see if it’s here but I don’t see where it gives her age at that time. She does say she was on her way home from The Young Ladies Seminary in Harper’s Ferry. She was walking to her home in Bolivar Heights, I assume a suburb, so to speak.
She does mention her fear when she heard it was “Abolitionist“. She said “they were cannibals, for all I knew, from some far off country, like the Hessians, of whom I had been reading in history” so I would think she was at least 10 or older. Her story, as the others in this book, are from a very different perspective than the ones we read from the OR’s or other accounts written by males. This whole book is eye opening being from a female’s point of view. She also said they couldn’t be certain an entire army of Abolitionist wasn’t pouring from Maryland by the hundreds or thousands. When they got word that Col. R.E. Lee would be bringing a company of Marines they were very relieved. [Heck, I’d be relieved too if Lee were coming to my rescue.]

Manson said he wanted a race war but I think he liked confusion and enjoyed being in control if he were the one causing it. He was on a power trip and he liked it. I do not think he was insane like some do but I do think he was and still could be a dangerous person. Even behind bars he’s disturbing. I see him more like Hitler. Those were some very strange times and they produced some very disturbing people and events. I will give it an A for Music though. Manson did not place any real value on human life. His, those who followed his directions or those who died because he said they should. There’s the difference between Manson and Brown. Brown had a clearer agenda, but he was a fanatic too. He had no problem losing his sons for the cause.Looking at the photo’s of both of them is spooky if you look at their eyes. They aren’t crazy, they are on a ‘mission’.

I got carried away with the Howe thing and then I rethought it. Wasn’t Howe also a friend of or had some family connection to Chamberlain? Maybe I’m confusing things, again. Seems like “ don’t call me Lawrence” was at least an admirer anyway.

After seeing the recent post by David and understanding there may have been more disturbing things in the news than we’ve been taught, it does show a much clearer reason for the Confederate States to wish to leave the Union. It wasn’t just one reason but a number of them. If things at Sumter hadn’t gotten off to a noisy start when they did, I wonder just how long it would have taken for the show to begin. Like David, I think all the evidence points to DC for the final word to start the show. Lincoln was not a simple man and he was not quite as honest as they’d want us to believe either.

It was one thing to feel a threat for ones safety if they lived in the territories where they were aware of the dangers but in the Eastern part of the country at that time, they had a reasonable expectation of safety or at least some protections under the law. All of a sudden, that seems to have faded and those who would try to upset that balance were gaining ground so the slave states may have believed there was safety in numbers too.

Pam