John Brown's Last Stand

In October 1859, barricaded inside the armory fire engine house later known as John Brown's Fort, abolitionist John Brown and his men held off local militia and U.S. Marines for three days. Brown's men fired from inside the fort at militiamen and townspeople, who shot back from positions around the area. Finally, U.S. Marines stormed forward, battered down the door, and captured Brown and his few remaining men. Former slave and orator Frederick Douglass later proclaimed that Brown's fight there began "the war that ended slavery."

Lovettsville, Maryland · United States