James Redpath, The Public Life of Captain John Brown

“ You don't! ” said Colonel S--, indignantly. “ What did you tell me you had for? What did you mean by getting my help to make arrests, if you have none?”

“Well,” faltered the hesitating Deputy, “ I don't think there is any body here I want to arrest!”

Colonel S- , who is rather blunt and off-handed, and not much of a believer in humbug, gave the Deputy an objurgatory piece of his mind, which I need not inflict on the reader. He then liberated Captain Pate and the other prisoners. These men had been treated exceedingly well by Captain Brown. They were allowed to use their own blankets and camp equipage, which were much better than any thing Brown had; they also were fed, while thus held captive, much better than Brown was able to feed his own soldiers. Not only did the prisoners get their liberty, but their horses, arms, equipage, and stores; nearly all that had been taken, and all except what Brown had given to those who came the day of the battle to help, or was in the hands of some others who had been there, and who were not now here. The guns these men had were United States arms.

“Where did you get these arms?” asked Colonel S- of Captain Pate.

“We got them from a friend,” was the reply.¹

“ A friend! ” growled S-. “ What friend had a right, or could give you United States arms?”

In this dilemma, Captain Pate did as many a wise man has done before him — evaded the question when he did not feel it advisable to answer it. The arms in question were the public Territorial arms, given in charge of the Federal officers of the Territory, for the use of the Territory, and by them given to the Missourians. This not being exactly a fit story to tell, Pate entered into a disquisition on the general subject of his imprisonment, and told S- that he he was acting under orders of Governor Shannon; and that his being taken prisoner was an outrage.

“That is false, sir!” said Colonel S-, sternly; “I had a conversation with Governor Shannon about your particular case, and he declared that you had no authority for going about the country with an armed force.”

There was no replying to this; and the enraged and silenced Pate bit his lip. Colonel S-went on and denounced him for his conduct in language more pointed and succinct than complimentary. He wound up his remarks, however, by allowing Pate to take every