At this juncture,
Frederick Brown, who had been left in charge of the horses, becoming excited by the prolonged firing on both sides, suddenly appeared on the top of the hill, midway between the two divisions of the
Free State force, and in full view of the enemy: and, brandishing a sword, shouting, “Come on — come on; I have cut off all communication: the sword of the
Lord and of Gideon!”
and other wild expressions, struck the ranks of the marauders with panic.
The
Missourians in the ravine were getting discouraged; they did not dare to venture out of their shelter; and the bullets of the
Free State men were making it a decidedly uncomfortable shelter.
They began to drop off, one by one, by gliding down the ravine till they were out of range, running to where their horses were tied, and then galloping away.
As the
Free State men
[
134]
had no cavalry force in the field, and no men to spare, this prudential policy was very successful.
At last
Captain Pate sent out his lieutenant and a prisoner with a flag of truce.
They walked up the slope together to where the
Free State men were; who, seeing them and their flag, ceased their fire.
When they reached
Captain Brown, he demanded of the
Lieutenant whether he was the
Captain of the
Company?
“No,” said the
Lieutenant.
“Then,” said the old man, “you stay here with me, and let your companion go and bring him out. I will talk with him.”
Thus summoned,
Captain Pate came out; and as he approached
Captain Brown, began to say that he was an officer under the United States Marshal, and that he wanted to explain this fact; as, he supposed, the
Free State men would not continue to fight against him, if they were aware of that circumstance.
He was running on in this way, when the old man cut him short:
“
Captain, I understand exactly what you are; and do not want to hear more about it. Have you a proposition to make to me?”
“Well, no — that is--”
“Very well,
Captain,” interrupted the old man, “
I have one to make to you: your unconditional surrender.”
There was no evading this demand, and just as little chance to deceive Old Brown; who, pistol in hand, returned with
Pate and his
Lieutenant to their camp in the ravine, where he repeated his demand for the unconditional surrender of the whole company.
They
[
135]
surrendered forthwith; although there were only nine Free State men in the ravine, or in sight, when the demand was made; and four of them, by
Brown's orders, had remained where they were stationed.
Five heroes, therefore, of whom
John Brown was one, received the surrender of the arms and persons of twenty-one men, exclusive, too, of the wounded marauders.
A large number of arms were obtained, many of which had been taken from
Lawrence and
Palmyra; twenty-three horses and mules, many of them recently stolen from the
Northern squatters; a portion of the goods plundered at the sacking of the
Free State store, two days before; as well as wagons, ammunition, camp-equipage, and provisions for the men. The wagons were all injured by the bullets.
The prisoners, being now disarmed, were ranged in
file by the slender band of captors.
The boys on the hill were induced to come in, thereby swelling the
Free State force to sixteen persons.
Captain Brown marched with the prisoners and a large portion of the spoils to his own camp.
The wounded men were carefully cared for; and, on their recovery, admonished to do better in the future, and sent home to
Missouri.
