Osborne Perry Anderson

Osborne Perry Anderson

Osborne Perry Anderson (1830–1871) was an African-American abolitionist and the only surviving African-American member of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, and later a soldier in the Union army of the American Civil War.^[1]

Early life

In 1830 Anderson was born a free African-American in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He completed basic schooling and later attended Oberlin College in Ohio, after which he moved to Canada in 1850 and opened shop as a printer. This skill served him later as an abolitionist.

John Brown and the raid on Harper's Ferry

In the spring of 1858 Anderson met John Brown and learned of the ill-fated revolution that he was planning. Because of his writing skills Anderson was appointed as the recording secretary at several of the meetings and was eventually promoted to a member of Brown’s provisional congress.^[2]

During the raid, Col. Lewis Washington, great grand-nephew of George Washington, who had been taken hostage by the raiders, surrendered Frederick the Great's sword and pistols presented by General Lafayette, to Anderson. John Brown later used these to command his men at Harpers Ferry.^[3]

During the infamous raid on Harper's Ferry Anderson was stationed with Albert Hazlett, and once it became apparent to them that the raid was a failure they both retreated to Pennsylvania. Hazlett was later captured and put to death.^[4]

A Voice From Harper's Ferry and later life

"Of the slaves who followed us to the Ferry, some were sent to help remove stores, and the others were drawn up in a circle around the engine-house, at one time, where they were, by Captain Brown's order, furnished by me with pikes, mostly, and acted as a guard to the prisoners to prevent their escape, which they did. As in the war of the American Revolution, the first blood shed was a black man's, Crispus Attuck's, so at Harpers Ferry, the first blood shed by our party, after the arrival of the United States troops, was that of a slave. In the beginning of the encounter, and before the troops had fairly emerged from the bridge, a slave was shot. I saw him fall. Phil, the slave who died in prison, with fear, as it was reported, was wounded at the Ferry, and died from the effects of it… The first report of the number of 'insurrectionists' killed was seventeen, which showed that several slaves were killed; for there were only ten of the men that belonged to the Kennedy Farm who lost their lives at the Ferry, namely: John Henri Kagi, Jerry Anderson, Watson Brown, Oliver Brown, Stewart Taylor, Adolphus Thompson, William Thompson, William Leeman, all eight whites, and Dangerfield Newby and Sherrard Lewis Leary, both colored. The rest reported dead, according to their own showing, were colored."

A Voice From Harper's Ferry.^[5]

After the failed raid, Anderson went on to write an account of the events, which he named A Voice From Harper’s Ferry. The book describes the conditions that were present at the Harper’s Ferry raid, including the training, the supplies that were available, and the events that led up to the raid.

Upon the start of the Civil War Anderson became a noncommissioned officer of the Union Army. He died in Washington D.C. in 1872.^[6]

References

1. ^ Alkalimat, Abdul (2004). The African American Experience in Cyberspace. Pluto Press. ISBN 0745322220.
2. ^ Alkalimat, Abdul (2004). The African American Experience in Cyberspace. Pluto Press. ISBN 0745322220.
3. ^ Russo, Peggy A., Paul Finkelman, and Geffert Hannah. "Local Involvement in the Raid on Harpers Ferry." Terrible swift sword: the legacy of John Brown. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2005. 41. Print.
4. ^ Info on Anderson from Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society website
5. ^ A Voice From Harper's Ferry
6. ^ eBlack Studies

External links

• Voice From Harper's Ferry (Google Books)

Persondata
Name	Anderson, Osborne Perry
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1830
Place of birth
Date of death	1871
Place of death