Martinsburg
Roundhouse

From The New York Herald, October 24, 1859: Capt. Ephraim G. Alburtis, who commanded the volunteers from Martinsburg that drove Brown's men into the engine house, and released the greater part of the prisoners, gives the following account of the affair:

 

"We received intelligence of this affair about one o’clock on Monday. Immediately a meeting was called at the guard house, and volunteers called out to come to this place - A great many immediately stepped out and I was elected to take command. We arrived here at three o’clock P.M., and went up a ravine from the railroad leading into Bolivia (sic/now Bolivar) (about a mile above Harper’s Ferry) and were joined on the road by a company from Shepherdstown, who preceded us into the street.

 

"We then came down to the upper end of the shops, when we received orders from Col. Baylor, commanding the militia of this county, whose directions were that the company from Shepherdstown should take the street coming into Harper’s Ferry, entering the armory at the east gate, and my command should enter at the upper end, meeting them midway at the musket factory. We entered the armory at the upper end of the shops, and after some consultation I directed that twenty-five men should proceed down the main avenue or centre, that a like number should take the rear of the shops, and the remainder should proceed down through the shops the best way they could. I took command of those who came down the main avenue. - 

 

"Upon arriving nearly opposite the first and second buildings on the east or right hand, counting from here, we were fired upon by the men in the engine house, and on the corner between the engine house, from which they kept up a continual fire through the door, which was kept four or five inches ajar. This fire was very briskly returned by our men, eight of whom were wounded and two it is feared mortally.

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"During the fight we found in the room adjoining the engine house some thirty or forty prisoners who had been captured and confined by the outlaws. The windows were broken open by our party and these men escaped. The whole of the outlaws were now driven into the engine house, and owing to the great number of wounded requiring our care, and not being supported by the other companies as we expected, we were obliged to return. Had the other companies come up we could have taken the engine house then. Immediately after we drew off.

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"There was a flag of truce sent out to propose terms, which were that they should be permitted to retire across the river with their arms, and, I think proceed as far as some lock on the canal, there to release their prisoners. These terms were not acceded to, and having understood that the United States Marines and a number of troops from Baltimore were on their way, nothing further was done except to establish guards all around to prevent the desperados from escaping. We had a small piece of cannon, which we proposed to bring to bear on the engine house, but were directed not to do so on account of endangering the prisoners. 

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"It was remarkable that in the morning, while the Marines were getting into position in the yard, these men did not fire a gun. There was a parley, and terms offered, which they declined. Then Major Russell ordered the Marines to break down the doors and go in. At the first attempt, with large hammers, they failed, the doors being barricaded from within. But there was a ladder near by, which they seized, and ten on a side, used as a battering ram. The third time they struck, the doors gave way, when the men inside fired a volley, which was returned from the marines, who then rushed in. They fired first when the doors were struck with sledge-hammers, and then again when they were broken in.

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"During the charge, one marine was killed - this man, Luke Quinn, whose funeral takes place today (Thursday) and another, Mathew Rupert, wounded. There was no surrender on Brown's part. Brown himself was wounded by sabre cuts by Lieut. Stuart and perhaps by the bayonets of the marines.  Rupert's wound is not dangerous; it is a wound in the face, the ball taking off a piece of the under lip."

 

The following are the names of those under my command who were wounded in the attack on Monday:

 

Evans Dorsey, of Baltimore, conductor of the tonnage train, dangerously*

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George W. Richardson, of Baltimore, brakeman, dangerously*

 

G.N. Hammond, late deputy sheriff of Berkeley County, shot through the hip,  very severely

 

Geo. Wollett, a superintendent in the railroad machine shops at Martinsburg, shot through the left arm

 

Geo. H Murphy, prosecuting attorney for Berkeley County shot in the leg 

 

Nelson Hooper, shot in the ankle, arm and face apparently with small shot 

 

Edmund McCabe, shot through the shoulder, and arm fractured - a bad wound (sic)

 

Clinton Bowman, conductor on the tonnage train, two wounds, one on the shoulder, and the other across the brow. 

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*Individuals later reported to have died from wounds sustained in conflict

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