| John Brown Bell | |
| "The second-most important bell in American history" | |
| The John Brown Bell. | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Massachusetts |
| City | Marlborough |
The John Brown Bell, in Marlborough, Massachusetts, is a distinguished American Civil War era bell that is often known as the "second-most important bell in American history" after the Liberty Bell.[1]
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At one time the bell was kept in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, but since 1892 the John Brown Bell has been in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and currently resides in a special tower built for the bell on Union Common in downtown Marlborough.[2]
In 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the Harpers Ferry armory, the second armory built in the U.S. The raid ended when Marines under the command of Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee stormed the building. Brown and 10 of his men were hanged for murder and treason.
Two years later with the Civil War beginning, a Marlborough unit in the Union Army stole the bell from the Harpers Ferry Armory after being ordered to seize anything of value to the U.S. government, lest it fall into the hands of Lee's Confederate army.
Knowing their hook and ladder company in Marlborough needed a bell, the soldiers removed the 700 to 800-pound device and got permission from the War Department to keep it, after it had been buried for 30 years time, an indication that even at the time the men knew that they were in fact stealing the bell.[1]
Over the years, people in Harpers Ferry have tried in vain to have the bell returned to be exhibited in the John Brown Wax Museum or the reconstructed firehouse where John Brown was captured by Col. Robert E. Lee. "In the past, several mayors have tried to have it returned, but basically it's difficult to do. I suppose it requires a lot of energy that, frankly, no one has," James A. Addy, mayor of the Appalachian town of 310 that is about 60 miles from Washington, D.C., said. "I believe the bell is wired with an alarm, so it can't be surreptitiously taken, like at night."[3] "Oh, they've wanted it back," said Joan Abshire, a member of the Marlborough Historical Society who recently finished a comprehensive study of the bell. "When I went down there (for research), they always said, 'Well, where's the bell?" Gary Brown, Marlborough's city's veterans' agent and a member of the Marlborough Historical Society, has a definite, unsubstantiated, opinion.[3] "The young men from Marlborough saved it from obliteration, said Gary Brown, chairman of the city's Historical Commission, then added, unbelievably, "so tough noogies." "Had they not taken the bell, it wouldn't exist. Virtually every bell in the South was melted down for munitions." These statements, of course, are merely conjecture.[1]
On December 15, 2009, the residents of Marlborough, Massachusetts challenged Harpers Ferry to reclaim the John Brown Bell. It is unclear whether or not the residents of Harpers Ferry will attempt to reclaim the bell for themselves, but it is believed the majority of the 35,000 residents of Marlborough are ready to defend the bell.
On Monday, April 19, 2010 (coincidentally Patriot's Day) approximately forty citizens of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia attempted to take back the stolen property in the early hours of the morning. The bell was safely defended by a team of overnight lookouts, and it is believed that the stolen bell is safe for now.