The wagon in which John Brown, sitting on his coffin, was carried to the gallows.

On October 16, 1859, the abolitionist John Brown and his raiders descended on Harpers Ferry. Their goal was to capture the US armory and wait for the local slaves to rally to their side. It did not happened as planned and Brown was captured by US Marines under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee. Brown was hanged in Charles Town on December 2, 1859 for murder, conspiracy and treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia.