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The writer of this book is not an iconoclast, neither has he prejudged John Brown. In 1859 the character was impressed upon his attention in a personal way. An older brother, Joseph E. Wilson, was a member of the company of marines that made the assault on the engine-house at Harper's Ferry, on the morning of October 18th; and from him he heard the story of the fight, and about Brown.

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This book provides a critical account of John Brown's actions as a soldier of fortune. It analyzes his motives and tactics, and looks at how his activities contributed to the national crisis that ultimately led to the Civil War. The author draws on a wide range of primary sources to paint a vivid portrait of this controversial figure. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from John Brown Soldier of Fortune: A Critique Reporting to his associate that he would not write the sketch, he said that he could find but little in the record of his life which gave him creditable distinction, and that he did not wish to write the discreditable things about him which it contained. Later he gathered up the threads of Brown's life and has woven them, conscientiously, into the web of history. The story reveals little which is creditable to Brown or worthy of emulation and much that is abhorrent. But he indulges the hope that he has made it clear that his conceptions of the character have not been inspired by prejudice, blind or otherwise, for he has examined the records in the case; an examination which has led him through all the existing testimony concern ing Brown; except. That he has not explored the writings which have been put forth bv those who have sought, viciously, to attack Brown's character. The opinions therefore which he has set forth are convictions resulting from serious investiga tion and thought. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.