John Henry Kagi
Encyclopedia
John Henry Kagi, also spelled John Henrie Kagi (March 15, 1835 – October 17, 1859), was an American attorney, abolitionist and second in command to John Brown
in Brown's failed raid on Harper's Ferry
. He bore the title of "Secretary of War" in Brown's "provisional government." At age 24, Kagi was killed during the raid. He had also been active in fighting on the abolitionist side in 1856 in "Bleeding Kansas
".
John Henry Kagi was born in Bristolville, Ohio
, in 1835, the second child of blacksmith Abraham Neff Kagy (as spelled on his gravestone) and Anna Fansler, who were of Swiss descent. John Henry Kagi adopted the Swiss spelling of the family name.
Though largely self-taught, he was the best educated of Brown's raiders. Several of his letters to national newspapers survive, including those to the New York Tribune
, the New York Evening Post, and the National Era. He was an able businessman, totally abstained from alcohol
, and was agnostic.
In 1854-55 he taught school in Hawkinstown, Shenandoah County, Virginia
near his father's birthplace, but he was compelled to leave due to his anti-slavery views. A relative, the Virginia historian Dr. John W. Wayland, wrote the most complete monograph
on Kagi and his activities.
. Today the Mayhew Cabin
is the only site in Nebraska recognized by the National Park Service
as part of that escape system.
Kagi was admitted to the Nebraska bar that year, but he soon went south to join the fighting in Bleeding Kansas
on the abolitionist side with General James H. Lane
. New settlers were coming in on both sides of the slavery issue before the state voted for admission to the Union. Later Kagi enlisted in Aaron Stevens
's ("Captain Whipple's") Second Kansas Militia, and met the abolitionist John Brown
in Lawrence
. Deeply influenced by the man, Stevens and Kagi became two of Brown's closest advisers.
In 1856 Kagi was captured by United States Army troops sent to put down the fighting in Kansas. He was imprisoned in Lecompton
, then at Tecumseh
, both in Kansas. Kagi was severely injured in a gun fight with a pro-slavery judge named Elmore on January 31, 1857, but shot Elmore in the groin. Later that year Kagi tried to help Brown organize a military school in Tabor, Iowa
. He undertook military training in the Quaker community of Pedee, in Cedar County, Iowa
.
Brown and his group went to Upper Canada to organize their effort. On May 8, 1858 in a black church in Chatham, Ontario
, they adopted Brown's "Provisional Constitution and Ordinances for the people of the United States", and Kagi was named Secretary of War.
Kagi and Brown returned with their men to Kansas, where they lived in a reinforced cabin on Little Sugar Creek, near Mound City
. In November 1858, Kagi and others defended the cabin from an armed posse
while Brown was away. On December 20, 1858 Brown led twelve men, and Kagi led another party of eight men, into Missouri
to free slaves. Brown's party freed ten slaves, but Kagi's freed only one and killed the slave's owner.
While they planned the raid on Harper's Ferry, Kagi acted as the business agent of the Brown's group, buying and storing weapons in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
. At Chambersburg he lived with Brown at the Mary Ritner house, which still stands at 225 East King Street. On August 19, Brown (using the name Isaac Smith) and Kagi met with Frederick Douglass
and Shields Green
at an abandoned quarry outside of Chambersburg to discuss the raid. According to Douglass's later account, Brown described the planned raid in detail and Douglass advised him against it.
Kagi was killed by militia forces during the Harper's Ferry raid as he tried to escape across the Shenandoah River
from Hall's Rifle Works. In 1899 the remains of Kagi and nine other raiders were reinterred in a common grave near John Brown's grave at North Elba, New York
.
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
in Brown's failed raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was an attempt by white abolitionist John Brown to start an armed slave revolt by seizing a United States Arsenal at Harpers Ferry in Virginia in 1859...
. He bore the title of "Secretary of War" in Brown's "provisional government." At age 24, Kagi was killed during the raid. He had also been active in fighting on the abolitionist side in 1856 in "Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events, involving anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery "Border Ruffian" elements, that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of the U.S. state of Missouri roughly between 1854 and 1858...
".
Early life
Bristolville, Ohio
Bristolville is an unincorporated community in central Bristol Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44402. It lies at the intersection of State Routes 45 and 88...
, in 1835, the second child of blacksmith Abraham Neff Kagy (as spelled on his gravestone) and Anna Fansler, who were of Swiss descent. John Henry Kagi adopted the Swiss spelling of the family name.
Though largely self-taught, he was the best educated of Brown's raiders. Several of his letters to national newspapers survive, including those to the New York Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
, the New York Evening Post, and the National Era. He was an able businessman, totally abstained from alcohol
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
, and was agnostic.
In 1854-55 he taught school in Hawkinstown, Shenandoah County, Virginia
Shenandoah County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,075 people, 14,296 households, and 10,064 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 16,709 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
near his father's birthplace, but he was compelled to leave due to his anti-slavery views. A relative, the Virginia historian Dr. John W. Wayland, wrote the most complete monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
on Kagi and his activities.
Abolitionist activities
In 1855, Kagi traveled west and stayed at the cabin of his sister Barbara Kagy Mayhew and her husband Allen in Nebraska City. He helped them create a cave under their cabin to be used by fugitive slaves as a station of the Underground RailroadUnderground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. Today the Mayhew Cabin
Mayhew Cabin
Built in 1855, the Mayhew Cabin and Historic Village in Nebraska City, Nebraska is the only National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site in Nebraska officially recognized by the National Park Service.- History :...
is the only site in Nebraska recognized by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
as part of that escape system.
Kagi was admitted to the Nebraska bar that year, but he soon went south to join the fighting in Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events, involving anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery "Border Ruffian" elements, that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of the U.S. state of Missouri roughly between 1854 and 1858...
on the abolitionist side with General James H. Lane
James H. Lane (Senator)
James Henry Lane also known as Jim Lane was a partisan during the Bleeding Kansas period that immediately preceded the American Civil War. During the war, Lane served as a United States Senator and as a general who fought for the Union...
. New settlers were coming in on both sides of the slavery issue before the state voted for admission to the Union. Later Kagi enlisted in Aaron Stevens
Aaron Dwight Stevens
Aaron Dwight Stevens was an American abolitionist and chief military aide to John Brown during Brown's failed raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia...
's ("Captain Whipple's") Second Kansas Militia, and met the abolitionist John Brown
John Brown
John Brown may refer to:* John Brown , American who led an anti-slavery revolt in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859* John Brown , Scottish physician who taught that disease was caused by either excessive or inadequate stimulationJohn Brown may also refer to:- American :* John Y. Brown, Sr. , U.S...
in Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
. Deeply influenced by the man, Stevens and Kagi became two of Brown's closest advisers.
In 1856 Kagi was captured by United States Army troops sent to put down the fighting in Kansas. He was imprisoned in Lecompton
Lecompton, Kansas
Lecompton is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States. It is part of the Lawrence, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 608 at the 2000 census. Lecompton played a major historical role in pre-Civil War America as the Territorial capital of Kansas from 1855 to 1861...
, then at Tecumseh
Tecumseh, Kansas
Tecumseh is an unincorporated community situated along the Kansas River in eastern Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States of America. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Although official populations are not compiled for...
, both in Kansas. Kagi was severely injured in a gun fight with a pro-slavery judge named Elmore on January 31, 1857, but shot Elmore in the groin. Later that year Kagi tried to help Brown organize a military school in Tabor, Iowa
Tabor, Iowa
Tabor is a city in Fremont and Mills counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 993 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tabor is located at ....
. He undertook military training in the Quaker community of Pedee, in Cedar County, Iowa
Cedar County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,956 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,064 housing units, of which 7,511 were occupied.-2000 census:...
.
Brown and his group went to Upper Canada to organize their effort. On May 8, 1858 in a black church in Chatham, Ontario
Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
, they adopted Brown's "Provisional Constitution and Ordinances for the people of the United States", and Kagi was named Secretary of War.
Kagi and Brown returned with their men to Kansas, where they lived in a reinforced cabin on Little Sugar Creek, near Mound City
Mound City, Kansas
Mound City is a city in and the county seat of Linn County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 694.-Geography:Mound City is located at...
. In November 1858, Kagi and others defended the cabin from an armed posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
while Brown was away. On December 20, 1858 Brown led twelve men, and Kagi led another party of eight men, into Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
to free slaves. Brown's party freed ten slaves, but Kagi's freed only one and killed the slave's owner.
While they planned the raid on Harper's Ferry, Kagi acted as the business agent of the Brown's group, buying and storing weapons in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
. At Chambersburg he lived with Brown at the Mary Ritner house, which still stands at 225 East King Street. On August 19, Brown (using the name Isaac Smith) and Kagi met with Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...
and Shields Green
Shields Green
Shields Green , also known as "Emperor," was an ex-slave who participated in John Brown's unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry. Though he had a chance to escape capture, he returned to the fighting and was captured with Brown. For their parts in the raid, Green and John A. Copeland were hanged on...
at an abandoned quarry outside of Chambersburg to discuss the raid. According to Douglass's later account, Brown described the planned raid in detail and Douglass advised him against it.
Kagi was killed by militia forces during the Harper's Ferry raid as he tried to escape across the Shenandoah River
Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each, in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia...
from Hall's Rifle Works. In 1899 the remains of Kagi and nine other raiders were reinterred in a common grave near John Brown's grave at North Elba, New York
North Elba, New York
North Elba is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the island of Elba.North Elba is on the western edge of the county...
.
In popular culture
- Included as a character in the novel Flashman and the Angel of the LordFlashman and the Angel of the LordFlashman and the Angel of the Lord is a 1994 novel by George MacDonald Fraser. It is the tenth of the Flashman novels.-Plot introduction:Presented within the frame of the supposedly discovered historical Flashman Papers, this book describes the bully Flashman from Tom Brown's Schooldays...
(1996) - Included as a character in the novel CloudsplitterCloudsplitterCloudsplitter is a 1998 historical novel by Russell Banks relating the story of abolitionist John Brown.The novel is narrated as a retrospective by John Brown's son, Owen Brown, from his hermitage in the San Gabriel Mountains of California...
(1998)