Plymouth Magazine-Fall26-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 8
John Brown’s underground railroad “train” through Des Moines. Illustration by Frank Miller from “Looking in Windows” by George Mills.
Story of the Old Hero’s Visit to Des
Moines — Smuggling a Load of Slaves
Through this City” in the Des Moines
Iowa State Register:
“[Brown] sent me word that he had
camped out near Mr. Jordan’s west of Des
Moines, and would be through the city
at a stated hour. He would see me at the
bridge on Court Avenue, but desired to
avoid observation as much as possible for
fear his train should be intercepted. He
stopped his train near the bridge. None
of the slaves were in sight, the covers of
the wagons being closed. He said to me
that, that was probably his last trip. He
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was on his way to Virginia, where he
meant to begin a conflict for freedom
that would fire the whole country. I
deprecated the struggle as madness that
would probably cost him his life without
benefiting the poor blacks. His soul was
on fire. He seemed to be imbued with
a conviction that the hour, big with the
fate of the country, was about to strike,
and there could be no failure. Teesdale
reported that he paid the wagons’ toll
to cross the river.”
Teesdale’s story was recounted by
George Mills, Iowa journalist and
historian, in his book “Looking in
Windows” (1991). “Brown stopped
to see Teesdale in Des Moines while in
route east to launch the Harper’s Ferry
attack. [Teesdale] urged Brown not to
do anything rash but to go back to his
farm in Northern New York for good.
The old fighter told Teesdale… ‘No, the
battle is raging and I must fight. My
mission is direct from God Almighty’.”
Lorna Truck is a retired librarian
and archivist. Her focus is local
women’s history and she leads the
Woodland Cemetery tour of pioneer
Des Moines women.
