“I hope you will be one of those lovers of truth and right, and help redeem the world from sin and oppression of all kinds ….”

Background information and commentary by Andrew Carroll: Over a year after writing the letter featured in last week's Lines of Fire, Aaron Stevens joined forces with John Brown, a man who was equally as impassioned about eradicating slavery through violence. After their disastrous October 1859 raid at Harpers Ferry, Brown, Stevens, and a small band of men, were captured, tried, and sentenced to die. Brown was hanged on December 2nd, 1859. (Standing in the crowd of 1,500 to watch the execution was a young actor named John Wilkes Booth, who conceded that Brown was "a brave old man.") Aaron Stevens' hanging did not take place until over three months later. On March 13th, 1860, Stevens, unrepentant and ready to die, wrote a final letter to his brother from the Charlestown Jail. (This letter is published for the first time, in its entirety, in WAR LETTERS.)

My ever dear Brother.

I sit down for the last time, without doubt, to communicate a few thoughts to thee…. I should like to see you my Dear Brother very much, but shall have to wait untill we meet in the Spirit-world. What joy it will give me to meet you and all other kind friends there.

I hope Dear Brother you will investigate the spiritual theory for it is such pleasure to know that we shall all meet sooner or later in the Spirit-land, than mere belief. It has been very consoling to me during these trying times.

I hope you will be one of those lovers of truth and right, and help redeem the world from sin and oppression of all kinds, and as you love yourself as you love man, as you love woman, as you love God, work with your head, heart, and hands, for the happiness of yourself and all the world. be careful and not think too much of self, this is one great thing we should all conquer….

Farewell my Dear Brother we meet again beyond the tomb, god bless you and yours

A. D. Stevens

The deaths of Brown and his men galvanized both sides of the debate over slavery. Southerners fumed that Brown, a "traitorous, cold-blooded killer" whose sanity was questioned even by his supporters, had become a martyr. But to the abolitionists, the raid on Harpers Ferry heralded the possible end of slavery. "This day will be a great day in our history," wrote the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Brown's execution, "the date of a new Revolution -- quite as much needed as the old one."

NEXT WEEK: A letter of support to the troops stationed at Fort Sumter.