Edwin Coppock Memorial photograph   Save
Ohio Department of Industrial and Economic Development
Description: Memorial to Edwin Coppock, who was executed in Charleston, Virginia, in 1859 for being a member of John Brown's Raiders at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. The memorial is in Salem, Columbiana County, Ohio. This photograph was taken ca. 1940-1949. John Brown gained national attention when, on October 16, 1859, he led a group of twenty one men on a raid of Harper's Ferry, Virginia (modern-day West Virginia). A federal arsenal was in the town, and Brown hoped to capture the buildings and the weapons stored inside. He then intended to distribute the guns and ammunition to slaves in the region, creating an army of African Americans that would march through the South and force slaveholders to release their slaves. Brown and his men succeeded in capturing the arsenal, but local residents surrounded the buildings, trapping the abolitionists inside. A detachment of U.S. Marines arrived and stormed the arsenal on October 18, capturing seven men, including Brown. He was charged with treason by the state of Virginia, found guilty and sentenced to death. On December 2, 1859, Brown was hanged. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00326
Subjects: Memorials -- Ohio; Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights; Harpers Ferry (W. Va.) History; John Brown's Raid, 1859; Abolitionists -- Ohio
Places: Salem (Ohio); Columbiana County (Ohio)