Lincoln’s Election, Southern Secession: 1860 to April 1861John Brown’s Failure |
What was the response to Harpers Ferry in Washington, D.C.? |
Thanks to the train conductor’s swift telegraph message, the top officials in Washington, D.C., knew about the raid on Harpers Ferry by 9 A.M. Secretary of War John Floyd hurried to the White House for a discussion with President Buchanan; together, they decided that their action needed to be swift and furious. The only troops on hand, however, were a few companies of U.S. Marines. Then, too, they needed a leader.

Robert E. Lee was one of the most admired of all Southern gentlemen when, in 1859, he was asked to quell the revolt at Harpers Ferry.