John Henrie Kagi

John Henri Kagi was an abolitionist and associate of John Brown before the American Civil War.

Related Topics:
Abolitionist - John Brown - American Civil War

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John Henri Kagi was born in Brisolville, Ohio,March 15, 1835 the second child of Abraham Neff Keaggy and Anna Fansler. (JHK adopted the Swiss spelling of his name.) He taught school in Virginia near his father's birthplace but had to make a hasty departure due to his outspoken antislavery views.

Related Topics:
Brisolville, Ohio - Virginia

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He traveled west. His sister Barbara Keaggy Mayhew and her husband Allen had settled in Nebraska City. He worked as a correspondent for several eastern newspapers. He met John Brown in Lawrence. He was involved with many of Brown's activities until his death in the raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia October 17, 1859.

Related Topics:
Nebraska City - Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

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John Henry Kagi was the best educated of all the Harper's Ferry raiders, but was largely self-taught. Many admirably written letters survive as the productions of his pen, in the New York Tribune, the New York Evening Post, and the National Era. He was, moreover, an able man of business, besides being an excellent debater and speaker. He was an expert stenographer and a total abstainer. He was, however, cold in manner, rather coarse of fiber and rough in appearance, and an agnostic.

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In 1854-55 he taught school at Hawkinstown, Virginia, where he obtained a personal knowledge of slavery. This resulted in such strong anti-slavery manifestations on his part, that he was compelled to leave for Ohio under a pledge never to return to Hawkinstown. Kagi then went to Nebraska City, Nebraska, where he was admitted to the bar. He next entered Kansas with one of General James H. Lane's parties. He enlisted in A. D. Stevens's ("Colonel Whipple's") Second Kansas Militia, and was captured in 1856 by United States troops. Kagi was imprisoned first at Lecompton and then at Tecumseh, but was finally liberated. He was assaulted and severely injured by Judge Elmore, the pro-slavery judge, who struck him over the head with a gold-headed cane, on January 31, 1857. Kagi drew his revolver and shot the judge in the groin. Elmore then fired three times and shot Kagi over the heart, the bullet being stopped by a memorandum-book. Kagi was long in recovering from his wounds.

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After a visit to his Ohio home he returned to Kansas and joined John Brown. He bore the title of Secretary of War in the provisional government, next in command to John Brown; was also the adjutant. When in Chambersburg as agent for the raiders, he boarded with Mrs. Mary Rittner.

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sources:

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http://www.johnbrown.org/provisionalarmy.htm

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