Dear Editor,

I recently read an article in the Salem News about John Brown’s ties to Salem through Edwin Coppoc. While the piece, attributed to the Lisbon Historical Society, highlighted an important part of our local history, it also contained several inaccuracies that merit correction.

First, the article stated that all of John Brown’s men were captured and killed. This is incorrect. Owen Brown, Barclay Coppoc, and Osborne Anderson all escaped capture. Barclay Coppoc remained in the Salem area for a time, moving frequently as a wanted man, before later joining the Union Army, where he was killed. Osborne P. Anderson went on to publish an account of the events at Harpers Ferry and his experiences with John Brown.

As I continued reading, the article seemed to suggest that Edwin Coppoc did not fully understand the risks involved, and that the punishment of execution did not fit the crime. While I agree that the punishment was excessive, Coppoc was an intelligent and committed individual who understood the dangers of his actions at Harpers Ferry.

These inaccuracies are not isolated. At a recent America250 event held at the Salem Public Library, a presenter also shared misleading information. While discussing an image dated July 4, 1850, she referred to it as occurring during the Civil War era, despite the war beginning a decade later. She further described the individuals pictured as “good, loving people” who opposed slavery and “did the work quietly,” contrasting them with modern activists who march and protest.

This framing is both inaccurate and concerning. Many abolitionists operated quietly not out of preference, but out of necessity, as their actions, such as assisting freedom seekers, violated federal law and could result in severe fines or imprisonment. Moreover, it is misleading to validate the methods of past activists while dismissing the efforts of those today who peacefully protest injustice. Activists, both then and now, are motivated by a commitment to human dignity and justice.

We must strive for greater accuracy and nuance in how we tell our local history. Sanitizing or oversimplifying the past does a disservice to the truth and undermines our ability to learn from it.

Heather Smith

Salem