Editing Robert E. Lee (section)

===Harpers Ferry===
[[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]] led a band of 21 abolitionists who seized the [[Harpers Ferry Armory|federal arsenal]] at [[Harpers Ferry, West Virginia|Harpers Ferry]], Virginia, in October 1859, hoping to incite a slave rebellion. President [[James Buchanan]] gave Lee command of detachments of militia, soldiers, and [[United States Marines]], to suppress the uprising and arrest its leaders.<ref>{{harvnb|Freeman|1934|pp=394–395}}.</ref> By the time Lee arrived that night, the militia on the site had surrounded Brown and his hostages. At dawn, Brown refused the demand for surrender. Lee attacked, and Brown and his followers were captured after three minutes of fighting. Lee's summary report of the episode shows Lee believed it "was the attempt of a fanatic or madman". Lee said Brown achieved "temporary success" by creating panic and confusion and by "magnifying" the number of participants involved in the raid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTRIALS/johnbrown/leereport.html|title=Col. Robert E. Lee's Report Concerning the Attack at Harper's Ferry|publisher=University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law|date=October 18, 1959|access-date=October 15, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722154442/http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/johnbrown/leereport.html|archive-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref>