Henry Clay Pate (21 April 1833–11 May 1864) was an American writer, newspaper publisher and soldier. A strong advocate of slavery, he was a border ruffian in the " Bleeding Kansas" unrest. He is best known for his conflict with, and capture by, the abolitionist

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

Early life

Pate was born in Bedford County, Virginia, in 1833 to Edmund Pate (a veteran of the War of 1812) and his wife Sarah. He began his studies at the University of Virginia in 1848, but left two years later without completing a degree. After leaving the university, he lived for a time in Cincinnati, where he worked as a writer, before moving to Kansas.Horton, Camille
"Henry Clay Pate, Student (1832-1864)"
''JUEL'', September 18, 2017.

Bleeding Kansas

Kansas in the 1850s was wracked by violent confrontations between pro-slavery and abolitionist factions. Pate was firmly in the former camp. He published the ''Westport Border Star'', a pro-slavery newspaper, and became Justice of the Peace of

Kaw Township, Jackson County, Missouri Kaw Township is one of eight townships in Jackson County, Missouri, United States. The township is within the city of Kansas City. As of 2010 census, its population was 182,719. The township was established in 1827 through an order of the count ...

, in 1855. Pate was part of the sacking of Lawrence and, either during or shortly before, was commissioned as a Deputy United States Marshal.Andreas, A. T.,
History of the State of Kansas
', pg. 132 On hearing news of John Brown's actions at the Pottawatomie Massacre, Pate set out with a band of thirty men to hunt Brown down. During the hunt for Brown, two of his sons (Jason and

John Junior John Junior, known as The Duckman is a British mental health activist and script consultant. He is known for co-creating, inspiring and featuring in multi-award winning and British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BAFTA nominated documenta ...

) were captured (either by Pate or another marshal), charged with murder, and thrown in irons. Brown's retaliation was swift and decisive. Pate's company was encamped along the

Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, th ...

in Douglas County, Kansas. At dawn on 2 June 1856, Brown and a small group of fellow abolitionists attacked, leading to an intense, three-hour battle that became known as the

Battle of Black Jack The Battle of Black Jack took place on June 2, 1856, when antislavery forces, led by the noted abolitionist John Brown, attacked the encampment of Henry C. Pate near Baldwin City, Kansas. The battle is cited as one incident of "Bleeding Kansas ...

. Despite their numerical inferiority, the Free State men prevailed, with several of Pate's men fleeing the battle and the rest captured. Pate sundered unconditionally after Brown had rejected an earlier attempt at conditional surrender. As it was put by Frederick Douglass: Governor Shannon sent a detachment of federal troops under the command of Col.

Edwin Sumner Edwin Vose Sumner (January 30, 1797March 21, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who became a Union Army general and the oldest field commander of any Army Corps on either side during the American Civil War. His nicknames "Bull" or ...

to free Pate and his men. When Pate requested to stand and make some remarks, Sumner cut him off by saying, "I don't want to hear a word from you, sir. You have no business here, the Governor told me so." Pate and his men then left the scene. Accompanying Sumner was Lieutenant

J. E. B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

, with whom Pate later served in the Civil War. Regarding his defeat and capture at Black Jack, Pate remarked, "I went to take Old Brown, and Old Brown took me." Pate's entanglement with John Brown did not end with his release at Black Jack. Brown took Pate's Bowie knife as a trophy, using it as a prop in his speeches and later providing it as a model for the heads of the pikes that were to be distributed to freed slaves after the

raid on Harpers Ferry Raid, RAID or Raids may refer to: Attack * Raid (military), a sudden attack behind the enemy's lines without the intention of holding ground * Corporate raid, a type of hostile takeover in business * Panty raid, a prankish raid by male college s ...

Visit to Brown in Charles Town jail

After Brown's capture, Pate came from his home in Petersburg, Virginia, to Charles Town to see him. They prepared a statement, witnessed by jailor Capt. John Avis and two others, about events at the Battle of Black Jack, somewhat defending Pate, whom Brown said "gave him the hardest fight he had in Kansas". Brown was hanged on December 2. On December 7, Pate gave a lecture on Brown at

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

. "Mr. Pate said a great many things favorable to himself and a great many derogatory to Brown."

Civil War service and death

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Pate (then residing in Petersburg, Virginia) raised and equipped a mounted company. This unit, known variously as Pate's Rangers, the Letcher Mounted Guards or the Petersburg Rangers, was equipped with small arms from the

Gosport Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

that had been thrown into the river by departing federal troops. Pate also designed a

revolving cannon Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

with which to equip his unit. His company was attached to

Wise WISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * WISE (AM), a radio station licensed to Asheville, North Carolina *WISE-FM, a radio station licensed to Wise, Virginia * WISE-TV, a television station licensed to Fort Wayne, Indiana Education * ...

's Legion and sent to western Virginia. Pate later served under

Thomas L. Rosser Thomas Lafayette "Tex" Rosser (October 15, 1836 – March 29, 1910) was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War, and later a railroad construction engineer and in 1898 a brigadier general of volunteers in the United States Army ...

when the latter was placed in charge of the

5th Virginia Cavalry The 5th Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia. The Virginia 5th Cavalry was organized in J ...

. Rosser viewed Pate as unco-operative and insubordinate and had him court-martialed, but Pate was exonerated.Miller, William,
Decision at Tom's Brook
', pg. 42 Pate died at the Battle of Yellow Tavern. He had been charged by General J. E. B. Stuart to hold his position until reinforcements arrived. During the second wave of the battle, Pate held his position as ordered, before being killed by a bullet to the temple.

Early life

Bleeding Kansas

Visit to Brown in Charles Town jail

Civil War service and death

References

Further reading