On the night of October 16, 1859, he and his followers, five of whom were African-American, attacked the lightly guarded supply depot, in Harper’s Ferry Virginia, where the supplies and weapons he wanted were being stored. The arsenal was easily taken. Then, Brown’s men moved to some nearby plantations. They freed about 30 slaves, who were brought back to the arsenal. The alarm went out and the United States troops arrived at the scene the next day. Ten of Brown’s men were killed. Brown and some of his followers were captured. Brown and six of his men were brought to trial for treason. They were all found guilty and were hanged. But was John Brown a hero or a criminal? The northerners saw John Brown as a hero but the southerners saw him as