top of page
John Brown

Battles of Freedom:

The Life and Times of John Henri Kagi

John Kagi is recognized as an ardent follower of John Brown. He is described as “John Brown’s right-hand man,” “John Brown’s second in command,” and “John Brown’s most trusted advisor.” However, the depictions fall short and do not do John Kagi justice!

​Completely separate from the influence of John Brown, John Kagi grew into manhood despising slavery. Kagi was a Free-Soiler, a Republican, and an abolitionist. He was exceedingly vocal about his opposition to slavery, even whilst in the slave state of Virginia. Kagi was also an educator, a newspaper correspondent, and he earned the ability to practice law. Rather than practicing law or teaching school, Kagi devoted himself to the abolition of slavery and his professed “Battles of Freedom.” Naturally, Kagi became associated with John Brown because both men were drawn to Kansas Territory to act upon their shared strong beliefs of freedom and equality.

With fierce determination, this honorable, driven, and educated man toiled for years for the abolitionist cause. So driven was he that he showed little to no care for his personal needs or safety. For his beliefs, he was beaten, persecuted, shot, and hunted. Yet he persevered despite the pain and risks. When others conspired to silence him, Kagi continued to act as a loud, ardent voice for justice, freedom, and equality. It was for the noble cause of abolition of slavery that he sacrificed his life. Despite his many brave deeds and personal sacrifice, a better-known man has always overshadowed Kagi. Therefore, I was compelled to tell the remarkable story of this early egalitarian.

I invite you to learn about the remarkable life of this heroic young man. Available on Amazon.

John Henri Kagi

Or . . . get Flipbook password access after Paypal purchase. Price of online Flipbook is $15.00. 

The following book is being completely updated and not yet available - coming soon . . . 

The Twelve:  An Underground Railroad Saga

 

In December of 1858, John Brown and a group of his loyal followers, including my personal hero John Henri Kagi, rode into Missouri under the cover of darkness from a very violent and “Bleeding Kansas” and at gunpoint took eleven slaves from their masters, including one heavily pregnant woman.  The goal was to take the slaves to Canada to freedom. For weeks, the “fugitives” were hidden in various locations in northeast Kansas Territory.  During that time, the pregnant woman gave birth to a son, who was named after John Brown.  In early 1859, the then group of twelve were led out of Kansas Territory and taken north through Nebraska.  In February of 1859, the twelve freedom seekers were given food and shelter at the modest home of John Kagi’s sister, Barbara Mayhew, at the now historical Mayhew Cabin in Nebraska City.  The notorious reputation of John Brown and the murder of one of the slave owners in Missouri when the slaves were taken made the taking and the trek northward publicized.  Despite an armed posse attempting to take John Kagi at his sister’s cabin, the group of slaves made it safely across the river into Iowa and they eventually reached freedom in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in March of 1859.  It was because of this event (and possible other times when the cabin was used as part of the Underground Railroad) that the Mayhew property became known locally as “John Brown’s Cave” and the property was eventually turned into a nonprofit museum. 

 

As Vice President of the now Mayhew Cabin with John Brown’s Cave museum in Nebraska City, I began to realize that the museum focused solely on the rescuers (John Brown, John Kagi, and the Kagy/Mayhew families) and not on those that were aided.  The names and identities of the twelve freedom seekers were unknown to us.  To rectify that situation, beginning in the fall of 2013, I began the process of uncovering the identities of the former slaves. Because Underground Railroad activity was illegal and highly secretive, no records were kept, so uncovering information was difficult at best.  I spent hundreds of hours researching utilizing various historical resources.  As I identified ten of the twelve names, I found myself becoming extremely attached to these people and their families.  To me, they became affectionately known as “The Twelve.”  After that was accomplished, I then began to track the families forward in time with the ultimate goal of locating a living descendant.  It is safe to say that this goal became an obsession. 

 

This book details the history of a true hero, John Kagi, his involvement in Bleeding Kansas, his association with John Brown, the rescue of The Twelve, my research into discovering the identities of The Twelve, and my successful search for living descendants.  It is truly a unique Underground Railroad saga.  I hope it touches your heart as much as this rewarding journey of discovery has touched mine.

"An essential work

revealing both the

liberator and the 

liberated.

 

Thank you."

 

             

      ----Readers from

              Preston, CT

 

 

John Brown

ALSO coming soon . . . 

The History of the Mayhew Cabin Museum

Suggested Links to Learn More:

bottom of page