Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who went by the name Wentworth, was an American Unitarian minister, author, abolitionist, politician, and soldier. He was active in abolitionism in the United States during the 1840s and 1850s, identifying himself with disunion and militant abolitionism. He was a member of the Secret Six who supported John Brown. During the Civil War, he served as colonel of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, the first federally authorized black regiment, from 1862 to 1864. Following the war, he wrote about his experiences with African-American soldiers and devoted much of the rest of his life to fighting for the rights of freed people, women, and other disfranchised peoples. He is also remembered as a mentor to poet Emily Dickinson.
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, circa Civil War years
Grave of Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Letter and envelope from Emily Dickinson to Thomas Wentworth Higginson
The so-called Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were a group of men who secretly funded the 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown.
Sometimes described as "wealthy," this was true of only two. The other four were in positions of influence, and could, therefore, encourage others to contribute to "the cause."
The Secret Six who helped John Brown
John Brown inside the engine house at the Harpers Ferry Armory, with two sons at his feet, one dead and the other dying.
Frank Sanborn resists arrest by federal marshals
Higginson, Sanborn, and Sterns made periodic pilgrimages to the grave of John Brown in North Elba, New York, which has since been designated a New York State Historic Site. His tombstone is protected by glass.