Notable people · Abolitionist
Lewis Sheridan Leary
Born free in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Leary moved to Oberlin in 1857 where he worked as a harness maker and married Mary Patterson. He joined the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue in 1858 and John Brown's Harpers Ferry raid in 1859, dying of wounds there.
At a glance
- Born
- 1835-03-17
- Died
- 1859-10-20
- Known as
- Abolitionist
- Organizations
- Oberlin-Wellington rescuers
Life story
Lewis Leary was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1835, the son of a free Black harnessmaker. His grandfather was an Irish veteran of the Revolution.
He moved to Oberlin, Ohio, in 1857 and married Mary Patterson, an Oberlin graduate. They had a daughter, Louisa.
In 1858 he took part in the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of John Price. In 1859 he joined John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry.
He was shot during the raid and died October 20, 1859, after surviving some hours. His widow later married Charles Henry Langston; their daughter Caroline was the mother of Langston Hughes. A monument in Oberlin's Westwood Cemetery, moved in 1977 to Martin Luther King Jr. Park, honors him.
Timeline
- 1835-03-17: Born (Fayetteville, NC) source
- 1857: Moves to Oberlin (Oberlin, OH) source
- 1858: Oberlin-Wellington Rescue (Wellington, OH) source
- 1859-10-16: Joins Harpers Ferry raid (Harpers Ferry, VA) source
- 1859-10-20: Dies of wounds (Harpers Ferry, VA) source
- 1859-12-25: Memorial service (Oberlin, OH) source
- 1865: Monument erected, Westwood Cemetery (Oberlin, OH) source
- 1899: Remains reburied at John Brown Farm (North Elba, NY) source
What Lewis is known for
- Oberlin-Wellington Rescue 1858
- Died of wounds from Harpers Ferry raid 1859
- Honored on the 1865 Oberlin monument (now in MLK Jr. Park)
Honors and things named for them
- 1865 monument honoring Leary, Copeland and Shields Green, Oberlin (moved 1977 to MLK Jr. Park)
Family
- wife: Mary Patterson Leary
- daughter: Louisa Leary
- widow's later husband: Charles Henry Langston
- nephew: John Anthony Copeland Jr.
Places in Ohio to see
- Martin Luther King Jr. Park (memorial) (marker)
17 E Vine St, Oberlin, Lorain County ZIP 44074 · Oberlin · Lorain County · official page
Ohio places
Where Lewis Sheridan Leary was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Lived: Oberlin, Lorain County ZIP 44074 · Oberlin · Lorain County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Lewis Sheridan Leary birth NC, Oberlin 1857, rescue, raid, death
- Wikipedia: John Anthony Copeland Jr. Leary as uncle; 1865 cenotaph moved to MLK Jr. Park, Oberlin in 1977