Clouds Tumbled into the Valley

by Carl Engel

As the turbulent 1850s propel a nation to war, a young man is kicked off the family farm in Pennsylvania and journeys west to Kansas in search of adventure. A skilled horseman, he’s recruited into John Brown’s militia of Jayhawkers, raiding pro-slave settlements and liberating slaves along the border with Missouri. From there he races back east, joining his zealous leader in the famous assault on the U.S. Armory and Arsenal in Harpers Ferry, regarded as the spark that ignited the Civil War. This is the true story of Albert Hazlett, a tale of violence and friendship that takes readers across the fields of Bleeding Kansas, through winding Appalachian ravines, and delivers them to the front line of American history.

104 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2025

Reviews

[Paul Olkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true story of the JOHN BROWN RAID on Harpers Ferry army arsenal. This raid is said to be the spark that initiated the Civil War . Brown wanted to raid the arsenal and get enough guns to give to slaves that he would free from surrounding farms in Virginia . In his mind, the raid would build an army of slaves that would start a war with the Southern states that the slaves themselves would fight with direction from him and other abolitionist.
The story revolves around the character of Absalom Albert Hazlett (Al) who is recruited by Brown because he is a good horseman. Al Hazlett follows Brown across the country from Kansas and Missouri to Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. All the while Brown's small raiding army on the army base at Harper's Ferry did not count on the townsfolk to protect their town and the army base. That one flaw in their plan defeated them and brought the survivors of the raid to trial.
The book is good historical fiction. The dialogue of course is fictionalized, but the facts are solidly true.
This book is a must read for any American History fan or for fans of the Civil War era. It is a short read at just over 100 pages, and should not take more than 2 to three hours to read.
4.5 stars for Clouds Tumble into the Valley.

[Sally E. Wilson-Rolle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story about someone I had not heard of associated with the John Brown at Harpers Ferry. Well written and an interesting story.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short but impactful historical fiction that follows Albert Hazlett, an impressionable young man who finds himself swept up in the company of John Brown ahead of the seminal raid on Harper's Ferry. The book is both well-written and well-researched; the broad strokes of the book are accurate. The settings and the events contained in the book accurately map to John Brown's preparations. Albert's thoughts, feelings, and some of his actions are fictionalized, but the narrative is captivating and believable. One aspect that I really liked about the book is that you come to appreciate how many of the young men in John Brown's militia were young, inexperienced, and truly navigating their way through life. Another aspect that I came to fully appreciate through reading this book is that John Brown himself was a man of specific ideals, but a military expert & planner he was certainly not.

I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn more about John Brown, the raid on Harper's Ferry, or critical pre-Civil War Events. Even though I learned about John Brown in high school (and even visited Harper's Ferry), what I learned then was a footnote at best. If you happen to be visiting Harper's Ferry, this would be a great read to take along on your trip because it describes the raid in such detail that you could use it to supplement your sight-seeing. This book is an informative read that readers of both genders and a wide age range (from the middle school reader to the retiree) can enjoy.