Melville said this abolitionist who was hanged in Charlestown, Va. in 1859 was "the meteor of the war"
... To Melville, Brown is the 
"meteor of the war," which would burn out quickly but draw the attention of all... [DOC] [TLE] John Brown Quotes [PAR] May 20, 2010 ... John Brown was an abolitionist, and a religious fanatic.