Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land pirate

by J. R. S. Pitts

Our next work was to prepare to leave the place. We took the old man’s fine massive silver spurs, his silver stirrups and silver bridle bits, his gold rings, sleeve buttons, etc. We took our new saddle and bridles, and concealed all the old ones in the prairie, about five miles from the camp. After we had arranged everything to our liking, we gathered our pack mules and packed them; herded up the lead mule and the drove; Wages mounted the old man’s horse, and I the young man’s, we tied our other two horses together and turned them in the drove, and all things being now completed, we set out about eight o’clock in the morning.

We now had the sixty horses and mules and the ten lead and pack mules, the two fine horses of the old man and his servant, and the two horses he had loaned us to ride, which made seventy-four head in all, and a better selected drove of horses never left Texas. We pursued our journey that day very silent. Wages had but little to say and I had less. We had in our hurry and confusion forgotten to supply ourselves with water, and had but little victuals to eat that were cooked. About a quart of water in our gourds, was all we had for the day. We came to the water late in the evening. We suffered very much for water that day, as did our horses. We stripped and hampered them to graze, after they had got water, and then prepared some thing for ourselves. We had our turkey and part of the deer; we built a fire and barbecued the game. After we had eat, Wages said he could not sleep, and told me to lie down and take a nap.

I laid down, but could not sleep. Every time I would fall into a doze, the vision of the young man I had killed the night before, would appear before my eyes, and I would start up in a fright. After several ineffectual attempts, I finally got up, and told Wages I could not sleep, and told him to try it. He laid down and was quite still for some time. All at once he screamed out “Oh! my God!” and jumped upon his feet. I called and asked what was the matter, and he declared that he saw the old man he had killed, standing over him, and that he plainly saw the shot holes in his head, and the blood running down his face. So we both set up the balance of the night.

The next morning we started very early. About noon we came to a large creek where we procured plenty of water for ourselves and the drove; we halted and rested awhile, and then pursued our journey with little delay, making the route as direct as possible for the mouth of Red River. We did not pass the settlement on Irish Bayou, nor Natchitoches. We arrived at the mouth of Red River and went down the river until we came opposite Bayou Sara, where we had our horses and mules ferried over.

We went to a man living out from the river, and effected a sale of all the horses, except the four saddle horses. We went up into Wilkinson County, Mississippi, where we sold all the mules, getting fifty dollars for each of the horses and an average of seventy-five dollars for each of the mules. We sold the two saddle horses that Wages and myself rode before we killed the two Mexicans, for one hundred dollars each. We then shaped our course for Natchez, and when within about twenty miles of it, we effected sale of the two horses we were riding, to one man; he gave Wages one hundred and fifty dollars for the horse the old Mexican had, and he gave me one hundred and twenty-five dollars for the one I rode, and sent us in a carriage to Natchez, where we arrived about the last of June. We had realized on our trip that time about six thousand six hundred and seventy-five dollars.

We had not been in Natchez long before a steamboat passed down and we went on board. We had preserved our saddles, bridles and all our traveling equipage. We landed at New Orleans, went to the bank and deposited all our money, but a few hundred dollars, which we retained in gold coin—two and a half and five dollar pieces. We remained in New Orleans to spend the fourth of July with our associates there.

On the 5th of July, 1841, Wages and I left New Orleans and embarked on a small steamboat bound to Shreveport on Red River, taking with us our saddles, bridles and traveling equipage. In consequence of very dry weather Red River was very low. We had some delay in getting to Shreveport. We, however, reached there, and found some wagons traveling out to the interior of Texas. We made arrangements with them to haul our baggage, and we traveled with them part of the time, some times before them and some times behind. We kept with us our bridles and ropes or lassoes. About the fourth day after we left Shreveport, we started on before the wagons, and traveled some fifteen to twenty miles. By noon we came to a settlement on the border of a small river, one branch of the Trinity, we supposed, and there rested and eat some bread and meat. In the evening we reconnoitered and discovered in the vicinity a large, newly settled plantation, a good number of horses and mules grazing around, and a large number of negroes about the place. Wages sent me to watch on the main road for the wagons, while he watched the horses and mules. About sunset a negro came to drive the horses and mules to their lot. Wages asked what his master’s name was and what State he moved from. He told Wages his master’s name was Smith; and he moved from South Carolina. Wages asked if he was a good master. The negro said no; that he did not feed well nor clothe well, and that he drove hard and whipped hard. Wages then told the negro, if he would come down that night to the ferry, which was about two miles off, he would give him a shirt and pantaloons and a dram. Wages then came to where I was stationed on the road, but the wagons had passed about one hour before. We hurried on and got to the ferry a little after dark. The wagons had just got over and were camped on the other bank. We called, and the ferryman let us over, and went to his house some distance off. We took supper with the wagons. After supper, Wages and I feigned an excuse to cross the river to bathe. We took with us a flask of whiskey and the shirt and pantaloons Wages had promised the negro, and crossed in the ferry flat. We made fast the flat, went up the bank and there we found the negro, true to his promise. Wages gave him the dram and the shirt and pantaloons. Wages then asked the negro if he did not want to leave his master and go to a free State. The negro said he did; that he had runaway three times in South Carolina and started to Ohio, but was caught every time. Wages then gave him another dram and asked him if he could steal three of the best horses on his master’s plantation, and bring them to that ferry the next night or the night after. The negro said he could. Wages then told him, if he would bring the three horses and one bridle and saddle and go with us, that he would take him to a free State. The negro promised to do so, and said he could do it next night as well as any other time and said he had two halters to lead with, and an old wagon saddle. We told him we had saddles and bridles. We gave him another dram and let him go, and we wet our heads and crossed over to the camp.

Next morning we told the wagoners that we would stop a few days in the vicinity, and rest awhile and hunt. We went on two or three miles, to the border of the prairie, and took out our baggage, among which we had two small three-gallon kegs of whiskey, one full, and the other with about one gallon in. We paid for hauling our things, bid the wagoners adieu, and they drove on. We shouldered our baggage, as much as we could carry; went a short distance from the road and concealed it; and went back and took the rest to the same place. We then took our flasks full of whiskey, our two gourds full of water, and some salt, and went about a mile on the edge of the prairie, where we built a small fire. We next turned out to hunt meat. We could find plenty of cattle, but were afraid to shoot them so near the settlement, for fear of discovery before we had accomplished our purpose. We hunted some time and finally came in view of a small grove of trees, about a half mile distant. Wages and I separated; I went on one side and he on the other of the grove, and we found a few deer there. We killed one small buck, which we took back to our camp and skinned and barbecued him, and eat, and prepared the rest to take with us. We laid down for a nap and awoke about an hour by sun; and took our things to where we had the others concealed. About sunset we eat our supper, took our bridles, lassoes, guns, and flasks of whiskey, and started back to the ferry, which we reached about half an hour after dark. We concealed ourselves near the landing, until about nine o’clock. Wages then took the ferry flat and went over the river; I remained on the same side to watch. If we discovered any person we were to make the noise of the swamp owl.

Wages had been across about an hour when up came the negro, with the three horses; Wages immediately took the negro and horses in the flat and crossed over. We soon put bridles on the horses and Wages mounted one and I mounted the other—bare backed. Wages took the lead, the negro next; and I in behind; we both had our guns well loaded and both cocked, for fear the negro had betrayed us, and we were determined to kill with every load in our guns, if attacked. We soon arrived at the place of our baggage. Wages and I very soon saddled our horses and divided our baggage and gave a part to the negro. We then divided the whiskey and had about one gallon and a half in each keg; I took one and the negro one, and we tied them to our saddles with the ropes. We filled our two flasks; Wages took our meat, and about eleven o’clock that night we all set out, Wages ahead, the negro next and I in the rear, and I assure you we pushed from the word go, all that night, mostly through prairies.

Some time before day we came to a settlement, and a little farther on we came to a small river. Knowing it must be very low, we determined to ford or swim. We started in; it was very deep. About the middle, we came to a gravelly bar. Wages halted, and said to us that he could see a ferry flat; he believed the water was very deep near the shore, and we must swim and try and land above the ferry flat. He told me to take care of my gun and ammunition and to wait until he and the negro got through and out. They started, and got to the bank. Such splashing you never did hear. Wages got out; the negro’s horse bogged; he jumped off and took the bridle, and the horse got out. Wages then told me to bear up, which I did, and got through. We then got water, filled our gourds and took each a dram, mounted our horses and pushed on again till daylight appeared.