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

by J. R. S. Pitts

Wages and I then consulted, whether to keep on or lay by through the day. We concluded it was safer to stop, conceal the negro and horses, and watch the road. We began to look out for some woodland, and about half an hour after sunrise we descried woodland to the west, at some distance. We made for it, stripped our horses and hampered them to graze; took our dram, some water, and eat our breakfast on venison without bread, and Wages took his gun and went to watch the road, I took my gun and went west to hunt water. We left the negro to mind the horses; we took our flasks; each went his own way. I walked about a mile and came to some prairie land, and a short distance further I saw woodland and plenty of cattle and horses; I knew there must be water there. I hunted and found plenty, but it was very bad. In searching around, I found a flock of turkeys and killed two and cleaned and washed them there and went back to the camp. The negro had been tasting the contents of his keg, as he said, to make it lighter, and he was pretty tight; I told him he must stop that until we got further off; he said he would. We made a fire and roasted our turkeys. I told the negro to go to sleep, which he did. After he had slept his nap out, I laid down and told him to watch and wake me about two hours before sunset. We then put saddles on two horses and led one, and went with our gourds to the water. Our horses drank some; the negro drank powerfully—the whiskey he had taken down made his coppers a little hot. We filled the gourds and returned to camp, where we had dried all the traveling equipage, and we then packed and arranged everything, ready to travel when Wages should return.

About sunset he came in and informed us that no person had passed the road in pursuit of us; but that two men had passed the other way, and if we had kept on that day we should in all probability have got ourselves in trouble, for these men said they were in pursuit of two thieves who had stolen two horses and three negroes on the Irish Bayou, in April last, and that the same thieves were suspected of having poisoned the overseer on the same plantation. They told Wages they had traveled nearly all Texas; they had been to San Antonio, and all western Texas, and could get no news of the fellows. Wages then told them that he had a family and resided about twenty miles from that place, on the next river they would come to, about ten miles below the ferry; he was looking for his horses; that he had removed from South Carolina; that he crossed the Mississippi river about the first of May, and had met two men with two very good horses and three negroes, and they were near the river. He described the horses and negroes, and they declared they were the same that had been stolen. Wages then inquired if they had seen his horses. They said they had not. He then said to them: “Gentlemen, I have a little whiskey in my flask; will you take some?” They replied they would, if it did not disfurnish him. He told them he should return to a camp he had, about five miles off, where he had some comrades helping him to hunt his horses, and they had a little more there in a small jug. They drank. Wages then inquired of them about the country south and west of there, and about the roads and the water, etc. They told him it was fifteen miles to the first water—a large creek, but fordable; and that it was twenty-five miles to the next, and that was to ferry. Wages having obtained the information he required, offered them his flask again. The sun then was about one hour and a half high. He saw three men come riding from the same way we had come; they were riding very fast; they rode up and inquired which way we were traveling. Wages told them he lived east of that about twenty miles; was hunting his horse. The other two men stated they were on the hunt of some stolen horses and negroes, that were taken from the settlement on Irish Bayou, in April; that they had been through western Texas, and were now direct from San Antonio. The three men enquired how far they had traveled that day. They said from the last ferry, about forty miles. They then inquired if the two men had met any person on the road. They replied no. One of the three then said that some person had stolen a negro and three horses from them the night before, and they were in pursuit of them, and they had seen signs where they had swam the river, ten miles back. Wages then told them that just after daylight that morning his dog had awakened him, and he looked some distance off and saw a white man and a negro on horseback, traveling a new road, in a southeast direction, and about twenty miles southeast from that place. The negro had a lead horse. Then Wages described to them the horses (which were the same we had). They said they were the same, and immediately turned their course. Wages gave them some directions and they all left. Wages then hurried to our camp as fast as he possibly could.

On his arrival I could see that something was wrong; that he was irritated, and, I thought, alarmed. He was much exhausted for want of water; he took a little and a dram, eat a few mouthfuls of turkey and sat down. He told the negro to catch the horses, put the bridles on and hitch them, saddle his own horse, and have everything ready as quick as possible. The negro started. Wages then said to me: “James, I am more alarmed now than I ever have been since you and I first started out in Alabama. Our situation is truly a critical and dangerous one, and I am at a loss what to do.” He then told me what information he had that day received, and then asked me what I thought it best to do. I reflected for a few moments, and this idea immediately occurred to me, and I said to Wages: “We must cross that forty-mile ferry before daylight to-morrow morning.” Wages studied a few moments and said “agreed!” and we were not long in saddling up and packing all things, ready to travel. We filled our flasks with whiskey, gave our negro a good horn, and drilled him as to the mode of travel. About dark we left our place of concealment.

Wages took the lead, the negro about thirty-five yards behind, and I about thirty-five yards behind him, so as to evade any sudden surprise. We soon reached the main road, and Wages pushed on at a fast gait. In about three hours we reached the fifteen-mile creek; here we stopped about three-quarters of an hour, let our horses drink and blow; we got water, eat some of our turkey, took a dram, and gave the negro one, filled our gourds with water, and about eleven o’clock we started again, Wages in the lead, and traveled until about three o’clock in the morning. We saw a light near the road; Wages stopped and came back to me to know if he should ride up and inquire how far it was to the ferry. I told him no; that the best way would be to go round the fire and push on, which we did, and about two or three miles further we came to woodland and a plantation. We quickened our pace, and about one mile further, a little before four o’clock, we reached the ferry. Wages told me to strip off my clothes and he would do the same. We stripped, and placed the negro in the bushes with the horses. We swam over and were not many minutes getting the flat over. We put on our clothes, took the horses and negro, and crossed over. Our horses drank, and the negro filled our gourds while we were crossing. We landed, made the flat fast, as we had found it, mounted the horses and left in a hurry.

As we got out from the river we could see the appearance of day. Our horses we could discover were getting very much fagged. There was a farm at the ferry, and so we went out through a lane. We did not travel far before day, and we soon reached the outskirts of the woodland and came again to the open prairie. Wages then stopped and said we had better leave the road and lay-by again. We left the road, and went in a westerly direction, up the river, on the border of the woodland and prairie, about two miles, and then stopped. We stripped our horses and hampered them, as usual, to graze. Wages complained of being sick; was low spirited; I told him and the negro to lie down and take a nap. They eat some of my turkey, laid down, and soon went to sleep. I took a good dram and eat as much turkey as I wanted, and there was but little left. I then took my gun and hunted around a short distance; I found we were not more than one mile from a plantation; I saw plenty of stock, hogs and cattle, but was afraid to shoot one so early in the day; I hunted around for water, and above the plantation I came to the river, about one mile and a half from where our horses were. I went back to the camp; Wages and the negro were still asleep; the horses had filled themselves and were lying down under the shade of a tree. I took another dram, a little water and laid down to rest. In about an hour Wages awoke and got up; said he felt better. I then related to him my discovery; he said we must be very cautious, and told me to lie down and take a nap. I showed him the direction where the water was, and he rode one of the horses at a time, until he gave them all water; he then took the negro and they went and killed a small beef, and about sunset brought in the hind quarters. We soon had a fire of wood that did not make much smoke; roasted as much beef as we could eat; cut up the balance and dried it; took with us what we could conveniently carry, and about dark set out again, not knowing where we would get the next water. Our salt, too, had given out.

We traveled that night about twenty miles before we came to water, and that was a small creek that scarcely run, and had very little timber land about it. Wages said our safest course would be to conceal ourselves there until he could reconnoitre. We remained there until near daylight, gave our horses water and started. We soon struck the prairie, and again turned to the west and went some two miles along a trail to a piece of woodland, where we again stripped our horses and hampered them to graze. We built a fire and barbecued our meat. Wages then told me and the negro to lie down and sleep, and he would take a look around. I went to sleep, and about twelve or one o’clock Wages awoke me, and when I opened my eyes there was another man with him—a large, dark-skinned, coarse-looking fellow. Wages introduced me to Mr. James; Wages had known Ben James for many years. James then told me that he was settled there for the same business we were in, and that we would be safer with him than by going on; by remaining with him we could rest and refresh ourselves and horses, and that he would go with us to another of our clan, about one hundred miles from San Antonio, where our negro and horses would be safe until we left again for the Mississippi river. This other man’s name was Scott, from Mississippi. James advised us not to sell the negro or horses in Texas; that there were plenty of men in Texas who followed hunting and trailing thieves and robbers, and that they had dogs of the bloodhound breed that would be certain to overtake us if they got after us.

We went to James’ place; concealed our horses and negro, and remained with him five days, during which time Wages and I watched the road closely to see if any person passed in pursuit of us, particularly at the ford of the creek.

James provided his family with meat and bread for the two weeks trip he intended to make with us. He advised us to leave the main road and go with him to the house of the man Scott. He piloted us through. We traveled the most of the way by night, and arrived at Scott’s the fourth night. After making the proper arrangement with Scott, we sent our horses out in the mountains and the negro to take care of them, with a man that Scott had employed for that purpose, for we understood afterward from James that they always had from one to two hundred head of stolen horses there, which it was the business of this man James to steal and drive and sell. We paid him fifty dollars for piloting us through.

After we had rested and all things were arranged, Wages and I took our bridles and lassoes, with a few clothes in a small bundle, and left in a direction for San Antonio. It was now about the first of August. We traveled about twenty miles the first day; the weather was very hot, water was scarce, and we suffered a great deal. We changed our course so as to pass through a section of country where water was more plentiful, and on the evening of the second day we reached a settlement where there was plenty of water and the inhabitants were thickly settled. At the house of a very respectable farmer we stopped and inquired if we could rest two or three days, and were told we could. A great many questions were asked us about our journey, where we were from, where we were going, and the object of our journey; to which we answered them we were South Carolina planters looking for good land; that we were large slave holders, etc., and that we came in summer and took it on foot leisurely to ascertain the health of the country. We inquired if there were any churches in the vicinity, and were told there were none, but that traveling preachers sometimes preached at private houses. We were then informed that there was to be a large camp meeting about the middle of August about twenty miles from there. We at once agreed to attend, because we were almost certain we should meet McGrath there.

We accordingly attended, and sure enough we met that reverend gentleman. Through some of the brethren we obtained an introduction to the Rev. Mr. McGrath, and after the preliminary conversation we became very strict members of the church. We obtained a short private interview with McGrath, and made an appointment for a private conference that night; and accordingly that night, after supper, preaching and prayer meeting were over and the patrol was out and stationed, and all things were still, McGrath, Wages and I went outside of the patrol lines to hold private prayer. No one suspected anything. After we were alone McGrath inquired what success we had met with, and we related to him all we had done, in a condensed form, which seemed to astonish him when we told him we had a negro and three line horses yet concealed and not disposed of. We then inquired his success. He had made a raise out of the religious brethren of about one thousand dollars, by begging, and they had paid for four fine horses for him, which was equivalent to about five hundred dollars more. He would sell his horse, saddle and bridle, and go to his congregation and tell them he had been robbed of his horse and all his money and clothes. The people would throw into the “hat,” and buy another horse, and fit him out with new clothes and money. The horse he then had was given him about fifty miles from there, and if we would steal his horse and hide him the brethren would soon give him another. Wages did this the next night, and concealed the horse in the woods not far from a plantation, where he procured green corn to feed him, about five miles from the camp ground. Next day there was found a piece of broken rope to the tree, and the preacher’s horse was gone. There was a great noise about it. McGrath told the brethren he thought he knew the place the horse would go to, and that he could obtain him if he had another horse. They furnished him with one, which he was to return if he obtained his own. The one furnished was a splendid young horse. Wages, about an hour before sunset, would stroll off and go to where the horse was, and water and feed him about dark, and back to supper and then to prayer.