Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land piratePitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
History
Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land pirate
Pitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
Copeland, James, 1823-1857; Criminals -- Gulf States -- Biography
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account