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
McGrath and the landlord (Mr. Chance was his name) rode up the bayou
to see a blacksmith that wanted to purchase a negro. They traveled
about thirty miles; saw the man and made a conditional trade with
him, to sell him the negro for thirteen hundred and fifty dollars, if
the negro could “blow and strike” in the shop, which the negro said
he could. They then returned to Chance’s, took the negro and the two
horses and returned to the blacksmith. He tried the negro one day and
said he was satisfied, and paid McGrath his money. The negro then told
his new master to buy the horse that he had ridden; there was no better
horse in the world. The master inquired the price; McGrath told him two
hundred dollars; but as he had bought the negro he might have the horse
for one hundred and seventy-five dollars. The blacksmith told him he
would have to borrow one hundred and twenty-five dollars, but he knew
where he could get it if they would wait until the next day; and he
thought he knew a man that would give two hundred dollars for McGrath’s
horse. They consented to wait, and sure enough the next morning quite
early the blacksmith returned with the money and a man with him, who
soon closed the trade with McGrath for his horse, and they paid him
the money for the two horses, saddles and bridles, three hundred and
seventy five dollars, making the whole sum seventeen hundred and
twenty-five dollars. McGrath gave the negro one hundred dollars as
a present, and asked him if he was satisfied. He said he was well
satisfied. McGrath and Mr. Chance they left for Chance’s residence,
which they reached that night.
M’GRATH IN DISGUISE.
On their way down McGrath made a bargain with Chance to carry him in
his little wagon to the ferry opposite Vicksburg, for fifteen dollars.
The next day he paid Chance one hundred and fifteen dollars; made the
landlady, Mrs. Chance, a present of ten dollars for her trouble; and
after dinner they started for Vicksburg landing. He told Chance he
wished to travel in disguise for fear he might be followed, and for
that purpose Chance procured for him a negro’s old jacket and trowsers,
and an old flapped hat and Chance’s old saddle bags; “and in this
garb,” said McGrath, “I landed on the other side of the river last
night and camped there with my friend Mr. Chance. We parted early this
morning, he for home, and I for this place; and here I am this 25th
day of January, 1841, and” said he, “I have kept a regular diary of my
travels ever since we parted on Red River, before the camp meeting,”
and he showed us his memorandum book.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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