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
Just before dark, Stoughton went to where brother John was stationed,
and they both remained until after dark; they then came up to the
house, and Stoughton mounted guard. All this time Pool appeared to
be in a deep study and had nothing to say, appeared dejected and low
spirited. We all laid down, except Stoughton, to try to sleep; I
could see Pool and John; they could not sleep. The moon rose two or
three hours before day, and I got into a doze several times and each
time the most huge serpents would be after me, that I ever beheld. This
would waken me, and finally I got up and walked about; I found Pool was
up. Stoughton said he could not sleep, and brother John got up and said
he could not sleep. We then consulted together and Pool was for leaving
the place before day. Stoughton objected, and said, “Let’s wait until
eight or nine o’clock in the morning; after Harvey gets his breakfast
he may come to the orchard for fruit. If he does not come by this time,
we may leave.”
Daylight made its appearance not long after that, and shortly after the
sun rose, and poor Pool said after the sun had risen above the horizon:
“How beautiful the sun looks this morning; the sky looks so pure, clear
and serene!” Poor fellow! It was the last sun that he ever beheld
encircling this earth.
THE FAMOUS HARVEY BATTLE.
The time passed on until between eight or nine o’clock. We were all out
in the yard, eating figs and peaches; John Copeland all at once cried
out: “Boys, there comes a young army of Black Creek men!” We all dodged
into the house. Pool seized his gun, and says, “boys take your guns!” I
said to him, “they will not trouble us; they are a company out hunting,
and are coming in here for figs and water melons and other fruit; they
are not in pursuit of us!” “Yes they are,” said Pool, “and I will sell
my life as dear as I can!” So saying he cocked both barrels of his gun
and pistol and eased his bowie knife in the sheath.
We had given no instructions, only to be silent and remain still. They
seemed to separate and go in different directions. On coming near the
house, some one of their company hailed to the balance, “come on, boys,
here they are!” “There!” said Pool, “I told you so.” So soon as we
heard this, we knew that we had been discovered, and that it was to
kill or be killed.
I made my escape out of the house the first opportunity I saw, dodged
around a big fig tree, and looked back a moment at the house. Pool was
standing in the door with his gun at a poise. Harvey came round the
corner of the house, on Pool’s right, and jumped into the gallery;
Pool immediately fired, and struck Harvey in the left side. Harvey
immediately squared himself and shot the contents of his whole load in
Pool’s side, and fell on the gallery. Pool stepped into the yard, and
another man shot him in the breast, and he immediately fell dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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