Bethel Coopwood
Encyclopedia
Bethel Coopwood was a soldier in the Mexican American and Civil Wars, lawyer, judge, and historian.
. He moved to Texas
in 1846 and fought in a cavalry regiment in the Mexican-American War. In 1854 he moved to California
, where he was admitted to the bar, practicing in Los Angeles
. Following the killing of Sheriff James R. Barton
by the Flores Daniel Gang
, Coopwood led twenty-six El Monte
men, as a division of the posse in the manhunt for the gang.
In 1857, at the age of thirty he came to San Bernardino
as part of a syndicate that purchased the balance of the Rancho San Bernardino
from Ebenezer Hanks
for $18,000. Hanks had previously purchased a one-third interest in the grant, with Amasa Lyman and Charles Rich
leaders of the Mormon colonists of San Bernardino from the original grantee José del Carmen Lugo
.
Coopwood remained in San Bernardino until 1861, as realtor and a lawyer and with an excellent knowledge of Spanish and a number of Mexican clients, most of whom were very well off. Coopwood although of southern sympathies himself, sheltered the pro Union Doctor Ainsworth in his own home from a mob of pro southern sympathies and was wounded in the shootout that was the climax of the 1859 "Ainsworth-Gentry Affair." That same year he married Josephine Woodward and they eventually had fourteen children.
In the bitterly contested campaign of 1860, Charles W. Piercy was nominated for member of the 1st District of the California General Assembly by one party, and W. A. Conn the incumbent, by the other. Piercy was elected, but there was a claim of fraud. The accusation was that polls at Temescal
, maintained by a resident named James Greenwade, kept open shop for three weeks and that whenever candidate Piercy was in need of more votes, they were furnished from this precinct. The case was taken to court, where the two opposing lawyers, H. M. Willis and Bethel Coopwood, had a fight in court wherein Coopwood sustained a slight wound, but won the case.
or Coopwood Spy Company, an Independent Volunteer Company of cavalry with men that came with him from California. He commanded the Confederate forces in the Battle of Canada Alamosa
, largest of several small battles that occurred in Confederate Arizona near the border with New Mexico
Territory. He and his company served in Sibley's New Mexico Campaign
. He was ill with smallpox during the Battle of Valverde
but recovered in time to join the army at the Battle of Albuquerque
and the Battle of Peralta
. He was responsible for saving the remnants of Sibley's army, 1800 men, from Union pursuit by finding a path for them through the rugged mountains west of the Rio Grande River to the Mesilla Valley. He was later promoted to Major and then Lt. Colonel.
. He returned to Texas and became recognized as an able lawyer and Spanish scholar in the lower Rio Grande River valley. He contributed articles to and wrote book reviews for early issues of the Texas State Historical Association Quarterly, in which he published "Notes on the History of La Bahía del Espíritu Santo" in 1898–99 and "The Route of Cabeza de Vaca" in 1899–1900. Judge Coopwood died in Austin on December 26, 1907.
Early Life
Coopwood was born on May 1, 1827, in Lawrence County, AlabamaLawrence County, Alabama
Lawrence County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. It was named after James Lawrence, a captain in the United States Navy from New Jersey. As of the 2010 census, the population was...
. He moved to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1846 and fought in a cavalry regiment in the Mexican-American War. In 1854 he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he was admitted to the bar, practicing in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Following the killing of Sheriff James R. Barton
James R. Barton
James R. Barton was the second sheriff of Los Angeles County, California, and the first to die in office, in the line of duty.Barton was born in Howard County, Missouri, emigrated to Mexico in 1841 and moved to Los Angeles in 1843. He served in the Mexican-American War. A carpenter, he was the...
by the Flores Daniel Gang
Flores Daniel Gang
Flores Daniel Gang, was an outlaw gang also known as "las Manillas" , throughout Southern California during 1856-1857. It was led by Californio's and Pancho Daniel...
, Coopwood led twenty-six El Monte
El Monte, California
El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
men, as a division of the posse in the manhunt for the gang.
In 1857, at the age of thirty he came to San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
as part of a syndicate that purchased the balance of the Rancho San Bernardino
Rancho San Bernardino
Rancho San Bernardino was a Mexican land grant in present day San Bernardino County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José del Carmen Lugo, José María Lugo, Vicente Lugo, and Diego Sepulveda...
from Ebenezer Hanks
Ebenezer Hanks
Ebenezer Hanks was born on 11 February 1815 in Argyle, Washington County, New York to Joseph Hanks and Almira Kennedy. Ebenezer grew up in the nearby small towns of Greenwich and Salem, northeast of Albany, New York. Joseph had fought in the War of 1812 and was a prosperous farmer and tavern...
for $18,000. Hanks had previously purchased a one-third interest in the grant, with Amasa Lyman and Charles Rich
Charles Rich
Charles Rich was a United States Representative from Vermont. He was born in Warwick, Massachusetts. He received a limited schooling and moved to Shoreham, Vermont in 1787....
leaders of the Mormon colonists of San Bernardino from the original grantee José del Carmen Lugo
José del Carmen Lugo
José del Carmen Lugo was a major Californio landowner in the Los Angeles area, who worked beginning in 1839 to develop the San Bernardino and Yucaipa valleys, an area of more than . He made an alliance with the regional Cahuilla Indians....
.
Coopwood remained in San Bernardino until 1861, as realtor and a lawyer and with an excellent knowledge of Spanish and a number of Mexican clients, most of whom were very well off. Coopwood although of southern sympathies himself, sheltered the pro Union Doctor Ainsworth in his own home from a mob of pro southern sympathies and was wounded in the shootout that was the climax of the 1859 "Ainsworth-Gentry Affair." That same year he married Josephine Woodward and they eventually had fourteen children.
In the bitterly contested campaign of 1860, Charles W. Piercy was nominated for member of the 1st District of the California General Assembly by one party, and W. A. Conn the incumbent, by the other. Piercy was elected, but there was a claim of fraud. The accusation was that polls at Temescal
Rancho Temescal (Serrano)
Rancho Temescal was a Mexican land grant in present day Riverside County, California given by Governor José María de Echeandía to Leandro Serrano. The word Temescal is Spanish for "sweat bath" or "sweat lodge." The grant extended along the Temescal Valley south of present day Corona and...
, maintained by a resident named James Greenwade, kept open shop for three weeks and that whenever candidate Piercy was in need of more votes, they were furnished from this precinct. The case was taken to court, where the two opposing lawyers, H. M. Willis and Bethel Coopwood, had a fight in court wherein Coopwood sustained a slight wound, but won the case.
Civil War
In 1861, Coopwood disposed of his interests in California and returned to Texas. He entered the Confederate Army as a captain in the cavalry and served until 1863. In 1861, he formed the San Elizario Spy CompanySan Elizario Spy Company
The San Elizario Spy Company or Coopwood Spy Company was an Independent Volunteer Company of cavalry formed by Captain Bethel Coopwood and mustered into Confederate service on July 11, 1861 in El Paso, Texas. It had four officers, eight NCOs and 36 personnel, some from California but most from the...
or Coopwood Spy Company, an Independent Volunteer Company of cavalry with men that came with him from California. He commanded the Confederate forces in the Battle of Canada Alamosa
Battle of Canada Alamosa
The Battle of Canada Alamosa was a skirmish of the American Civil War on the late evening and morning of September 24 and 25, 1861. Several small battles occurred in Confederate Arizona near the border with Union New Mexico Territory, this one being the largest.-Background:The battle occurred about...
, largest of several small battles that occurred in Confederate Arizona near the border with New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
Territory. He and his company served in Sibley's New Mexico Campaign
New Mexico Campaign
The New Mexico Campaign was a military operation of the American Civil War from February to April 1862 in which Confederate Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley invaded the northern New Mexico Territory in an attempt to gain control of the Southwest, including the gold fields of Colorado and the...
. He was ill with smallpox during the Battle of Valverde
Battle of Valverde
The Battle of Valverde, or the Battle of Valverde Ford from February 20 to February 21, 1862, was fought near the town of Valverde at a ford of Valverde Creek in Confederate Arizona, in what is today the state of New Mexico. It was a major Confederate success in the New Mexico Campaign of the...
but recovered in time to join the army at the Battle of Albuquerque
Battle of Albuquerque
The Battle of Albuquerque was a small engagement of the American Civil War in April 1862 between General Henry Hopkins Sibley's Army of New Mexico and a Union Army under Edward R. S. Canby.-Battle:...
and the Battle of Peralta
Battle of Peralta
The Battle of Peralta was a minor engagement near the end of Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley's 1862 New Mexico Campaign.-Battle:...
. He was responsible for saving the remnants of Sibley's army, 1800 men, from Union pursuit by finding a path for them through the rugged mountains west of the Rio Grande River to the Mesilla Valley. He was later promoted to Major and then Lt. Colonel.
Later Life
After the Civil War he spent a year in CoahuilaCoahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
. He returned to Texas and became recognized as an able lawyer and Spanish scholar in the lower Rio Grande River valley. He contributed articles to and wrote book reviews for early issues of the Texas State Historical Association Quarterly, in which he published "Notes on the History of La Bahía del Espíritu Santo" in 1898–99 and "The Route of Cabeza de Vaca" in 1899–1900. Judge Coopwood died in Austin on December 26, 1907.