James Copeland
Encyclopedia
James Copeland was an American
outlaw
during the early nineteenth century whose crimes took place mostly in Mississippi
and Alabama
. He was born in Jackson County, Mississippi
. James Copeland killed, robbed, and beat many people in his time. He was the co-leader of a gang known as the Wages and Copeland Clan. On October 30, 1857, Copeland was executed by hanging in Perry County, Mississippi
.
James Copeland himself once said, his first great theft was a valuable pocket knife of a neighbor, whom he tricked out of it. He did this when he was twelve, although he stated he stole from his school-mates long before this. His next great theft was when he was fourteen. He and his brother, Isham, nicknamed Whinn, went out for a night claiming they were going hunting. Instead, they stole fifteen hogs from a person nearby and went to Mobile
to sell them for the sum of 30 dollars. He later went back to that person's house and tried to steal more hogs, but he was caught and arrested by the Jackson County Sheriff
and charged with larceny
. Realizing that the lawyer Copeland’s father had hired would not prevent incarceration, Copeland's mother contacted Gale H. Wages, a notorious thief from Mobile, Alabama
. Wages first considered waylaying and killing the witness to the hog theft but settled on destroying the evidence instead. Wages and James Copeland burned the Jackson County Courthouse to the ground one night, destroying evidence and everything else housed in the building.
Still a teenager, Copeland joined with the Mobile bandits led by Wages and Charles "Preacher" McGrath. Wages took Copeland to a gathering in Mobile, where he was initiated as a member of a large clan that engaged in theft and other crimes for profit. He took the clan's oath: "You solemnly swear upon the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, that you will never divulge, and always conceal and never reveal any of the signs or passwords of our order; that you will not invent any sign, token or device by which the secret mysteries of our order may be known; that you will not in any way betray or cause to be betrayed any member of this order — the whole under pain of having your head severed from your body — so help you God."
Copeland learned the secret codes and alphabet of the clan, and he eventually brought four of his brothers into the clan. The clans’ criminal activities consisted primarily of the theft of Negro
slaves and horses, the looting and burning of houses and stores, counterfeiting, boat larceny, and murder.
Copeland knew of water hideouts and boat slips as well as he knew the land. He and his gang burned parts of Mobile, sacked it then disappeared into Mobile Bay
. Copeland set fire to the West Side of Mobile and while the citizens were braving the flames to save what they could, the gang looted the East side. After things cooled down, Copeland set fire to the East side and sacked the West side of the port
city. Each time, the raiders loaded boats with their plunder and disappeared into the dark waters of Mobile Bay.
J. Alfred
J. Baker
J. Bowings
A. Brown
D. Brown
W. Brown
G. Buskings
J. Butler
R. Cable
G. Clealand
Henry Copeland
John Copeland
T. Copeland
William Copeland
G. Daniels
J. Dewit
D. Doty
J. Doty
J. Elva
J. Gillet
J. Harden
S. Harden
J. Harper
J. Harper (see note)
J. Hevard
Thomas Hix
W. P. Hobs
J. Hopkins
J. Kelly
C. H. McGraffin
Charles McGrath
N. McIntosh
W. W. Moore
___ Moulton
E. Myrick
___ Overall
J. Pool
J. Porter
T. Powell
W. W. Ratlief
W. Ross
W. Sanferd
H. Sanford
E. Sharpor
S. S. Shoemake
S. Teapark
J. Taylor
G. H. Wages
J. Walter
J. Waters, Jr.
A. Watson
G. Welter
J. Welter
J. W. Wesley
W. C. Whelps
J. Whitfield
J. Whitlom
Jasper Whitlow
J. F. Wright
G. Young
Note: Initials of Moulton and Overall were omitted because of doubts about who Copeland referred to. Two Gang members had the same initials.
On July 15, 1848, James Copeland and his gang rode to James Harvey’s home on Red Creek in Perry County (now Forrest County), Mississippi. They had been offered one-thousand dollars by Wages' father, to avenge his son's death. Here, the Copeland clan fought a blazing gun battle, which resulted in the death of Harvey and one of Copeland’s men. Friends carried the mortally wounded Harvey to John Dale's home in northwestern Harrison County
(now Stone County
), where he died several days later and was buried in the nearby Dale Cemetery.
Although Copeland escaped the gun battle, he was eventually captured near Mobile in 1849, tried for his Alabama crimes, and sentenced to a four-year prison term. Upon completion of the prison term, Copeland was transferred to Mississippi to stand trial for the Harvey killing, for which he was convicted and sentenced to hang. Before his death on the gallows in 1857, Copeland made a full confession to Sheriff J.R.S. Pitts in Perry County, Mississippi
, naming each member of the clan. Many clan members were prominent citizens of Mobile and the surrounding area.
Copeland's body was buried on the banks of the Leaf River
near Augusta, Mississippi. But after 2 or 3 days, the body disappeared, and a skeleton was purportedly made of his remains. The skeleton was allegedly exhibited at McInnis and Dozier Drugstore in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
in the late 19th Century. In the early 1900s, the skeleton vanished and has never been seen again.
Copeland detailed how his clan had buried some $30,000 in gold in a swamp near Mobile and later reburied the treasure in the Catahoula Swamp of Hancock County
, Mississippi. Rumors have circulated for decades of Copeland gold caches, still unclaimed, hidden around the shores of the Gulf of Mexico
. The James Copeland legend lives today, as treasure hunters search sections of the Mississippi Gulf Coast
for burial sites of the Copeland gang's ill-gotten gains.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
during the early nineteenth century whose crimes took place mostly in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. He was born in Jackson County, Mississippi
Jackson County, Mississippi
There were 47,676 households out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.10% had...
. James Copeland killed, robbed, and beat many people in his time. He was the co-leader of a gang known as the Wages and Copeland Clan. On October 30, 1857, Copeland was executed by hanging in Perry County, Mississippi
Perry County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,138 people, 4,420 households, and 3,332 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 5,107 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
.
Early life
Born on January 18, 1823, in Jackson County, Mississippi, to Isham Copeland and Rebecca Wells, James Copeland began school at approximately age ten or eleven. Although his father was willing to put him through school for as long as (James) desired, he began associating with people who taught him fraud and how to cheat and steal. It was reported that he would often trick his schoolmates out of their money and pocket knives.James Copeland himself once said, his first great theft was a valuable pocket knife of a neighbor, whom he tricked out of it. He did this when he was twelve, although he stated he stole from his school-mates long before this. His next great theft was when he was fourteen. He and his brother, Isham, nicknamed Whinn, went out for a night claiming they were going hunting. Instead, they stole fifteen hogs from a person nearby and went to Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
to sell them for the sum of 30 dollars. He later went back to that person's house and tried to steal more hogs, but he was caught and arrested by the Jackson County Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
and charged with larceny
Larceny
Larceny is a crime involving the wrongful acquisition of the personal property of another person. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of England into their own law. It has been abolished in England and Wales,...
. Realizing that the lawyer Copeland’s father had hired would not prevent incarceration, Copeland's mother contacted Gale H. Wages, a notorious thief from Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. Wages first considered waylaying and killing the witness to the hog theft but settled on destroying the evidence instead. Wages and James Copeland burned the Jackson County Courthouse to the ground one night, destroying evidence and everything else housed in the building.
Still a teenager, Copeland joined with the Mobile bandits led by Wages and Charles "Preacher" McGrath. Wages took Copeland to a gathering in Mobile, where he was initiated as a member of a large clan that engaged in theft and other crimes for profit. He took the clan's oath: "You solemnly swear upon the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, that you will never divulge, and always conceal and never reveal any of the signs or passwords of our order; that you will not invent any sign, token or device by which the secret mysteries of our order may be known; that you will not in any way betray or cause to be betrayed any member of this order — the whole under pain of having your head severed from your body — so help you God."
Copeland learned the secret codes and alphabet of the clan, and he eventually brought four of his brothers into the clan. The clans’ criminal activities consisted primarily of the theft of Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
slaves and horses, the looting and burning of houses and stores, counterfeiting, boat larceny, and murder.
Copeland knew of water hideouts and boat slips as well as he knew the land. He and his gang burned parts of Mobile, sacked it then disappeared into Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
. Copeland set fire to the West Side of Mobile and while the citizens were braving the flames to save what they could, the gang looted the East side. After things cooled down, Copeland set fire to the East side and sacked the West side of the port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
city. Each time, the raiders loaded boats with their plunder and disappeared into the dark waters of Mobile Bay.
The gang
The reported 60 members of the Wages and Copeland Clan were as follows:J. Alfred
J. Baker
J. Bowings
A. Brown
D. Brown
W. Brown
G. Buskings
J. Butler
R. Cable
G. Clealand
Henry Copeland
John Copeland
T. Copeland
William Copeland
G. Daniels
J. Dewit
D. Doty
J. Doty
J. Elva
J. Gillet
J. Harden
S. Harden
J. Harper
J. Harper (see note)
J. Hevard
Thomas Hix
W. P. Hobs
J. Hopkins
J. Kelly
C. H. McGraffin
Charles McGrath
N. McIntosh
W. W. Moore
___ Moulton
E. Myrick
___ Overall
J. Pool
J. Porter
T. Powell
W. W. Ratlief
W. Ross
W. Sanferd
H. Sanford
E. Sharpor
S. S. Shoemake
S. Teapark
J. Taylor
G. H. Wages
J. Walter
J. Waters, Jr.
A. Watson
G. Welter
J. Welter
J. W. Wesley
W. C. Whelps
J. Whitfield
J. Whitlom
Jasper Whitlow
J. F. Wright
G. Young
Note: Initials of Moulton and Overall were omitted because of doubts about who Copeland referred to. Two Gang members had the same initials.
Later years
Wages and McGrath attempted to collect a disputed debt for fellow clan member Allen Brown. James Andrew Harvey had purchased, in good faith, a farm from Brown, who did not hold clear title to the property. Unable to establish ownership, Harvey refused to pay the outstanding debt. Brown passed the loan along to Wages, who was to either collect the money or kill Harvey. However, Harvey killed Wages and McGrath.On July 15, 1848, James Copeland and his gang rode to James Harvey’s home on Red Creek in Perry County (now Forrest County), Mississippi. They had been offered one-thousand dollars by Wages' father, to avenge his son's death. Here, the Copeland clan fought a blazing gun battle, which resulted in the death of Harvey and one of Copeland’s men. Friends carried the mortally wounded Harvey to John Dale's home in northwestern Harrison County
Harrison County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:* De Soto National Forest * Gulf Islands National Seashore - Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 189,601 people, 71,538 households, and 48,574 families residing in the county. The population density was 326 people per square mile . There were 79,636 housing...
(now Stone County
Stone County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,622 people, 4,747 households, and 3,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 5,343 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
), where he died several days later and was buried in the nearby Dale Cemetery.
Although Copeland escaped the gun battle, he was eventually captured near Mobile in 1849, tried for his Alabama crimes, and sentenced to a four-year prison term. Upon completion of the prison term, Copeland was transferred to Mississippi to stand trial for the Harvey killing, for which he was convicted and sentenced to hang. Before his death on the gallows in 1857, Copeland made a full confession to Sheriff J.R.S. Pitts in Perry County, Mississippi
Perry County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,138 people, 4,420 households, and 3,332 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 5,107 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, naming each member of the clan. Many clan members were prominent citizens of Mobile and the surrounding area.
Copeland's body was buried on the banks of the Leaf River
Leaf River (Mississippi)
The Leaf River is a river, about 180 mi long, in southern Mississippi in the United States. It is a principal tributary of the Pascagoula River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico.-Course:...
near Augusta, Mississippi. But after 2 or 3 days, the body disappeared, and a skeleton was purportedly made of his remains. The skeleton was allegedly exhibited at McInnis and Dozier Drugstore in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
in the late 19th Century. In the early 1900s, the skeleton vanished and has never been seen again.
Copeland detailed how his clan had buried some $30,000 in gold in a swamp near Mobile and later reburied the treasure in the Catahoula Swamp of Hancock County
Hancock County
Hancock County is the name of ten counties in the United States. All are named for John Hancock who was a leader in the American Revolution. The counties are:*Hancock County, Georgia*Hancock County, Illinois*Hancock County, Indiana*Hancock County, Iowa...
, Mississippi. Rumors have circulated for decades of Copeland gold caches, still unclaimed, hidden around the shores of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The James Copeland legend lives today, as treasure hunters search sections of the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Mississippi Gulf Coast
The Mississippi Gulf Coast refers to the three Mississippi counties which lie on the Gulf of Mexico: Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties.The region was severely damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and again by Hurricane Katrina in 2005....
for burial sites of the Copeland gang's ill-gotten gains.