J. R. S. Pitts

“ It is long and much that I have suffered while in prison since my first confinement in Mobile county, and yet it seems as though nothing will pay the debt but my life. I have had my trial and was convicted upon a charge of murder, and I have received the awful sentence of death. The sheriff told me to-day, that to-morrow at 2 o’clock I will be hanged, according to the order of court. Oh, my dear mother, what an awful sound is this to reach your ear. Oh, would it could be otherwise; but you are aware that I justly merit the sentence. You are knowing to my being a bad man ”

“ I then proposed to McGrath to give Wages the whole and sole control, to which he finally consented, though, I discovered, with some reluctance.
“Now, boys,” said Wages, “I wish you to consider yourselves upon the world until I return; and I enjoin on you not to commit any unlawful act during the time it may take to realize and gather together our money. For the certainty and uncertainty of life we cannot account; we will therefore deposit what money we have.” So we did—in the ground—and each took fifty dollars for pocket money. ”

“ But if you mean to be honest, and tender of just rights and claims, with a desire for the common good of your country in rewarding meritorious services and encouraging the sources of true national prosperity, you will only be laughed at for your folly.” These constant elections, as it were, open the store-houses for a general scramble, for a wordy warfare of frothy declamation, for abuse and misrepresentation of all the nobler traits of human nature—making virtue a crime and fashionable vices respectable. ”

“ Why one part of the witnesses so infamous and in every way so suspicious? Why the strange and oscillating conduct of the Judge in varying his charges to the Jury at different stages of progress? Why, contrary to all modern usage, hold confined the jury for six long days and nights with an express and determined resolve not to release when there appeared to be no prospect of an agreement on a verdict? Why so many cunning inlets to and tampering with parts of the jury? ”

“ Not only is the impetuous enthusiasm of the common soldier excited, but also the ardor and emulation of the General himself. The young, the old—all seem to desire more opportunities to occur for the exercise of prowess, as well as for further demonstrations of martial glory. But it is quite possible to conceive how the historian could have produced quite a contrary effect. By degrading all that appertains to warfare, and by holding up to public scorn and indignation the brutal and hellish scenes involved for purposes of rapine, plunder or false notions of honor ”

“ Truth is sometimes very disagreeable, but it is nevertheless indisputable that when the progress is rapidly onward to idolize vast possessions under a system which rather favors than checks the spread of those evils which sap the very foundations of strength and national vitality, and at the same time, and in the same ratio, to dishonor the real sources of wealth—honest labor—the nation’s decline and fall will follow in the wake of consequences under excessive government, no matter whether of Republican or Democratic. ”

“ What right—what necessity had he to turn prosecutor, when, as plainly elicited on trial, it was another Overall that Copeland referred to in his confessions?
The trial succeeded in nothing against the defendant only in crippling his pecuniary resources, and harrassing him in other ways. It rather strengthened than weakened the authenticity of the work. These circumstances, with the war, interrupted the sale for some years; but as might have been reasonably expected, truth can only be temporarily crushed to burst forth again with renewed vigor. Persecution only adds fuel to the flames. ”

“ Organizations of such vast and gigantic magnitude, are incidents of a rude and transition state of society, where population is sparse, where means of protection are sadly at fault, and where so many hardened criminals make their escape through the mock forms of trials in courts, not of justice, but of ignorance and corruption under the name of liberty and a scrupulous tenderness in behalf of a spurious or false sentimental color of humanity ”

“ 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!” ”

“ Former methods of murder, conflagration and high-handed robbery have been exchanged for more intricate forms of conquest and gain.
Whoever ventures an exposure of the fashionable vices of influential circles—whoever assails the citadels and strongholds of crime and corruption, must not expect to elude numerous and deep-laid conspiracies for the sacrifice of life, which, if he escape falling a victim, he will be more than fortunate. ”

“ It is all very easy and fine to contend for short terms of elections—all very captivating to contend that if one officer well performs his duty, he can either retire into private life with all the grateful honors of his country, or, for meritorious services, he can be re-elected for another term, all of which is the most powerful incentive to do right, and, at the same time, the most formidable barrier against intentional wrong. ”

“ CONCLUDING SKETCH OF THE TRIAL.
Not in populous cities—not in the centres of accumulated wealth and misdirected intelligence that integrity and the administration of justice can be found. The highest functionaries of States have to bend to these rings and cliques. Honor scorned, justice mocked, and shame departed, what is there left to purify the national streams? Clans who live by plunder and murder can, with their ill-gotten gains, find plenty of law protection. Above all things, the Bench should be kept pure and independent, so that the criminal, though rich, cannot escape ”

“ There is a charming lovely little mocking bird that makes frequent visits near my window—sings so sweetly, and seems to enjoy life with the utmost fulness of felicity, so much so that I am, in a doleful hour, sometimes inclined to envy the happiness which I cannot at all times share myself. ”

“ Will capital invest to set the springs of industry at work? Can wealth and intelligence thrive under such blighting influences of desolation? Is not government strong enough to protect its subjects? If not it should be, and the sooner it can be accomplished, the better it will be for all classes of society. ”

“ This change was further accelerated by the execution of Copeland, and the narrow escape of another brother, together with the publication of the confessions, laying open to public gaze the implicated parties and the principal movement of the whole.
But the expiration of one sort of lawlessness does not preclude the existence of others more dangerous, because more subtle and more in accordance with the corruptions in the high departments of States, and more in harmony with the operations of those who boldly trample on rectitude and the laws of the nation. ”

“ One of the three, who settled in Augusta; a skilled doctor and surgeon, behaved himself so well in every respect—on all occasions exhibiting a winning and an affable deportment—everybody’s friend with the most lavish of generosity—sparing no exertions to gain the confidence and admiration of those in power and of influence; this is the man who proposed to the sheriff the plan to save the life of James Copeland. This proposition was made betwixt the time of his conviction and execution. ”

“ We had a rendezvous at old Wages’ about twelve miles from Mobile, and another at Dog River, about the same distance in a different direction. We ranged that season from one place to the other, and sometimes in town, stealing any and everything we could. Sometimes killing beef, hogs and sheep, hauling them to town and selling them; sometimes stealing a fine horse or mule and conveying it to some of our comrades to conceal; and occasionally a negro would disappear. ”

“ As the caption states, their triumph was only in name. The retribution of truth and justice is sometimes tardy in execution; but, longer or shorter, it is sure to come. Nearly fifteen years have elapsed, since this trial terminated, and the public has remained uninformed to this day of the more important features connected with it. This long silence has favored the continuance of wealth, power, and the honors of office for the prosecutors; while the defendant was unjustly brought to the verge of ruin by the enormous expenses attending the trial. ”

“ The individual who has made so much wealth, and attained to so great a height of pecuniary prosperity by means, no matter whether fair or foul, desires no change, even though it may be for the benefit of tens of thousands—his own individual or conventional interest will have more value in his estimation than the interests of united millions in conflict. Generally, those who have risen to honors, distinctions, and emoluments by the vicious elements in society, will spare no exertions which talent and wealth can command for the perpetuation of [Pg 146] the same circumstances of public wrongs. ”

“ Wages rose in the morning and easily waked me, for I was not in a sound sleep. We took our guns; I crawled close to where the young man lay, and got my gun ready. Wages was to fire first. He put his light against a small brush, and the old man partly waked and turned his face toward Wages, who fired the contents of one barrel in the old man’s forehead. ”

“ Many, perhaps, not admitted to the council and secret conclaves of the organization, could be engaged for a stipulated sum to perform important services in defense and protection of its active members, who might inwardly condemn its pernicious fields of operations against the best interests of society. Whether such conduct can stand the test of reason and argument it is for others, with the reader, to determine. The worse the case the richer the fees for the lawyer, and so of the medical profession. As frequently happens, the lawyer scruples at nothing to win a victory for his client. ”

“ The incidents involved during the time here referred to have ponderous bearings, in a circumstantial point of view, toward establishing the substantial correctness of Copeland’s confessions, although intended to invalidate them and make a nullity of the whole.
During imprisonment Copeland seemed to fully comprehend the profound plans and commanding power of one by the name of Shoemake. This is the man who played so conspicuous a part before and on trial in combination with the three prosecuting parties of Mobile. The arch-enemy of all mankind cannot surpass him in perfidious deception. ”

“ There is nothing in all the wide diversified forms of creation that can give you such lofty conceptions of the attributes of the Deity as the study of man: Life’s warm stream which ramifies and circulates in processes so wonderful ”