Historical and biographical encyclopaedia of Delaware. V 2, Part 51

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Publication date: 1972
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Number of Pages: 776

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With Great respect, yes. very lively , L. S. Copes.

BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT.

565

ing this industry in Mississippi. He was the | citizens were interested in maintaining its ex- author of the vaccine law of that State, which isting policies. His trust as general agent for that company was undisturbed, and is still under his control. Dr. Copes has been for many years President of the N. O. Academy of Sciences and an active promoter of all its enterprises. He has always had the entire re- spect of his professional associates, and in 1851, on the creation of the Board of Physi- cians and Surgeons, for the government of the Charity Hospital, he became a member, and had charge of some of its crowded wards while cholera and typhoid fever were raging in that year and the next. In all the epidemics of yellow fever in New Orleans since 1847 as well as in those of other cities and towns to which he was called when they were suffering from this disease, he has been an active and success- ful physician. At the invitation of Gov. Foote and the citizens of Mississippi after the great epidemic of 1853 had partially abated, in New Orleans he repaired to their relief with a promptitude, energy and good will rarely ex- hibited by a practitioner worn down by a four months' day and night battle with one of the greatest epidemics of yellow fever known in history. During the war thousands of un- acclimated troops within the defences of Gal- veston and other Gulf stations, liable to or stricken with yellow fever, owed their in- telligent treatment, to his care and experience in hospital arrangements and supervision. His life has been one of great opportunity, remarkable activity and success, and his energies have been largely devoted to the in- terests of religion, patriotism and humanity. As a writer or speaker Dr. Copes has few equals ; always ready and choice in his lan- guage, easy in manner, and logical in the treatment of his subject. his speeches have ever been sought in the interest of causes which he was willing to advocate. He has contributed articles on surgery, medicine, and hospital management, to various publications and societies, which, so far as identified, have enhanced his permanent reputation. Urgent overtures have been made to induce him to accept positions as professor or lecturer in different colleges and medical schools. Few of his colleagues have been more esteemed or more ably fulfilled the duties they have as- sumed, and his honors from both sides of the Atlantic have found him unsolicited, has enjoyed a remarkable immunity from small pox ever since. When he moved to Jackson there were but few scattered Pres- byterians in or near it, but with their as- sistance, his zealous efforts through a period of ten years, resulted in securing a church membership of over one hundred, and a hand- some brick edifice in the heart of the city. In 1849 Dr. Copes removed to New Orleans where he devoted himselfto his profession not only as a general practitioner, but in its associations, hospitals and sanitary enterprises, was a very active and laborious worker. From a time pre- ceding the war, however, he has given his attention mainly to Cotton Factorage and un- der-writing, the latter of which vocations still receives his attention and rewards his labor. He was from his 27th year an elder in the Presbyterian church, and has long been a prominent member of various city, state and national enterprises and associations for edu- cational, commercial, professional and mis- sionary work. While Vice President of the Mississippi State Medical Society he was, as representative of that body, sent to New York in 1846, delegated to act in establishing the American Medical Association, and aided in founding it. For many years president of the School Board, and administrator of the University of Louisiana, he ever sought to enhance the efficiency of the free educational system, and to secure teachers of ability and fitness. He has,for many years, superintended Mission Sunday Schools, building them up from the foreign population and the poor of all races, to assemblages of several hundreds. As a Commissioner of the N. O. House of Refuge, he effected the employment of the boys in manufacturing, especially of coarse shoes, and caused the founding of a separate institution for girls. He lost much by the ces- sation of business during the war, and by his advances to the planters afterwards ; but was sustained in every trial by the consciousness of right doing and of having accomplished much good. His moral courage enabled him to con- vince the Confederate States' Receiver appoint- ed to sequester all debts due to the citizens of the non-secession States, that the business of the N. Y. Life Insurance Company was of too sacred a nature to be destroyed, while so many

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566

HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

OPES, REV. JOSEPH, Pastor of the United [ the regular studies of an institution of learning, such as

Churches (Presbyterian) of Lewes, Coolspring

and Indian River, in the early part of the

present century, and eminent for his piety,

learning, ability and zeal, was born, Oct. 3,

1765, in Broad Creek hundred, Sussex county,

where his father, Thomas Copes, was a farmer

and large landholder. He was the only son who lived beyond

boyhood, and had three sisters, the two elder of whom

married gentlemen named Wingate, and soon after re- moved to Kentucky, taking with them their younger sister, who married a Mr. Allen, of the vicinity of Lex- ington. The father of Thomas was Daniel Copes, who was either a Scotch immigrant or the son of Scottish parents, settled in Accomac or Henrico county, Va , and was among the earlier settlers of Broad Creek hundred.

Traditions distinguish him as "Daniel the Scot," or

" Daniel the Covenanter." From him it is probable that

Thomas Copes inherited the greater part of his lands. The latter was a man of great natural superiority, force and character, and his wife was still more remarkable.

the Peninsula then afforded. How extensive a curricu- lum it possessed does not appear, but endowed acade-

mies were then the exception, and grammar schools, high schools and colleges were unknown on this other-

wise favored tongue of land. Undoubted traditions inform us that in a brief period, he distanced all his fellows, and

made such advances in knowledge as excited the adınira- tions of his instructors. It is presumable that his liter-

ary attainments were made somewhat later in life, after a

traveland sojourn of a year or more west of theAlleghanies, and grew, pari passu, with the increase of his well-selected and industriously gathered library; he also had access to those of other distinguished men of his day. By the death of his father in 1790, and the removal of his three

sisters to Kentucky, he became by inheritance, and by

purchase, the owner of his ancestral and other lands,

land by his marriage with Jenny Wilkins White, in

1791, of those descending from her father. The care --

of several of his own farms and mills, his duties as a surveyor, and as agent for parties who had removed to the western states and territories, leaving their busi- ness pertaining to real estate to be managed and closed by him, together with a wide range of reading, and the duties pertaining to a young family, seemed to have en- grossed much of his time for about fifteen years. When about 26 years of age, he became an active and exem- plary member of the Presbyterian church, and, in 1795, was chosen and ordained a ruling elder in the Broad Creek church, at Laurel. Whether by his own choice or at the solicitation of his western clients, (most prob-

The great talents of this most pious and devoted woman have been transmitted unmistakably to her descendants even to the second and third generation. The daugh- ters largely inherited her gifts and graces. For intelli- gence, piety, courage,and tenacious adherence to the re- ligious principles they received from her, they could hardly be excelled, and their many descendants in Ken- tucky and elsewhere, to this day attest, by their many excellencies, the value of their family training. An in- stance of their womanly fortitude and courage may be given. At about middle life Mrs. Allen earnestly de- ably the latter), he frequently appeared in the couris as sired to visit her only brother, and the scenes of her an advocate and attorney. It is not now known with cer- tainty whether he was a regular practitioner, or whether the rules of courts in his native state at that time, per- mitted him to appear for those whose property-interests were wholly in his hands, as he would have for him- self. His contempararies regarded him as the posses- sor of uncommon powers for the perspicuous presen- childhood There were few stage lines and few roads ; travel over the intervening mountains was performed al- most entirely on horseback, and even frontier women rarely undertook so perilous and wearisome a journey as that from Kentucky to the Atlantic coast; but Mrs. Allen believing it her duty and her privilege, saw no ob- stacle that her habitual faith in a protecting providence tation of his causes and of rare ability and eloquence in would not enable her to overcome. Taking a faithful his advocacy of what he regarded as the right. The leading traits of his character even from his young manhood seem to have fastened themselves as convic- tions upon the minds of all candid observers. These were an undeviating integrity in action, transparent ve- racity in utterance and heroic abnegation of self, in the advocacy and defense of the truth in whatever relations. The conviction that he was a man of truth, together with knowledge of his great attainments caused him to be resorted to by all classes of people in a great va- riety of cases, social, legal, religious, philosophical, political, and even mechanical. His abilities as a pub- lic speaker attracted the attention of the political party to which he belonged, and for a time his mind was much engrossed by the studies essential to due prep- aration for public debates, on questions which he, in common with his party, regarded as of paramount im- portance to the welfare of the country. He continued as a political public speaker for only a brief period, but it was sufficiently long to establish his reputation as a clear-headed, forcible and upright exponent and defender of the principles of his party. Yet, deeply religious, he found the attendant excitement, and the praise he received unfavorable to the spirituality of mind he prized above all else. In an autobiography, written in 1808, he al- ludes with characteristic humility and pathos to the inju- rious effect of politics upon his spiritual interests, and calls it "a backsliding for which I was chastened." Whether up to this time he had considered the question of personal duty as it relates to the gospel ministry is not known ; but it had been his mother's desire that this might be- and capable colored servant, mounted like herself on a choice saddle horse, she made the entire journey, arriv- ing at the house of her brother in perfect health, when after remaining several months, she returned in the same manner. To her and to her sisters were granted long and eminently useful lives, illustrative of the ennobling power of the gospel of Christ in all their relations to their fam- ilies, to society, and to the Church of God. Schools, such as Thomas Copes and his wife desired, being with difficulty attainable, their children were, in their earlier years, instructed, mainly, by themselves, and with marked success by the mother. They were trained from their earliest years to the daily reading of the Bible by her side, and to the hearing, from her lips, of expositions of doctrines, duties, counsels and admonitions, The un- settled state of the country preceding and during the Revolutionary war, was aggravated in Sussex by the tory insurrections, which frequently called for the pres- ence and repressive power of the military, and the spa- cious and hospitable home of the subject of this sketch was the frequent resort of officers of the army and other persons of note, many of whom were deeply imbued with the French infidelity fashionable in all those years ; yet such was the restraining and conservative influences of family religion, and the example of their parents, that neither he nor his sisters appear to have been affected or misled by the free-thinking military and political leaders who visited their patriotic father's house. Doubtless the blood of the Scotch Covenanters stirred in his veins, and he regarded, with enthusiasm, the "war for liberty," yet even his admiration for its heroes could not lead him i come his vocation, and from his pious culture and decided to be influenced by their faults, and he remained under all the temptations to which he was exposed, a God-fear- ing youth. About the close of the war he entered upon

christian activity, it is more than probable. About 1804, he came to a final decision under the wise and godly coun- sel of the eminent jurist and theologian, Rev. James P.

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567

BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT.

Wilson, D. D., then pastor of the united churches of | his officers, and to deliver their answer at the beach, for Lewes, Cool Spring and Indian River, and of other able it was not deemed expedient just then to allow a party men, and upon offering himself to the Presbytery as a of experienced naval officers to visit Lewes and her de -. candidate for the christian ministry, there being then no theological seminaries for his church in America, he was, according to the existing rule, placed under the charge of an approved divine, who in this instance was no other than his steadfast and affectionate friend, Rev. Dr. Wilson, above mentioned. His theological course was happily and successfully pursued, his services, meantime, prov- ing highly useful and acceptable to the neighboring churches and their outposts, and building up for him a reputation for learning, piety and force in preaching, such as the churches of the Peninsula needed and de-

fenses, which were not yet complete, and there had been delay in getting the State militia into position, and the torpedo boats from Philadelphia had not yet ar- rived. The answer was, therefore, not hastened, because it was to be expected th it being an abrupt and conclusive re- fusal of Commodore Beresford's demands, he would im- mediately, upon receiving it, open his fire upon the town. The tories or royalists were still represented in the county, and through them, it is supposed, that he was not only informed of the present condition of the de- fenses, but also of the torpedo arrangement to blow up sired. This popular estimate soon crystalized into the | his fleet. As soon, therefore, as the reply of the Ameri- form of a permanent pastoral relation to the churches of ; can general was received, the bombardment began. At first their missiles fell short, and next passed quite over the town, and many anxiously watching the effect of the

Lewes, Cool Spring and Indian River, when Dr. Wilson was called to the First Presbyterian church of Philadel- phia, leaving the churches of which both he and his ; firing through the day doubtless began to console them- father, Rev. Matthew Wilson, D. D., had for many ' selves with the hope that it would continue to be harm- years been pastors. Mr. Copes became his immediate less, but when better aim was taken and it was found, to successor and continued at his post until removed by their dismay, that every shot bored a hole from wall to death to the reward of the faithful, April 6, 1822, a wall of their dwellings, a scene of terror and confusion period of fourteen years. As a faithful, skillful, and af- ensued. . But there was one in that little town, a Mr. Thomas Rowland, past sixty years of age, who had been, in early life, upon the sea, and himself, passed through many dangers; a Ruling Elder in the old i Presbyterian church, and a man of great piety and ex- cellence who knowing well his own personal standing among the distracted people, and the place held by the subject of this memoir, (who had then recently removed from town to one of his farms four miles distant,) by a rapid mental process, met the case as follows : "These poor weeping and screaming women, whose husbands, fectionate pastor he watched diligently over his flock, careful in the performance of every duty toward them, and earnest in his appeals to their hearts and con- sciences. To the young he especially devoted himself. His catechetical instructions, conducted every Sabbath morning by himself in the church edifice where he was to preach that day, combined with scriptural recitations to him, afforded the opportunity of manifesting to them the depth of his affection for them personally, and his yearning desire for their salvation. These exercises could not continue year after year till prattling childhood : fathers and brothers are in the garrison and cannot had advanced nearly to maturity without the happiest come to their aid, these boys and girls and aged people, well nigh demented with terror, have no purpose, no effects. There were no strays from that fold, and so far as can now be remembered, all of both sexes were ready to make a voluntary confession of Christ before reaching the age of twenty. The same affectionate play of sym- pathetic action and reaction seemed to obtain with the adults as well as with the children and youth, and this not confined to the churches and congregations, but ex- tending far beyond, embracing the whole population. Numerous well vouched local traditions still exist, illus- trating the confidence of the people in him. Even the insane inmates of the county poor house, escaping from their confinement, would come directly to him, and though dangerons and unmanagable by all others, he could successfully approach and quiet them, and after feeding and conversing with them for a longer or shorter time, could induce them to get into his carriage and ac- company him back to the asylum without any coercion or physical constraint. This, probably, resulted in part from their recollections of him before they became de- mented, and in part from his visits to them and the in- fluence of the singing, praying and counsel so affection- ately bestowed upon them in their affliction and confine- ment. An amusing illustration of his relations to the people is afforded by a well-known incident of the bom- bardment of Lewes, during the last war with England. Where the Delaware Breakwater now stands was then an open roadstead with good anchorage for heavy ships. At a point most convenient for his purpose, Commodore Beresford had, by anchor and spring lines, placed the Poictiers, a heavy frigate, in position to make her guns effective upon the town, and having so disposed of her consort or tender as to produce the best moral effect, he sent a heavily armed and well-manned boat ashore with a flag of truce and a letter demanding supplies for his fleet. Gen. Patterson sent a flag of truce party of officers to meet the boat at the beach, nearly a mile and a half from town. Only a limited time was given in which to make the delivery of the supplies. The American officer was allowed to submit the demand to Gen. Patterson and

plan, and at present, no resource. They must be set upon something to relieve this terrible panic." Taking a street filled with women surrounded by chil- dren, and carrying infants and indescribable other things in their arms, he mounted some kind of available ros- trum and sang out in stentorian tones, "Put your trust in God and steer your course to Copes." The anguished people heard, they looked, they knew their orator, and they knew the refuge, or at least its master. They felt their liability to death if they remained where they were, and at least the diminishing danger to themselves and children at every step of progress in the direction pointed out. The demoralizing panic was at an end; they went, believing that God and his servant would provide for their wants. And so it was. No great damage even to property resulted, and no lives were lost. The ex- pected militia came to their places in the fortifications, a wholesome fear of torpedoes seemed to be working with the Naval Commander, who seeing other evidences of preparation on part of the Americans, sailed out of the bay. When Mr. Copes was a young man, " kidnap- ping," as it was called, was too common. This nefarious business was followed only by a class of persons justly re- garded as social pariahs. The selling of slaves beyond the bounds of the State, except after judicial condemna- tion, was prohibited by statute, sanctioned by adequate penalties ; and yet there were men and even women liv- ing near the line between Delaware and Maryland, who habitually practised it. The kidnapping consisted usually in the capture of a previously sold but unsuspecting negro or negro family at night, hurrying him or them across the State line, and if possible, on board a fleet vessel ready to sail to a Southern port, or to a depot where cargoes were made up. The seller, of course, lost caste with all his decent neighbors when his conduct be- came known, and not infrequently from the pressure of popular indignation, was compelled to remove his resi- dence. Still, having sold his slave or slaves to a citizen

568

HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

and within the State, without evident intention to break the law, he could not be criminally convicted. This crime deeply stirred the moral sense of the people to op- pose and extinguish it. As a leader and promoter of this reform, the subject of this sketch was persistent, cour- ageous and sometimes suminarily successful ; rescuing kidnapped negroes by finesse or by force, as the case might demand, from on board the vessels, from the secret camps or upon the dark routes thereto. Accounts of his activity, skill and daring in the prosecution of this reform have come down with great approbation to these later days, and are still known and cherished among his posterity and the children of his personal friends. Though a slaveholder himself, he set his face, like a flint, against the abuses of the relation. His anti-kid- napping convictions and acts belonged more conspicu- ously to his earlier manhood ; but to the day of his death he sought out and promoted by every means in his power all possible ameliorations of the institution of slavery, and was one of the earliest advocates of African colonization. His faith in the gospel, as the most effec- tive rectifier of all human evils, led him as an ambas- sador of Christ, to present his message in all its fullness and freeness, alike, to bond and free. Under his minis- trations, as under his great predecessors, the edifices in which he preached, accommodated them both ; master and servant listening, at the same time, to the same warnings, entreaties and instructions in their duties, social, relative and religious. Consequently the roll of communicants contained, in the chronological order of their enlistment under the banner that made them all one in Christ, the names of white and black; and the communion occasions showed them to he only different colors of the same sacramental host of God's elect, as they assembled around the table of their common Lord and Saviour. Specimens of his sermons and addresses, particularly those frequently repeated special appeals to the colored portion of nis usual Sabbath audiences, would serve to present the powers of the man in his holy vocation, better than anything that could be said, but the limits of our space forbid their insertion. Mr. Copes reared and left nine children, five daughters and four sons; and by his second marriage with Letty Waples, daughter of Joseph Waples, of Indian River hundred, he left one daughter. His eldest son, Isaac, entered the regular army very young, as an ensign, and was in the infantry regiment, commanded by Col. Samuel Boyer Davis at the defense of Lewis against the bombardment by the fleet of Commodore Beresford. Serving afterward on the Canada lines, he contracted a lung affection, which in a few years later, terminated his useful life, though not before he had distinguished himself as a legislator, a military organizer and drill officer of State Militia, and a wise and successful man of business. The second son, Thomas, after becoming a capable cabinet maker in Philadelphia, removed, on attaining his majority, to Missouri, and establishing himself in St. Charles, then the State capital, built up a manufacturing and mercantile business that made him wealthy, and secured the esteem of the people as a man of enterprise, courage, and public spirit. He was one of the active founders of St. Charles College, a whole hearted supporter of christianity wherever he found it, and of the Presbyterian church of that young city and state. He died of consumption in Texas, whither he had gone in the hope of finding a sanitarium, in the beginning of 1849, leaving four sons. The two younger sons of our subject-James and Joseph S., atter studying medicine, the one in the University of Mary- land, at Baltimore, the other at Jefferson College. Phil- adelphia, migrated to Mississippi, then a young state, and began the practice of medicine in the domain, then recently acquired by the so-called "treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek," from the Choctaw nation. With a full knowledge of the climatic and social dangers they en-

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Historical and biographical encyclopaedia of Delaware. V 2, Part 51

Author: Publication date: 1972 Publisher: Number of Pages: 776

Author:
Publication date: 1972
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 776