USA > Iowa > Cedar County > A topical history of Cedar County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 36
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The following are from the originals in the possession Mr. J. Maxson of West Liberty, Iowa :
Edwin le opprocks last letter.
. 1/5 ;....
it who how to suffer ingford of ham.
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dove butt & Autre will go on origin
.
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wand 's lived of our busted condrio exceed. When we area way of truth, that wine delowed country) is the Land of the free, weil the home of the dance.
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EDWIN COPPOCK 'S LAST LETTER
But that realraid how bet litter dund care ws from I honestly believe that ham avant weich punishment. But as the Asking of am with the the lives of Any comrade, Mariner is just hadnings or. that chowane day, when the Site freedom. when he an ey, What
·· way, estons justifying.
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EDWIN COPPOCK'S LAST LETTER
423
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
"Charlestown Jail, Va., Dec. 15, 1859. "Mr. Wm. Maxson and Family :
"Accept with these hasty lines my love. Thanks for all your kindness and your friendship in the past and my last farewell. May God bless you one and all. Farewell until we meet beyond Death's River.
"Ever and truly yours,
"JOHN E. COOK."
On the reverse side is this message:
"Stevens and Coppoc(k) send their love. C-c(k) also wishes me to bid you farewell for him. Ever yours,
"J. E. COOK." "Charlestown Jail, Va., Feb. 15, 1860. "My Dear Sister :
"Yours of Jan. 30 I have received, and it is a great consolation to know that I am still remembered. My mind often travels back to Springdale, to the many dear friends I am wed to in soul and although I never expect to see you again in this world, you all will be retained in my soul until we meet beyond this green earth.
"I grow stronger in spiritualism every day of my life and I hope you will use every exertion to get brothers and sisters to investigate this great phenomena, and not condemn it until they know it is false. I shall come to converse with you from the Spirit land if circumstances are so that I can and I hope I shall be able to throw more light on the spiritual theory.
"My trial is over and I expect to take my exit from this world on the six- teenth of March. Whatever my fate may be, I am ready to meet it, trusting all to truth and justice. To die for loving the rights of man is rather hard, but it is sweet to bear.
"Give my love to all inquiring friends. Yours truly through all eternity, "AARON D. STEVENS.
"P. S .- I am in good health, never felt bettor (better) in body or mind and I hope this will find you the same. Yours to the last,
"A. D. S."
Just before the departure from Springdale Cook wrote a poem in apprecia- tion of the kindness of Mrs. Maxson. A few of the stanzas are quoted to bring out some of the sentiment that finds expression there. The original may be found at Mr. J. Maxson's with the letters above :
"The following lines are respectfully dedicated to our mother, Mrs. Hannah Maxson :
"Swift the moments now are flying, And the parting hour draws near, For, before this day is dying, I shall dwell no longer here.
"But my mem'ry still will linger, O'er the pleasant home I've known,
And I oft shall think of mother, And the happy day that's flown.
-
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
"For a mother thou dost seem Unto each and every one.
*
"We are grateful, deeply grateful, For the favors you have shown, And our hearts we trust are thankful, For the love that we have known.
"Now we part and if forever, Then forever fare thee well." * * *
He signs himself in this manner : "The son of thy adoption. ' "J. E. COOK."
Shortly before Brown's last departure from the Quaker settlement he sold such plunder as mules, harness, wagons, etc. In such business John H. Painter, then a justice of the peace, was made the trusted assistant. It was Painter who, after Brown had gone, shipped the latter's Sharpe's rifles and revolvers-196 in all-marked carpenter's tools. They were billed from West Liberty to Harper's Ferry to some unknown party.
The capture of Harper's Ferry, the battle, and all that followed, until the execution of the prisoners, was of vital interest to all the former friends at Springdale, and it came nearer when the attention of the country was centered on this part of the United States after the return of Barclay Coppock. Few who pass and repass the monument in the library square in Tipton, know or care, that it bears the name of the one person who returned to the county after that momentous event in Virginia. After a journey of many weeks through the mountains of Pennsylvania, Barclay Coppock reached Springdale on December 17, 1859. He was thin and haggard after his adventures. A warm reception awaited him since he was probably given up long before as a lost man. His brother Edwin and Cook had been executed at Charlestown the day before his arrival in Cedar County. Still he was hunted by Virginia authorities, and officers were sent to capture him or demand his surrender by the governor of Iowa on requisition from Virginia's governor. He did not want for protection since a guard was in constant readiness to appear if danger from any source threatened.
"Among those enlisted in this manner were some who, as on a certain famous occasion in Pennsylvania, afforded the unusual spectacle of the close juxtaposition of a musket and a broad-brimmed hat."265 A requisition from Gov. Wise was presented to Gov. Kirkwood for the delivery of Coppock to an officer from Virginia. The papers in the first case having been found defective a second attempt was made, but friends kept him warned of all that was occur- ring. He could not be induced at first to leave his friends, preferring to fight it out in Cedar County. The following letter from Hon. J. W. Cattell was writ- ten in an endeavor to put Coppock into a safe place, and was published for the first time in the Davenport Gazette of February 2, 1878 :
WILLIAM MAXSON
-
d.
FAREWELL LETTER OF JOHN E. COOK TO WILLIAM MAXSON AND FAMILY
427
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
"Des Moines, Jan. 30, 1860.
"H. C. Gill, Esq., Dear Sir-Yours of the 25th inst. is received. I am aston- ished that notwithstanding all the advice given and all the circumstances, he (Coppock) will as implied in yours, and others, (letters) persist in staying at the hazard of his life and that of some of his friends. I cannot for the life of me see how he or his friends can justify his staying when in doing so he is liable at any day to involve all in difficulty and may be the cause of bloodshed, and that too without the possibility of any good result. I have no doubt from what I have heard expressed but that if C. stays and should fall into the hands of the Vir- ginians and their abettors and entangle some of his friends, or lead to loss of life, many who are now his friends will cease to be such, and much of the sym- pathy will disappear. The govenor will, as a matter of course, indeed he could not do otherwise, than give the man up whenever the papers are presented in legal form. The staying then places the governor in a very unpleasant predicament and others with him. One object in sending the messenger (Cop- pock had been warned by special messenger from friends in Des Moines before this of the presentation of the papers) was that he might get out of the way. We suppose, and are indeed fully persuaded that they will either attempt to arrest him without warrant or return as soon as possible to Virginia for papers in proper shape and apply again to the governor. Should they return here it will be in the course of a week and if they should get the authority it would be impos- sible for us to get any word to you ahead of the writ without sending a special messenger, and if he and his friends are disposed to take the law into their own hands and disregard all advice I don't know that it will be of any profit or benefit to send special messengers at so much expense. Before his friends advise him to remain, they should weigh well the consequences. Should the writ be granted delivering him for trial, and should resistance be made it will become the duty of Governor Kirkwood to order assistance to the point, and it will thus place him and many of his party and friends in an unpleasant position. Cop- pock should get out of the way as soon as possible-this is the sentiment of all-and thus save compromising any one, and more especially prevent blood being shed. I do not believe any one outside of Springdale would advise him to stay and they would not if they understood the consequences should arrest be at- tempted. Yours truly,
"J. W. CATTELL."
In spite of advice and in defiance of Virginia officers, Coppock continued to remain about home. At times he was engaged in organizing "Union Leagues" and then he would disappear for a time. When the proper papers finally came the sheriff of this county was ordered by the governor to go to Springdale and make the arrest. So there he went in duty bound to seize the person named in the writ. He innocently enough asked every bystander if he had seen a young man named Barclay Coppock, adding that he came to arrest him and would be much obliged for information as to his whereabouts. He peeped into sheds and overturned boxes in his careful (?) search and finally after all these efforts re- turned the papers after certifying that no such person could be found after dili- gent search had been made. Then Virginia sent a special detective to Muscatine who offered fifty dollars to any one to secure the prisoner wanted. He finally
1
428
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
ventured himself after being taunted on account of his failure. Coppock and Dr. Gill were walking leisurely along the streets of Springdale when the Vir- ginian approached. Coppock recognized him, having seen him · several times. He was for shooting him then and there, but Dr. Gill prevented him from so do- ing, thus averting another bloody tragedy. No attempt was made to arrest Coppock at this time and the officer returned to Muscatine.266
It was now thought best for Coppock to go to Canada until the public mind should quiet down. He finally consented to do this and accompanied by T. W. Maxson, now residing at Springdale, a son of Wm. Maxson, they crossed the county to Mechanicsville, took the C. & N. W. for Chicago and from there crossed into Canada by way of Detroit. They did not remain here but went into Ohio where they met the two sons of John Brown and two other friends. Here they remained for three weeks.
Afterward Coppock went east and was finally commissioned to recruit men for Montgomery's "John Brown Regiment," the 10th Kansas Infantry. On his return from Iowa a train passing through Missouri when the bridge over the Platte river had been partially destroyed by "bushwhackers" went down and Barclay Coppock was instantly killed. This occurred on the night of Sept. 3, 1861, and he was buried at Leavenworth, Kansas, with military honors on September 6th. Five years afterwards his aged mother made a pilgrimage to his grave, there to shed a mother's tears.
Poor Edwin Coppock met his fate bravely on Dec. 16, 1859, and his body was taken to Columbiana County, Ohio, for burial and the remains left in their first resting place only a short time when they were removed to Salem cemetery to be placed beside his father. A Salem paper of the time said: "The man whom Virginia branded as a traitor and murderer, the people of Salem have honored as a patriot and an honest man. Charlestown gave him the gallows, Salem will build him a monument and on that monument will be inscribed the vindication of his acts."267
"Charlestown Prison, Dec. 10, 1859.
"Old and Tried Friend, "Dr. H. C. Gill :
"I have just received your welcome letter, and I now proceed to answer it at once. Let me assure you that the letter did not fail to cheer the gloomy prison hours, within my lonely cell, as all letters from you have done. You who were the personal friend of my brother, and who administered to his wants in
his last hours, and served as a comforter to him, are still true to duty. * Thos. Winn has been to see me, but has gone back to Richmond. He did not get in when he first came, the reason being, I suppose, that the commander-in- chief did not think it prudent. I do not think, in my humble opinion, that there would have been much chance for him to rescue me, as there was at that time only fifteen hundred troops in town, and nine pieces of cannon, which were all' drawn up to receive him.
"I suppose you have heard, ere this, of the execution of the captain. He came into Cook's and my room to bid us farewell on the morning of his execu- tion. There have been some false reports of the interview between him and us. It has been stated that the lie passed between him and Cook, but it is false. He
*
EDWIN COPPOCK'S MONUMENT AT SALEM, OHIO
431
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
charged Cook with making some false statements in his confession, but Cook thought not. The captain then told him that he must have a treacherous mem- ory ; he then turned to me and said he had heard that I had made false state- ments, too, but was glad to learn that he had been misinformed. * * * Before leaving us he said he had a little change that would be of no value to him and he would give it to me. It was fifty cents he handed me. I did not wonder that he had heard I had made false statements since the papers are full of them. They undertook to report the remarks I made just before the sen- tence was passed in the court, but they got very little I said and many things I did not say. It stated that I said I had been induced to come into the affair by Captain Brown, but it was false-I did not say that I was induced by anyone. I notice in some of the papers that they are trying to make it appear that we are very much frightened, and have a great fear of death, but citizens and tenants of the prison will all testify that it is false.
"Mrs. Spring of Egelswood, N. J., sent us five dollars to be divided among Copeland, Green and myself. I received today an address read before a society in Columbiana County, Ohio, called for the purpose of sympathizing with Brown and his confederates, which I will send back along with Thomas (Winn). If it has not been published, I want it published along with some letters I will send that I have received while here. Thomas (Winn) expects to remain here until after the execution, and then by my request will convey my body to Springdale, (for) it is my wish to be laid by the side of my brother and sister (not his brother Barclay).
"This is probably the last letter you will ever receive from me; my stay on earth is short ; only six more short days, and then my race is finished. When you write to Barkley (his brother) tell him to keep dark, for I do not want Virginia to glut her vengeance on any more of our little band, who sought their country's good-who interposed in behalf of the four and one-half millions of (men) who are now groaning under the yoke of oppression.
"I must now close. Give my love to all. Tell L. and C. I should have writ- ten to them had I time. I have many letters that will not be answered. I hope none will think hard.268 Yours truly,
"(Signed) EDWIN COPPOCK."
The letter following was received in answer to one of inquiry concerning Edwin Coppock's last letter. It contains some references to the facts of his life that have been found nowhere else and therefore is included :
"Thy letter was sent to me as there is no Joseph Coppock here. I have a: brother by that name who lives in Iowa and Edwin Coppock had a brother there until his death last winter.
"We have the original letter written by his own hand to my father Joshua Coppock, who, when he received the letter, started in a very short time to see him before he was executed. He saw him with chains on and when my father came near he fell in his arms and wept. This was in the evening of the morn- ing before the execution. My father asked Gov. Wise for his body, which request was granted and it was brought to Winona (Ohio) and buried in the Quaker graveyard here, but on account of the large reward offered for the body it was thought best to watch the grave, so it was done for nearly two
432
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
weeks, when the body was taken up and placed in a vault in the cemetery at Salem, where a monument marks the spot.
"I just want to say that the funeral was held on a Sabbath day and a throng of people began to come at nine o'clock and kept coming and going until four in the afternoon before the people could go to the cemetery.
"The letter is kept between glass and could not be sent, but I enclose a copy.
The name is Coppock not Coppoc as so often spelled.
"(Signed) RACHEL G. COPE. "Winona, Ohio."
In the research for information on the John Brown history in Cedar County it was the fortune of the editor to secure the assistance of the former boys of that day, Jont Maxson and his brother, T. W. Maxson, both of them being willing to give of their time and information in any way, and they are deserving of the credit for a great many things in the chapter. Through the suggestion of T. W. Maxson the correspondence was begun that furnished the original matter from the only survivor of the fight at Ossawatomie in Kansas and also the winter at Springdale-Luke F. Parsons of Salina, Kansas. He has fur- nished the information concerning certain movements and certain feelings among the men who were quartered in this county in the winter of '57 and '58.
This man Parsons in speaking to the assembled people at the anniversary of the battle of Ossawatomie-the fiftieth-said of himself: "I was born in Brookfield, Mass., June 28, 1833, therefore I am now in my 74th year." This was in 1906 so that Mr. Parsons is now at the time he writes these words for publication in his 78th year. He has complied cheerfully and has given consider- able that has not appeared before. He says further : "I was reared in Northern Illinois on Rock River and came to Kansas the first day of May, 1856, together with four others, one of them my brother. All were pledged to stay until Kan- sas was admitted as a free state. We landed from a Missouri river boat at the Westport landing, where Kansas City now stands, at that time only with a few dwellings and a few large warehouses along the river front; the town of West- port proper was four miles distant. The next day we walked to Lawrence. When I registered at the Free State Hotel I found that the clerk was my cousin, and when I ask him concerning the prospect for a job he replied that he was sick and wanted me to take his job until he was able to resume his duties.
"I was still in charge of the books when the hotel was ordered to be destroyed by order of the Federal Court. The hotel and the two printing houses, the 'Herald of Freedom' and the 'Lawrence Journal,' had been indicted as nuisances by the grand jury. The court ordered the sheriff to abate the nuisance.
"He procured a posse of four or five hundred men, mostly from Missouri, and they appeared on the top of Mt. Oread on the morning of May 21, 1856. Leaving a guard they descended to the town and ordered Colonel Eldridge to remove his furniture as they were going to destroy the building. Eldridge refused to remove a thing. The sheriff then ordered the men to remove it.
"They commenced but soon found the store below where there were liquors and provisions of all kinds. They soon became loud and boisterous. I took particular note of all I saw and heard. While going up to secure some pillow
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LAST LETTER OF AARON D. STEVENS TO HIS SISTER
435
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
slips from some of the beds I met a man who said to me: 'Who are you?' I replied : 'I am a ranger.' 'All right,' he said.
"Going to the store room I began to fill my pillow cases with candy, nuts and raisins, etc., when a big ruffian addressed me: 'Who are you?' I replied : 'I am a ranger.' 'Well, what in h-1 are you going to do with that stuff?' I replied : 'I will take it to the boys we left on Mt. Oread.' 'All right, my boy, take this, and this,' handing me two bottles of liquor.
"I passed out and delivered my two sacks of plunder to the women and children who had fled for safety to the other side of the ravine in the west part of town. When I returned they were trying to batter the walls down with cannon, but soon became tired of this and were too drunk to operate the cannon. So they kindled a fire in one corner and when the wood work burned out the walls fell in. The next day my brother said to me: 'Brother, I am going home ; this is no place for me.' (The other three who came had been gone more than a week.) I said, 'to tell my mother that I was going to stay until Kansas was a free state.'
"On the morning of June 2, Major Hoit said to me: 'Parsons, Brown will likely have a battle with Henry Clay Pate today; let's go down there. I will hire the horses if you will go with me.' We were off in a few minutes and rode as fast as we could, but arrived in time to find the battle over. I tendered my services to Brown, who made me a guard over the prisoners, while the mar- ried men could go home. Many of them rode horses that they never rode before. I said to Lieut. Brocket as he lay in the grass, 'You had better let me have those spurs as you won't need them any more.' He said to me, 'You will have to take them off.' I took off one and then asked him where the other was when he answered: 'I go on the principle that if one side of the horse goes the other must; if you will adopt this plan, you won't need but one.'
"Colonel Sumner of the U. S. Dragoons soon came and released the pris- oners.
""July third I went with the rifle company that was forming at Lawrence to Topeka to protect the free state legislature that was to convene there on the fourth. The legislature did convene in due form, but Colonel Sumner with the U. S. Dragoons, who was always present to do the bidding of a pro-slavery gov- ernment, dispersed the gathering.
"Not long after this I went with Captain Sam Walker and others to meet the train of emigrants under Lane who had been refused landing at Kansas City or Leavenworth, and who came by way of Iowa and Nebraska. We met them at the Missouri and on the way up marked the fords and the road by tying red rags on the weeds and brush. Richard Realf and R. J. Hinton came with this train."
After numerous adventures of thrilling sort in the border warfare of the state, Mr. Parsons goes on to say that he met Brown in the latter part of August in the streets of Lawrence. Brown was then preparing for the Ossawatomie fight and said to him: "Parsons, I want you to go with me. I want all the men I can get." I had no gun and he borrowed a Sharpe's rifle from Captain Harvey, the same I believe who was afterward the governor of Kansas. I went with Brown to his camp at Middle Creek. On the morning of August 30, 1856, just fifty years ago today (1906) we were camped east of here (Ossawatomie) at Mr.
436
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
Crane's place. While in camp here the news came of the killing of Fred Brown and Garrison, and Brown started right off saying: "Come on, men." Brown and I walked silently for sometime when he said to me: "Were you ever under fire?" Not catching his meaning, I replied: "No," when he said to me, "Take more pains to end life well than to live well."
To read the personal account of this man one must conclude that the fight was almost continuous during the year of 1856. It was in the fall of the next year that the events which follow took place.
In the fall of 1857 John E. Cook came to my cabin four miles west of Lawrence, Kansas, and said that John Brown had sent him for me; that he, Brown, was in Tabor, Iowa, and had sent him back after me. He had a scheme on foot that he knew I would approve, and he wanted me to help make it go. He said that Kagi, Realf, Stevens and Moffatt were there and all wanted Brown to send for me; he also mentioned others whom I did not then know. Brown had given him money to pay my way on the stage to Tabor. I left my claim and went with Cook, not knowing why or for what.
I had been with John Brown in 1856, was intimate with him then. I fought under him August 30, 1856, at Ossawatomie. He knew also that I was with Jim Lane at Franklin, and Sam Walker at the capture of Colonel Titus. I had im- plicit confidence in Brown as a leader. I thought "if the other boys are with him I ought to be." Cook and I arrived at Tabor in due time and found Brown ready to start the next morning.
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