The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-12-22
of the last Of the Harper's
Ferry insurgents.
ESCAPE AND CAPTURE OF COOK AND
COPPIC.
CuARLEsrowN. VA. Dec. lC

OOIIlS.
CHARLEsTowN, VA, Dec. 1G.
The negroes, Shields Green and John
Copeland, have just paid the forfeit Of
their lives. The crowd in the town is
very great, and the execution was wit
messed by about 1000 persons. AT nine
o'clock this morning the field was occu.
pied by the troops, and at seven minutes
of eleven o'clock the procession made its
appearance. 1t arrived at III o'clock al
the scaffold. The prisoners were in a
wagon accompanied by the Sheriff and
Tailor, they mounted the scaffold with a
firm step, and the prisoners had the cap
placed over their heads by the Sheriff.
After appropriate prayer by Reverend
Mr.. North of the Presbyterian Church,
they were launched into eternity. Be.
fore the rope was cut Green was heard
to offer up a %fervent prayer. Copeland
was not heard to pray.
Green's neck was broken and he died
without a struggle. Copeland writhed in
violent contortions for several minutes.
The prisoners babe farewell to the minis
ters Faugh, North. and Peck, expressing
a hope to meet them in heaven. The
drop fell at eleven minutes after IL.
We have had an exciting time during
the past tw~enty-four hours, which has
just closed with the exec ution of the four
prisoners.
Throughout the day yesterday there
was a great influx of strangers and citi-
zens of the country, who were locking
in to witness the last act of the Harper's
Ferry tragedy. The latter came thus
early experimenting that they might be
detained at the outposts, as was the case
on the day of Browns execution. At
the railroad depot, on the arrival of a
train, the officers were not stringent as
on the occasion of the execution of Brown,
and but little difficulty was experienced
in getting in town.
Shortly after the arrival of the train in
the afternoon, a grand military dress pa
rade of all the companies in attendance
took place. The troops went through
their evolutions with great skill, and
were reviewed by Gen. Taliaferro, who
was on the ground in full dress.
The prisoners were visited yesterday
afternoon by Rev. Messrs. Nassau, Dut-
ton, and North, of the Presbyterian
church. and Rev. Reverb Waugh, of the
Methodist Episcopal church.
The services in the cells were Of an
interesting and solemn character, and
were participated in by all the condemn
ed, though it is now evident from sub
sequent events that Cook and Coppic, at
least, were playing possum, as their
minds must have been fixed on hopes of
life and liberty rather than death and
eternity, at the time they were making
outward protestations of resignation
They all gave an unqualified assent to the
conviction of religious truth, and each
expressed a hope of salvation in the
world to come. Cook and Coppic were
the loudest in their professions of a
change Of heart and in the hope Of Di-
vine forgiveness. They freely admitted
their guilt, and acknowledged their doom
as a just one. and that in the main they
have been treated with the utmost kind
ness by all. They thought that some Of
the witnesses were rather harsh in their
testimony. The ministers imagined that
they had discovered a decidedly favora-
BILE change in the condition of Cooks
mind since his interview with his sisters.
Up to that time his calmness and bravery
were regarded as proceeding from a lack
of feeling, but on leaving him yesterday
afternoon they reported he had been led
to seek forgiveness, in his protestations
of religious conviction and hope of for
g~iveness. all of which was, undoubtedly,
intended to hoodwink their project Of es-
cape.
This was the condition of the town, the
prisoners and the military, up to seven
o'clock last evening. All apprehensions
Of an intended rescue had long since
been banished, and nothing was thought
OF but the approaching execution. So
firmly had this conviction settled in the
public mind that military duty was voted
a bore. and the finale of the tragedy was
regarded as at last approached. At a
quarter past eight last evening the whole
town was thrown into commotion by the
report Of a rifle under the Jail wall follow
ed by several other shots from the vicin-
ity of the guard house, in close proximity
to the Jail. The military was called to
arms, and the excitement was intense
beyond anything that has yet occurred
during our ever memorable era of militia
ry occupation. In a few moments the
streets and avenues of the town were in
possession ofarmed men, and it was with
some difficulty that the cause of all this
tumult could be ascertained. Rumors of
every description were aaoat. and it was
al one time thought that the prisoners
had overpowered their guards and made
their escape and then that an attack
had been made on the Jail by parties at
tempting to rescue the prisoners.
The sentinel stationed near the Jail re-
ported that at a quarter past 8 O'Clock
he observed a man on the Jail wall, whom
he challenged, and receiving no answer
fired at him. The head of another man
was also seen above the wall, but he re-
treated as soon as the first one had been
hred at. The man on top of the wall