Monroe County MsArchives Biographies.....Coopwood, Thomas September 11, 1793 - October 8, 1862 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ms/msfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: T. W. Pace twpace@bellsouth.net April 28, 2015, 12:54 pm Source: Monroe County Public Records Author: T. W. Pace Captain Thomas Coopwood In Mississippi (1836-1862) Historical Significance Thomas Coopwood was born on September 11, 1793, in Albemarle County, Virginia, and died at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, on October 8, 1862. Mr. Coopwood served in the War of 1812 and, after returning from the war, was elected captain of his Tennessee militia company. He was an attorney in Moulton, Lawrence County, Alabama, after 1830, and served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives during the 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, and 1830 legislative sessions. Mr. Coopwood also served as a member of the Alabama Senate for three (3) regular sessions - 1831, 1832, and 1833 - and one (1) special session in 1835. Captain Coopwood was one (1) of seven (7) Presidential and Vice-Presidential Electors from Alabama in the 1832 election. When the Electoral College met on December 5, 1832, Mr. Coopwood and the other Alabama Electors voted for Andrew Jackson for President and Martin Van Buren for Vice-President. In 1836 Mr. Coopwood and family moved to Aberdeen, Mississippi, where he opened a law office and continued to be a large land speculator in the Chickasaw and Choctaw Cession lands. Historians referred to Thomas Coopwood as a “major land speculator” in the Chickasaw and Choctaw Cession lands. He was the Whig candidate for Governor of Mississippi in 1845 when the repudiation of the Mississippi Union Bank bonds and the Planters Bank bonds was still a major political issue. Captain Coopwood’s First House and Plantation in Monroe County Mr. Thomas Coopwood purchased Section 33, Township 14, Range 7 East from a Chickasaw Indian named “Tuk Ah-No-Tubby” on May 2, 1836. The consideration for this conveyance was $1,000 (Deed Book 4, Page 244). Mr. Coopwood also purchased Sections 20, 29, and 32 and Part of Section 34. A partial list of other instruments regarding Sections 20, 29, 32, 33, and 34 is attached hereto as Attachment Number 1. Mr. Coopwood constructed the brick portion of the present home, located in the Northeast Quarter of Section 33, Township 14, Range 7 East and is currently known as "Sunset Manor." (All deeds and other instruments referred to in this paper are recorded in the Office of the Monroe County Chancery Clerk, 201 West Commerce Street, Aberdeen, Mississippi 39730.) In 1847 Mr. Thomas Coopwood and wife, Mrs. Minerva Coopwood, sold the residence and approximately 600 acres of land in Sections 33 and 34, which are currently located on both the East and West sides of Thayer Avenue, to Charles Gates by deed dated April 16, 1847. The consideration for this conveyance was $9,000 (Deed Book 12, Page 449). Page 1 Mr. Charles Gates and wife, Mrs. Rose Gates, sold the residence and approximately 600 acres of land in Sections 33 and 34 to William H. Clopton by deed dated December 3, 1852. The consideration for this conveyance was $12,000.00 (Deed Book 16, Page 303). The Thomas Coopwood house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 9, 2004. The Nomination Form states that the year 1852 “is generally believed to be the date of construction” of the Greek Revival or frame front portion of Sunset Manor. Since the deed from Gates to Clopton is dated December 3, 1852, it is not known with certainty who constructed the front or Greek Revival addition to the Coopwood house. [Coopwood and Clopton were neighbors on North Hickory Street - Block One (1) - New Aberdeen - for several years.] Current Owners of Sunset Manor The current owners of Sunset Manor are Mr. and Mrs. David B. Howell, 205 South Thayer Avenue, Aberdeen, Mississippi. Mr. Howell is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Monroe Howell, who purchased the house in 1929 (Deed Book 97, Page 210). Aberdeen Attorney Mr. Thomas Coopwood was a practicing Aberdeen attorney until about 1850. In 1847 Captain Coopwood was a member of the Goodwin, Coopwood, and Dowd Law Firm. In Livingston's Law Register for 1852, Mr. Coopwood is listed as a retired Aberdeen lawyer in partnership with James L. Herbert in the firm Herbert and Coopwood. Benjamin F. Coopwood, Thomas Coopwood’s son, is also listed as an active Aberdeen attorney in 1852. Whig Candidate For Governor in 1845 and Shareholder in the Mississippi Union Bank In 1839 Mr. Coopwood purchased 865 shares of stock in the Mississippi Union Bank. To finance or secure the payment of the debt to purchase these shares, Mr. and Mrs. Coopwood executed a Deed of Trust encumbering their residence and Sections 20, 29, 32, and 33 Township 14, Range 7, East said to contain 2,560 acres of land. Mr. Coopwood also pledged approximately 21 slaves to secure this debt. This Deed of Trust is dated May 11, 1839 (Deed Book 7, Page 519). On February 15, 1838, the Mississippi Legislature authorized the governor to purchase, on behalf of the State of Mississippi, 50,000 shares of the stock of the Mississippi Union Bank, also known as the Union Bank. The State of Mississippi issued $5,000,000 in bonds and delivered the bonds to the bank. The bank sold the bonds, as being backed by the Full Faith and Credit of the State of Mississippi, and the proceeds of the bond sales were received by the bank to lend to borrowers. In 1840 Mississippi Governor Alexander G. McNutt issued a proclamation that the State of Mississippi would not pay the principal and interest on the Mississippi Union Bank bonds. Pursuant to the Legislative Act passed on February 21, 1840, Governor McNutt declared the charter of the Mississippi Union Bank forfeited because the bank was insolvent. On February 18, 1842 the Mississippi Legislature passed an act repudiating the Mississippi Union Bank bonds. Page 2 All of the Whigs, including Mr. Coopwood (and some Democrats), favored the payment of the Mississippi Union Bank bonds and the Planters Bank bonds; however, most of the Democrats favored the repudiation of these bonds. Shares of stock in the Mississippi Union Bank became worthless because the value of the collateral for the bank’s loans dramatically decreased during the depression caused by the Panic of 1837. The details of the complicated legal and political dispute regarding the repudiation of these bonds are outside the scope of this paper. The repudiation of the bonds was the primary issue in the following elections for governor: 1841 Election Tilghman M. Tucker - Democrat - 19,059 David O. Shattuck - Whig - 16,773 Governor Tucker, a native of Monroe County, favored the payment of the Planters Bank bonds but not the payment of the Mississippi Union Bank bonds. 1843 Election Albert G. Brown - Democrat - 21,035 George R. Clayton- Whig - 17,332 Thomas H. Williams- Independent Democrat - 1,343 Mr. Williams favored the payment of the bonds. Mr. Coopwood did not receive the Whig Party nomination for governor until October 10, 1845, before the November election. Mr. Coopwood did not formally accept the nomination, nor did he campaign for the office. The results of the 1845 election were as follows: Gov. Albert G. Brown - Democratic Party - 28,310 votes Thomas Coopwood - Whig Party - 12,852 votes Isaac N. Davis - Independent Democrat - 1,633 votes The issue of the repudiation of the Mississippi Union Bank and Planters Bank bonds lasted well beyond the 1845 election for governor and was not finally resolved until a decision of the United States Supreme Court on May 31, 1934 (Principality of Monaco v. State of Mississippi; 272 U.S. 313). Member of the Mississippi Legislature In the early 1850's, Captain Coopwood opposed secession, and the Union Democrats and Whigs formed the Union Party. Mr. Coopwood was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives as a Union Party member and served from 1852 until 1854. Mr. Coopwood stated that he was a candidate for the legislative seat to promote the building of the New Orleans and Nashville Railroad through Aberdeen. Although the proposed route of this railroad is shown on several Mississippi maps, it was never built. Residential Property in Downtown Aberdeen, Mississippi (1838-1853) Thomas Coopwood undoubtedly constructed the brick portion of the house now known as Sunset Manor in 1836, the oldest building used as a private residence in Monroe County. Mr. Coopwood owned the brick portion of Sunset Manor until he sold the residence and the surrounding 600 acre plantation to Charles Gates on April 16, 1847. By deed dated August 30, 1838, Charles W. Walton, as Trustee of the New Aberdeen Land Company, conveyed to Mr. Coopwood several lots in Block One (1) of New Aberdeen for the sum of $5,515.00. This property is located on North Hickory Street near where College Street ended. Due to years of litigation involving the Trustees of the New Aberdeen Land Company, this conveyance was not confirmed until James M. Minnis, Attorney and Agent of the surviving Proprietors and Trustees of the Town of New Aberdeen, executed the confirmation deed on November 7, 1851 and this deed was filed for record on November 8, 1851 (Deed Book 15, Page 413). Captain Coopwood purchased additional lots in Block One (1) New Aberdeen from Charles W. Walton, Trustee of the New Aberdeen Land Company, for the sum of $3,295.00 by deed dated May 8, 1846 (Deed Book 12, on Page 74). Block One (1) New Aberdeen is bounded by North Hickory Street on the west, West Commerce Street on the south, North Meridian Street on the east, and Marshall Street (then called Rail Road Street) on the north. Captain Coopwood sold this property to Reverend Addison Lea by Warranty Deed dated April 9,1853 for the consideration of $5,000 (Deed Book 16, Page 482). Reverend Lea built the Monroe Female Institute on this property. It is likely that Mr. Coopwood resided in a house he owned in downtown Aberdeen between 1838 and 1853. By Deed of Trust dated February 25, 1850, Mr. Coopwood borrowed the sum of $1,000 from the banking firm of Cunningham, Moye, and Adams (Deed Book 14, Page 262). To secure this indebtedness, the creditor obtained a Deed of Trust on land owned by Captain Coopwood in Block One (1) of New Aberdeen. This land is described as being between three and four acres and "including the residence of said party of the First Part." Therefore, in 1850 the Deed of Trust stated that Captain Coopwood lived in a house in Block One (1) New Aberdeen. Many people who owned plantations also owned “town houses” in Aberdeen due to business, professional, and educational advantages. A partial list of other instruments regarding Block One (1) New Aberdeen is on Attachment Number 2. Captain Coopwood’s Plantation on Central Grove Road At the time of his death in 1862, Thomas Coopwood owned a productive plantation of approximately 1,000 acres that stretched from the current Central Grove Baptist Church to the Town Creek bottom on a road that was originally known as the Cotton Gin Port-Pontotoc Road. However, it was known as the Cotton Gin Port-Camargo Road when Captain Coopwood owned the plantation. Although much of this land is heavily eroded now, it was productive in the 1850's when Captain Coopwood purchased the farms of R.L. Orne, Richard S. Jones (deceased), Thomas Merrett, Felix Battle, and Edward Merrett. (I have not located the deed from Orne to Coopwood.) Thomas Coopwood’s plantation was located in Sections 7, 18, 19, and 30,Township 12, Range 7 East, Monroe County, Mississippi. It appears that Captain Coopwood partiallyfinanced the purchase of these farms by executing a Deed of Trust in favor of Gates, Redus, and Company of Mobile, Alabama. This Deed of Trust is dated July 22, 1854, and was cancelled of record in April 1857 (Deed Book 18, Page 342). On May 4, 1860, Captain Coopwood executed a Deed of Trust to secure a debt due Tarleton, Whiting and Company of Mobile, Alabama (Deed Book 21, Page 374). Thomas Coopwood pledged his plantation and the following slaves to secure the debt due Tarleton, Whiting, and Company: (1) Dick aged about 30 years; (2) John about 16 years; (3) Theodore about 14 years; (4) Scott about 13 years; (5) Betty about 40 years; (6) Jennie about 33 years; (7) Easter about 33 years; (8) Huldah about 23 years; (9) Mariah about 22 years; (10) Lou about 19 years and her child Milly about 4 years; (11) Martha Ann about 14 years; (12) Jim about 13 years; and (13) George about 20 years. After the debt became delinquent, these slaves were sold by the creditor as indicated by the document filed by Lock E. Houston, Attorney at Law, on October 30, 1863 in the Thomas Coopwood estate administration. Captain Coopwood borrowed money from Tarleton, Whiting, and Company two (2) prior times (1858 and 1859) and paid these loans in full. The debt owed Tarleton, Whiting, and Company was approximately $20,000 in 1860. After Captain Coopwood’s death, the debt became delinquent and the trustee, Amzi Babbitt, sold the Coopwood plantation on July 16, 1866 at a foreclosure sale. The beneficiary, or creditor, George W. Tarleton, purchased the plantation at the foreclosure sale for the sum of $5,000 (Deed Book 23, Page 543). By Quitclaim Deed dated January 11, 1872, George W. Tarleton and wife, Margaret Tarleton, conveyed the plantation to “D. Clarke” for the sum of $500.00 (Deed Book 31, Page 130). A partial list of other instruments regarding the Central Grove Road Plantation is on Attachment Number 3. Other Monroe County Lands 1. By deed dated January 25, 1843, Thomas Coopwood purchased the Northeast Quarter of Section 11, Township 14, Range 6 East (160.2 acres) from the Trustees of the American Land Company. The consideration for this conveyance was the sum of $648.80 (Deed Book 10, Page 153). By deed dated April 15, 1847, Captain Coopwood and Minerva Coopwood sold this property to Mary L. Armstead for her natural life with the remainder to her children then living. The consideration for this conveyance was the sum of $790.00 (Deed Book 12, Page 564). This tract of land is on both the White Rock Road (formerly known as the Aberdeen-Okolona Road) and the Aberdeen-Egypt Road. 2. By deed dated May 30, 1836, Un-Ta-Ah-Tubby sold Section 14, Township 15, Range 6 East to Captain Coopwood for the sum of $1,100.00 (Deed Book 4, Page 243). Mr. Coopwood sold this section of land to Henry W. Rhodes for the sum of $1,400.00 by deed dated August 25, 1837 (Deed Book 5, Page 318). Mr. Coopwood’s signature was acknowledged by the Clerk of the County Court of Lawrence County, Alabama, on August 25, 1837, and this deed was recorded in Monroe County on October 7, 1837. 3. By deed dated April 20, 1848, the Trustees of the Boston and Mississippi Cotton Land Company of Boston, Massachusetts conveyed the South Half of Section 17, Township 14, Range 6 East to Thomas Coopwood for the consideration of $2,465.00 (Deed Book 17, Page 460). Mr. Coopwood sold this land to Richard Harrison and B. W. Earle to hold in trust for the heirs at law of the late Daniel W. Ragsdale (Deed Book 17, Page 519). This deed is dated October 10, 1854 and the consideration for this conveyance was $6,400.00. Other Property Owned by Captain Coopwood in Aberdeen, Mississippi Between 1836 and 1862 Thomas Coopwood purchased and sold many tracts of land in Aberdeen. I have not researched these transactions except for Block One (1), New Aberdeen. At the time of his death in 1862 Mr. Coopwood owned the following described property in the Town of Aberdeen: (1) Lot 18, Block 2, Old Aberdeen Deed Book 30 at Page 257 (1870 - property still assessed to Thos. Coopwood Estate) (2) Lot 649, Block 42, Old Aberdeen Deed Book 12, Page 570 and Deed Book 27, at Page 49 (3) Lots 857, 858, 859, 860, 861, and Deed Book 30, at Page 257 (1870 - property 862, Block 99, Old Aberdeen still assessed to Thos. Coopwood estate) War Between the States Thomas Coopwood was the Captain of Company L of the 24th Mississippi Infantry Regiment (CSA). Captain Coopwood organized and equipped this company at his own expense. On October 8, 1862, Captain Coopwood died at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, at 69 years of age. Thomas Coopwood is listed as a Confederate officer on the Confederate monument (1900) in the Old Aberdeen Cemetery in Aberdeen, Mississippi. He is also listed as a Confederate officer on the Confederate monument (1909) in the Frisco Park in Amory, Mississippi. Thomas Coopwood - Land Speculator 1. The Boston and New York Chickasaw Land Company This company, hereinafter referred to as the Chickasaw Company, was the second largest association of traders to buy directly from the Indians. In May 1834, the 1832 Treaty of Pontotoc Creek was amended to give allotments of one section of land to single adults and half sections to orphans along with other changes. Members of this company were David Hubbard, Dr. John L. Tindall, Sr., Thomas Coopwood, James Davis, John Cella McLemore, Speerman Holland, John Gayle, Benjamin F. Gray, William Gray, and William Davis. Thomas Coopwood, referred to by one (1) historian as “an established merchant and trader,” was the company’s chief contact with the Chickasaw Indians. Following ratification of the amended 1834 treaty, the company began contracting with Indians in the Chickasaw Cession to purchase their allotments. The primary purpose of the Chickasaw Company was to acquire land in the Chickasaw Cession attractive to farmers and planters. The chief financial backer and treasurer of the company was Dr. John L. Tindall, Sr., President of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama branch of the Bank of Alabama who later became a resident of Aberdeen. The exact number of allotments obtained and sold by the Chickasaw Company cannot be determined by surviving records. The opening of the Chickasaw Cession in 1834 accelerated the pace of investment of eastern capital in the cotton lands of the Gulf Plains states. The rapid rise in cotton prices from 8.4 cents per pound in 1830 to 36 cents per pound in New Orleans in 1836, coupled with the opening of the cotton lands, encouraged investment. The New York and Mississippi Land Company, hereinafter referred to as the New York Company, invested in the Chickasaw Company, and a contract was executed regarding the purchase of the sections of land and the division of the profits between the two (2) companies. John Bolton of the New York Company also approved a contract with Thomas Coopwood, an independent trader and a member of the Chickasaw Company. The New York Company agreed to purchase 50 sections of land - 20 sections at $1,000 each; 10 sections at $800 each; 10 sections at $600 each; and 10 sections at prices ranging between $300 and $600 each. Coopwood was to receive a 25% profit above the amounts he paid directly to the Indians and this contract allowed the New York Company to purchase only the sections of land it approved. Between June 10, 1836 and September 15, 1836, the two (2) land companies divided the lands previously purchased by drawing pieces of paper with section numbers written on them out of a box. At the completion of the drawing, the New York Company obtained 261 ½ sections in fulfillment of the $300,000 contract with the Chickasaw Company. Each section of land contained approximately 640 acres. An additional 52 sections were acquired through contracts with Dr. John L. Tindall, Sr., Speerman Holland, Thomas Coopwood, and John C. McLemore. Purchases from independent traders like William H. Duke, Samuel Ragsdale and others gave the New York Company 206,787 acres of Indian allotments. After the division between the two (2) companies was completed, the members of the Chickasaw Company divided the lands allotted to them. 2. The Pontotoc and Holly Springs Land Company Mr. Coopwood was a partner in the Pontotoc and Holly Springs Land Company, which was formed on November 19, 1836 to purchase land in the Chickasaw Cession. Other partners were James Davis, William H. Duke, Alexander C. McEwen, William Y. Goodall, Jesse B. Clements, Benjamin Clements, William McEwen, and John W. Lane. One (1) or more of these partners may have jointly owned a share in the company. Captain Coopwood's company purchased seventy-seven and one-fourth (77 1/4) sections of land from the New York and Mississippi Land Company, hereinafter referred to as the New York Company, on November 19, 1836, for the sum of $2,240 per section. The total purchase price was $170,040 of which $57,680 was paid in cash at the time of the purchase. The balance of the purchase price was evidenced by several Promissory Notes. According to some historians, the "panic" occurred in May 1837 when President Andrew Jackson stopped the rampant land speculation by issuing the Specie Circular Executive Order on July 11, 1836. The Order required that all future land purchases from the United States Government must be paid for in specie - gold or silver. The value of each section of land decreased dramatically after that. The last sales by the Pontotoc and Holly Springs Land Company took place in February 1840, and these sections of land sold for an average of $685.97. The Panic of 1837 led to the United States depression which lasted until about 1844. However, the decline in the value of the Chickasaw Cession lands lasted well beyond 1844. The chaotic economic, political, and social conditions arising from the Panic of 1837 ended the era of “Flush Times” in Mississippi and Alabama. The Pontotoc and Holly Springs Land Company reconveyed thirty five (35) unsold sections of land to the New York Company on February 19, 1842, and received a credit against the original debt of $1,500.00 per section. Captain Thomas Coopwood and William H. Duke, the only solvent partners of the Pontotoc and Holly Springs Land Company, executed Promissory Notes in favor of the New York Company in the sum of $16,230.64 to evidence the remaining debt due the New York Company. Coopwood later asserted that the parties had entered into a contract whereby the New York Company would apply the proceeds of future sales of these sections of land to the debt of Coopwood and Duke. Captain Coopwood filed a lawsuit against Richard Bolton of Pontotoc as the agent of the New York Company and other officers of the company. Coopwood asserted that Bolton had not properly applied the funds received from the sale of the thirty five (35) sections of land to the debt evidenced by the Promissory Notes in February, 1842. Therefore, Coopwood asserted that he and Duke were owed by the New York Company the sum of $67,132.73 plus interest. Bolton and the New York Company argued that the execution of the Promissory Notes by Coopwood and Duke in February, 1842 was the sole consideration for the acceptance of the reconveyance of the unsold sections of land in 1842. They also asserted that Bolton and the New York Company had no obligation to apply the funds received from the subsequent sale of these lands to the debts of Coopwood and Duke or the Pontotoc and Holly Springs Land Company. The financial details of the contract and agreement between the New York Company and Coopwood and Duke is set out in detail in the case of THOMAS COOPWOOD V. RICHARD BOLTON, ET UX which was decided in favor of Bolton and the New York Company by the Mississippi Court of Errors and Appeals (Volume 26 - Page 212 - December Special Term - 1853). 3. Ripley and Tippah County, Mississippi Mr. Jack D. Elliott, Jr. published a paper entitled INDEX TO LOTS IN THE ORIGINALSURVEY OF RIPLEY, TIPPAH COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI in November, 2013. According to Mr. Elliott, a distinguished author and historian, on February 9, 1836, the Mississippi Legislature created the Chickasaw Cession counties including Tippah County. By deed dated June 13, 1838, Thomas Coopwood conveyed 34.5 acres to the Board of Police to become part of the 79.59 acre tract needed for a county seat (Deed Book B, Pages 150-151). Mr. Elliott noted the gap between September 5, 1836, when the first lots were sold, and June 13, 1838. He asserted that the Tippah County Board of Police probably took “title bonds,” which were rarely recorded, from the sellers or grantors to insure that they would later convey the land to the Board of Police. Mr. Coopwood owned other adjacent lands that he did not convey to the Tippah County Board of Police. These lands include the “Coopwood Addition” of the Town of Ripley, now Blocks 51-93. These blocks are generally located to the north and west of the county survey of the 79.59 acre site for the county seat of Tippah County. Mr. Elliott wrote that the “Coopwood Addition” was surveyed about the same time as the county survey (Summer of 1836) or shortly thereafter. 4. United States Land Patents Obtained by Thomas Coopwood Thomas Coopwood purchased many tracts of land from the United States Government (or as the assignee of the purchaser) when the Chickasaw Cession and Choctaw Cession lands were sold. According to the United States Bureau of Land Management, between July 28, 1838 and April 2, 1860, Thomas Coopwood, either individually or with one (1) or more partners, was awarded four hundred sixty eight (468) land patents in twenty-three (23) Mississippi counties. These lands were acquired by the United States Government as a result of treaties with both the Choctaw Nation of Indians and the Chickasaw Nation of Indians. The Treaty of Pontotoc Creek (Chickasaw Indians) was signed on October 20, 1832, and amended in May 1834. The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (Choctaw Indians) was signed on September 27, 1830. These land patents conveyed land located in the following Mississippi counties: Attala, Lafayette, Kemper, Noxubee, Yalabousha, Panola, Calhoun, Winston, Marshall, Lauderdale, Grenada, DeSoto, Tippah, Tate, Lee, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Neshoba, Benton, Holmes, Carroll, Chickasaw, and Clay. 5. Louisiana Lands Mr. Coopwood’s unprobated Last Will and Testament dated April 30, 1861, states that he owned about 1706 acres in Louisiana with Samuel C. McClendon. His will also states that Captain Coopwood owned about 44,000 acres of land in Louisiana with Governor John A. Winston, Joel W. Jones, H.A. Ellison, and W. T. Moore. The following case may provide some information about Thomas Coopwood’s land speculation in Louisiana: GEE, ET AL VS. CLARK, JR. Reports of cases argued by the Supreme Court of Louisiana - Volume 42 - (1891 - Page 919) Opelousas, July, 1890 This case states that the tract of land involved in the lawsuit was assessed to and title recorded in the name of Thomas Coopwood in 1875. The decision states that Mr. Coopwood and Governor John A. Winston and others purchased the “overflow lands” for “12 ½ cents per acre” and Mr. Coopwood, individually and as agent for the other purchasers, obtained land patents from the United States Government. The particular tract of land in dispute in the Gee, et al vs. Clark, Jr. case was located in Vermillion Parish, Louisiana. According to the United State Bureau of Land Management Thomas Coopwood, either individually or with one (1) or more partners, was awarded two hundred forty nine (249) land patents in the State of Louisiana. However, none of the partners in the U.S. Land Patents are Governor John A. Winston or the other people listed in Captain Coopwood’s unprobated Will dated April 30, 1861. These land patents were issued for land in the following parishes: Acadia, Evangeline, St. Landry, Vermillion, and LaFayette. Nearly all of the land patents were issued on October 10, 1860, and November 1, 1860. Two (2) land patents were not issued until September 13, 1961. Administration of Estate Thomas Coopwood’s estate was administered in the Monroe County Probate Court (Case #1162) and W. C. Coopwood was issued Letters of Administration by order dated April 6, 1863. The Heirs at Law of Captain Coopwood in 1862 1. William Carroll Coopwood - 1821-1900 - is buried in Devine, Texas; 2. Elfrida Coopwood Clarke (also known as Alfrida Clarke in some of the estate documents) - born 1824 - died September 17, 1873, in Mobile, Alabama, and is buried in Aberdeen, Mississippi; 3. Thomas Benton Coopwood - September 11, 1829-October 3, 1879 - is buried in Lockhart, Texas; 4. John Coopwood - 1843-1873 - is buried near Sherman, Texas; and, 5. Carrie Coopwood Calvert, also known as Caroline Coopwood Calvert, (granddaughter of Captain Coopwood and daughter of Benjamin F. Coopwood, Captain Coopwood’s son who predeceased him) - April, 1840-1902 - is buried in West Point, Mississippi. Names Used by Thomas Coopwood 1836-1862 In all the deeds and estate documents that I examined Captain Coopwood is referred to as T. Coopwood, Thos. Coopwood, or Thomas Coopwood. I found no document in which he was referred to as Thomas B. Coopwood or Thomas Benton Coopwood. Captain Coopwood's Last Will and Testament Thomas Coopwood left a Last Will and Testament dated April 30, 1861, and a copy of this Will was presented to me by Thomas Benton Coopwood, M.D., of Austin, Texas. Dr. Coopwood is a great-great grandson of Captain Thomas Coopwood. It is not known why this Will was not probated in the Monroe County Probate Court following Captain Coopwood's death on October 8, 1862. Captain Coopwood's Will was attested or witnessed by Saml. Moore, Wm. H. Randle, and C. Sykes. Mr. Coopwood, Mr. Sykes, and Mr. Randle were killed in the War Between the States (1861-1865). A typed translation of the Last Will and Testament dated April 30, 1861, is Attachment Number 4. Southern Commercial Convention Mr. Coopwood was a delegate to the Southern Commercial Convention held in Montgomery, Alabama, beginning on May 10, 1858, along with Dr. John L. Tindall, Sr., of Aberdeen. Captain Coopwood made a motion that Honorable R. B. Rhett of South Carolina, who attended the convention, be called to address the convention, but he declined to do so. Mr. Coopwood was nominated for Vice President of the convention; however, he was not elected. An article regarding the Southern Commercial Convention can be found in the magazine DUBOW’S REVIEW - Volume 24 - Page 575. There were seven (7) delegates from Mississippi. The original purpose of the convention, founded about ten (10) years before, was to restore the South’s export and import trade which had been declining relative to that of the North. Slaves Owned By Captain Coopwood To help family researchers and genealogists, the slaves owned by Thomas Coopwood, according to the estate inventory, are listed on Attachment Number 5. Slaves Sold By Captain Coopwood’s Agent, Thomas Benton Coopwood As an additional help to family researchers and genealogists, the slaves Thomas Coopwood sold between December 7, 1861, and the date of his death, October 8, 1862, are listed on Attachment Number 6. These slaves were not listed in the inventory of Thomas Coopwood’s estate filed in the Monroe County Probate Court. Conclusion Captain Coopwood - who survived two (2) great financial disasters in Mississippi, the collapse of the Mississippi Union Bank and the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indian land boom collapse following the Panic of 1837 - was a wealthy and admired citizen of Monroe County when he died a Confederate hero on October 8, 1862, at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky. T. W. Pace Copyright - 2014 - T. W. Pace Attorney at Law P.O. Box 23 Amory, MS 38821 RE: Thomas Coopwood Estate Case #1162 Monroe County Probate Court 1. W. C. Coopwood executed a Petition in the Monroe County Probate Court on April 6, 1863 stating that his father, Thomas Coopwood, died with no Will and that he was wounded at Perryville, Kentucky, and died there of his wounds. 2. W C. Coopwood executed a second Petition on April 6, 1863, praying that an Order be entered allowing him to plant a crop for 1863. 3. Letters of Administration were issued by Probate Judge Thomas H. Davis to Wm. C. Coopwood on April 6, 1863. 4. Wm. C. Coopwood posted a bond in the sum of $40,000 on April 6, 1863. David Clarke and W. B. Hogan were also obligated under the bond. 5. On April 6, 1863, Judge Davis appointed Wm. L. Marshall, S.N. Morrow, James Lusby, James White, and David Strong to prepare an inventory and appraisal of the personal property belonging to the estate. 6. On September 18, 1863, and September 19, 1863, the appraisers signed their affidavit regarding the appraisal. The appraisement was filed with the Clerk on October 6, 1863 and approved by the Probate Judge on October 8, 1863. 7. In a pleading filed on January 5, 1864, David Clarke stated that he was the agent of W. C. Coopwood. Mr. Clarke’s signature was acknowledged by G. W. Coopwood, the Mayor of Aberdeen and Thomas Coopwood’s brother. This Petition requested that W. C. Coopwood be allowed to rent the plantation and hire out the Negroes. 8. Next in the file is an “Inventory of the Personal Property of the Estate.” The fine carriage was valued at $900.00; and Mr. Coopwood had pigs, cattle, and sheep on his plantation. The mules, essential for farming, carried a high value. 101 slaves, named and valued, were listed in the “inventory,” making Mr. Coopwood a very substantial Monroe County slave owner. However, three (3) pages of the twelve (12) page inventory are missing and are not in the estate file. Therefore, Mr. Coopwood may have owned more than 101 slaves when he died and more personal property since the total value of the estate, excluding the land, was $157,821.00. 9. Lock E. Houston, an Aberdeen attorney, filed a document on October 30, 1863, indicating that the slaves Thomas Coopwood had pledged as collateral for a loan from Tarleton, Whiting and Co. dated March 4, 1860 had been sold for the sum of $7,292.00. 10. Dr. Armstrong registered a claim for treating some of the slaves in 1863 and February 1864 ($46.50). 11. W. C. Coopwood filed a Petition to rent the plantation and all property for 1865 which was approved by Probate Judge Davis on November 7, 1864. 12. Also, on November 7, 1864, Wm. C. Coopwood prayed for the authority to sell “perishable property” of the estate to pay the real estate taxes. Mr. Coopwood stated that he intended to sell the property for cash but noted that he will receive “Confederate money.” 13. Wm. C. Coopwood filed a “Report of Sale of Personalty” in January 1865, and Judge Davis approved the report on February 8, 1865. The sale raised the sum of $3,514.00 with no slaves being sold. David Clarke, Thomas Coopwood’s son-in-law, purchased many items at the sale which was held on December 23, 1864. 14. A Petition filed with the Clerk on November 7, 1865, prayed that the Administrator be allowed to rent out the farm permanently. This Petition states that the Administrator of the estate “has no means of cultivating the same (i.e. plantation) for the upcoming year 1866.” 15. The Second Account was filed on May 19, 1866, and states that some funds were received from hiring out slaves and from the sale of personal property. Mr. Coopwood noted that he had paid the Confederate, State, and County taxes in Confederate money. 16. There is an undated Petition filed during the May 1866 term of the Probate Court which stated that the estate was insolvent. W. C. Coopwood described the lands owned by Thomas Coopwood as follows: “That said lands are encumbered by a Deed of Trust to Tarleton, Whiting and Co. of Mobile, Ala. to secure the payment of a debt of about $20,000.00.” Mr. Coopwood stated that the Coopwood Plantation is thought to be worth an amount not exceeding $10,000. 17. C. W. Walton, the Clerk of the Probate Court, filed a list of probated or registered claims against the estate by document dated May 8, 1866, with the probated claims totaling $39,287.03. 18. In the April 1868 term of the Probate Court, W. C. Coopwood filed a petition and prayed that he be permitted to surrender his Letters of Administration. The Administrator stated that the estate was “wholly insolvent,” and he requested that notice to be given to the following heirs and distributees: 1. Thomas B. Coopwood, State of Mississippi; 2. John Coopwood, State of Texas; 3. Alfrida Clarke, wife of David Clarke, State of Alabama; (Alfrida Clarke's name is spelled Elfrida Clarke in all deeds and in Captain Coopwood’s unprobated Last Will and Testament dated April 30, 1861. However, her name was spelled “Alfrida Clarke” in some of the estate documents and “Elfrida Clarke” in other estate documents.) 4. Carrie Calvert, wife of William Butler Calvert, Chickasaw County, State of Mississippi. Carrie Calvert was the daughter of Benjamin F. Coopwood, Captain Coopwood’s son who predeceased him. (She is also referred to as Rebecca Caroline Coopwood Calvert in other documents.) 19. The citation was served on John Coopwood of Texas and Alfrida Clark (sic) and her husband, David Clark (sic) by publication four (4) times in the “Examiner," a local newspaper. Thomas B. Coopwood was served with a copy of the citation in June 1868. Carrie Calvert and her husband William Butler Calvert were served with a copy of the citation by the Oktibbeha County Sheriff on June 8, 1868. 20. The Administrator filed his Final Account on June 1, 1868. W. C. Coopwood reported that he paid $190 in greenbacks to the Houston and Reynolds Law Firm for an attachment for farm rent for 1866, estate pleadings, and other legal services. The income of the estate was listed as follows: January 1864 - Farm rent for 1863 (in Confederate money) $1,185.00 January 1865 - Sale of personal property (in Confederate money) 3,514.00 January 1865 - Farm rent for 1864 (in Confederate money) 925.00 1865 - Hiring of slaves for 1864 (in Confederate money) 1,160.00 1866 - Farm rent from H. P. Maxwell for 1865 in greenbacks 560.97 1867 - Rent of farm in 1866 from January 1, 1866, until the land was foreclosed in July, 1866, in greenbacks 300.00 The total receipts of the estate were $7,644.97. The Administrator had $6,784.00 in Confederate money now on hand and worthless. The Administrator paid court costs to the Clerk of the Probate Court ($20.75 and $19.75) and publication costs ($17.50). It appears that the Administrator was awarded a fee of $599.88 in greenbacks, and after the payment of all fees, the balance in the estate account was $13.09 in greenbacks or U.S. Currency. Re: Estate of Thomas Coopwood Representative prices received for personal property of the estate sold by the Administrator, William C. Coopwood, on December 23, 1864. 1. Wash stand - $1.00 2. Shot gun - $25.00 3. Bed and bedding - $290.00 4. 2 large skillets - $42.00 5. Log chain - $14.00 6. Cutting Knife - $2.50 7. Blacksmith tools - $210.00 8. Six horse wagon - $275.00 9. Cotton gin - $100.00 10. 1 black cow and calf - $460.00 Re: Estate of Thomas Coopwood Representative values of Personal Property as shown by the "Inventory" of the estate. 1. Loom - $5.00 2. Large kettle - $10.00 3. 200 bales of cotton - $9,000.00 4. 4 goats - $4.00 5. Tom Dalton (slave) - $900.00 6. Bill (blind slave) - $100.00 7. Henry Cummins (slave) - $700.00 8. Old piano - $30.00 9. Lewis White - old man (slave) - $300.00 10. Sarah (slave) - $1,200.00 Thomas Coopwood Estate Reopened (1) The Thomas Coopwood Estate was reopened on the Petition of Mrs. Jane Carroll, Administratrix of the estate of Edward Merrett, Deceased. The Petition filed by the Houston and Reynolds Law Firm avers that Edward Merrett sold lands to Thomas Coopwood for which the purchase money was not paid. The Petition was filed on May 6, 1872. Q. O. Eckford, an Aberdeen lawyer and the County Administrator, was appointed Administrator De Bonis Non on May 7, 1872. Therefore, Mrs. Carroll, as Administratrix of Edward Merrett’s estate, was a “creditor” of the Thomas Coopwood Estate and the estate was reopened in an attempt to locate assets to pay the debt. (2) Q. O. Eckford filed his “Final Accounting” on October 26, 1874 and Mr. Eckford stated that he had located no monies or assets to pay the debt allegedly due the Edward Merrett Estate. (3) On May 4, 1877, Q. O. Eckford filed a Petition that his Final Account be approved and that he be discharged as Administrator De Bonis Non. Mr. Eckford recited that the heirs at law of Mr. Thomas Coopwood in 1877 were A. W. C. Coopwood, Mrs. Carrie Calvert and her husband W. B. Calvert all of Clay County, Mississippi (citation issued July 25, 1877). This citation was served on all three (3) of them on August 15, 1877, by the Clay County, Mississippi Sheriff. B. Thomas B. Coopwood of Yalabousha County, Mississippi (citation issued July 25, 1877). The citation return by the sheriff states: “Not found in this county.” C. Mrs. Anna Mitchell and her husband, R. L. Mitchell, Mobile County,Alabama (no citation found in file). Annie R. Clarke Mitchell was the daughter of David Clarke and Elfrida Clarke of Mobile, Alabama. (Mrs. Clarke died on September 17, 1873.) D. There was no citation or mention of John Coopwood in the file. (John Coopwood died in Texas in 1873.) (4) Chancellor Lafayette Haughton on May 28, 1879 ordered that Q. O. Eckford be discharged as the Administrator De Bonis Non and the estate closed. Note: The deed from Edward Merrett and wife, Jane Merrett (Deed Book 18, Page 341) to Thomas Coopwood, and dated July 22, 1854, states: “For and consideration of the sum of $850.00 to the said Party of the First Part Paid By said Party of the Second Part the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged.” This language in the deed contradicts the allegations of Mrs. Jane Carroll, Administratrix of the Estate of Edward Merrett. Attachment Number 1 (1) A deed from Ish-ho-Yet-Ka (or Ish-to-ho-ka) to Thomas Coopwood is dated April 1, 1836 (Deed Book 5, Page 90). This Chickasaw Indian conveyed Sections 20 and 29, Township 14, Range 7 East for the consideration of $1,600. (2) A deed from In-Ki-Yea (or In-Ky-Yea) to Thomas Coopwood is dated June 7, 1836 (Deed Book 4, Page 242). This Chickasaw Indian conveyed Section 32, Township 14, Range 7 East for the sum of $1,300. (3) The Mississippi Union Bank released Sections 32 and 33, Township 14, Range 7 East from the Deed of Trust recorded in Deed Book 7, on Page 519. This release was acknowledged in Hinds County, Mississippi, on July 2, 1841, and recorded in the Monroe County Land Records on July 22, 1841 (Deed Book 7, Page 801). Captain Coopwood’s plantation home was located in the Northeast Quarter of Section 33. (4) Robert Weir and Sarah Weir conveyed the west half of the Northwest Quarter of Section 34, Township 14, Range 7 East to Thomas Coopwood by deed dated November 17, 1841, and the consideration for this conveyance was the sum of $400.00 ( Deed Book 9, Page 15). (5) Thomas Coopwood and Minerva Coopwood conveyed Section 32 and the Northwest Quarter of Section 33, Township 14, Range 7 East to John Morrow by deed dated February 1, 1843 (Deed Book 10, Page 57), and the consideration for this conveyance was the sum of $9,600.00. (6) David Clarke and Elfrida Clarke conveyed 240 acres in Section 34, Township 14, Range 7 East to Thomas Coopwood by deed dated November 18, 1841 ( Deed Book 9, Page 18). The consideration for this conveyance was the sum of $1,500.00. This land, generally in the west half of Section 34, is a “metes and bounds” description and mentions the “Mark Prewett line” on the east side of the property. (7) Thomas Coopwood and Minerva Coopwood conveyed the west half of the Southwest Quarter of Section 33, Township 14, Range 7 East to John Morrow by deed dated December 7, 1845 (Deed Book 11, Page 554). The consideration for this deed was $1,000.00. (8) Thomas Coopwood and Minerva Coopwood conveyed the north half of the Southeast Quarter of Section 29, Township 14, Range 7 East to Evans Huggins by deed dated January 9, 1850 (Deed Book 14, Page 244). (9) Thomas Coopwood executed a Title Bond dated August 24, 1842, in favor of Stephen Adams (Deed Book 10, Page 48). Thomas Coopwood was liable to Stephen Adams in the penal sum of $5,000 if Coopwood did not convey the land to Adams after he made the -1- following payments on the $2,500 purchase price: $250 in advance; $450 due March 1, 1843; $550 due August 1, 1843; $625 due February 1, 1844; and $625 due August 1, 1844. The land which is the subject of this Title Bond is the north half of Section 29, Township 14, Range 7 East. (Stephen Adams, who served as a United States Senator from Mississippi, was also an Aberdeen attorney and judge.) Note: The names of the members of the Chickasaw Nation of Indians who were Grantors in deeds to Captain Coopwood may not be spelled correctly for various reasons. Attachment Number 2 (1) Francis M. Rogers conveyed Lots 11 and 21 to Thomas Coopwood by deed dated November 8, 1851 (Deed Book 15, Page 414) with consideration for this conveyance being $150.00. (2) Thomas Coopwood and Minerva Coopwood conveyed Lots 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, and 22 and 15 feet off the South side of Lots 8 and 23 to Addison Lea for the consideration of $5,000.00 by deed dated April 9, 1853 ( Deed Book 16, Page 482) with the purchase price paid as follows: $1,000 on November 8, 1851; $1,500 on April 1, 1852; and $2,500 on April 1, 1853. Reverend Addison Lea, a Methodist minister, built the Aberdeen Female Institute on this property. (3) Thomas Coopwood, by Trustee’s Deed dated March 21, 1842, conveyed Lots 17 and 18 to Abner Prewett (Deed Book 9, Page 138). This deed recites that this was the site of the failed Aberdeen and Pontotoc Banking and Railroad Company. The notice of the foreclosure sale was published in the Southern Argus, a newspaper in Columbus, Mississippi, and the consideration for this conveyance was $150.00. (4) Thomas Coopwood and Minerva Coopwood conveyed Lots 4,5, 6, 7, 25, and 26 to Francis A. Myers and Amanda Myers by deed dated April 2, 1844 (Deed Book 11, Page 2). This deed states the consideration as “the love and affection of the parties of the second part (Myers) and for the sum of $10.00.” (5) James Standifer, Monroe County Sheriff, for the consideration of $9.63 taxes owed, conveyed Lots 11, 17, and 21 to Thomas Coopwood by Tax Deed dated June 23, 1845 (Deed Book 12, Page 571). (6) For the consideration of $150.00, Gabriel Ragsdale and wife Frances L. Ragsdale conveyed Lot 13 to Thomas Coopwood by deed dated April 8, 1847 (Deed Book 12, Page 440). (7) Thomas Coopwood and Minerva Coopwood, for the consideration of $350.00, conveyed 36 feet 4 inches off the north side of Lots 8 and 23 to William Clopton by deed dated December 23, 1847 (Deed Book 13, Page 97). Attachment Number 3 (1) Felix L. Battle executed a “Title Bond” to Thomas Coopwood dated December 9, 1851 (Deed Book 15, Page 458). This instrument states that Felix L. Battle owns the Northwest Quarter of Section 18 and all of the Southwest Quarter of Section 7 that lies South of Old Town Creek and all located in Township 12 South, Range 7 East. The instrument is similar to a “Contract To Sell” and states that Coopwood has agreed to purchase the Battle land for the sum of $2,200. However, the bond is penal in nature and states that Battle will owe Coopwood $4,400 if he doesn’t deliver a good and merchantable deed and clear title when Coopwood tenders to Battle a draft drawn on R. Desha and Co. of Mobile. The draft was to be given to Battle on March 20, 1852, and was payable on March 30, 1853. By deed dated June 9, 1854, Coopwood purchased the Battle farm for $2,500.00 (Deed Book 18, Page 341). (2) Thomas Merrett and Sevilla Merrett sold Captain Coopwood 314.74 acres located in Sections 18 and 19, Township 12 South, Range 7 East on April 22, 1854; and the consideration for this conveyance was $5,035.50 (Deed Book 18, Page 340). (3) Edward Merrett and wife, Jane Merrett, sold Captain Coopwood 53 1/3 acres located in Section 19, Township 12 South, Range 7 East on July 27, 1854, for the sum of $850.00 (Deed Book 18, Page 342). (4) W. B. Hogan, Administrator of the estate of Richard S. Jones, Deceased, sold Captain Coopwood land in Section 7, Township 12 South, Range 7 East by deed dated May 4, 1858 (Deed Book 20, Page 319). This land was not included in the land pledged to Tarleton, Whiting, and Co. (5) Clement C. Moore, the Clerk and Commissioner, by Commissioner’s Deed dated May 14, 1856, conveyed the Southwest Quarter of Section 18, Township 12, Range 7 East to Thos. Coopwood. This Commissioner’s Deed resulted from a Judgment against Thos. Coopwood and Ezekial Merrett rendered in the District Chancery Court at Fulton, Mississippi, during the November 1854 Term of the Court. The land was sold at the Monroe County Courthouse on August 11, 1855, and Reuben Davis, B. C. Burnett, and W. F. Dowd were sureties on Mr. Coopwood’s bond that he would pay the $650.00 purchase price. Mr. Coopwood did pay the $650.00 purchase price by May 14, 1856 (Deed Book 18, Page 461). (6) Captain Coopwood borrowed the sum of $2,501.73 from Wyatt Moye and Robert S. Adams with the debt being secured by a Deed of Trust dated December 3, 1856 (Deed Book 18, Page 600). This Deed of Trust also secured a debt due Wyatt Moye in the sum of $1,732.64 with the real property securing the debt being the West Half of Section 18, Township 12, Range 7 East. This Deed of Trust has not been satisfied of record. Attachment Number 4 Last Will and Testament of Thomas Coopwood of Monroe County State of Mississippi Knowing life to be uncertain, and death certain, I, Thomas Coopwood, of the County of Monroe, and State of Mississippi do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament, revoking all others whether verbal or written. First - It is my will and desire that after my death, all of my just debts are to be paid out of my estate and, all for which my friends are bound as security be preferred and first paid except such as are secured to my creditors by trust deed or any other legal lien. Second - I own in Louisiana - with John A. Winston, Joel W. Jones, H. A. Ellison and W. T. Moore about forty-four thousand acres of land - and 1708 12/100 acres jointly with S. C. McPherson of that State upon which I have a small crop growing stock of ________. My plantation here now in cultivation with Negroes, teams, stock of all kinds, out of which my debts are to be paid. Third - I desire that my son John Coopwood now at school, shall have Bobb, John, Louissa, and her children, with _________ Ned and his wife, Martha Ann - and I do hereby bequeath them unto him during his natural life - but if he should die without lawful heirs of his body, then to my sons and daughter or to their heirs forever. Fourth - Having given to my grandson, Wm. L. Clarke, one thousand dollars I do hereby give and bequeath unto each of my grand-children living at the time of my death, the sum of one thousand dollars - all to be paid in Negroes if it can be done - and to return back to my heirs should any of them die without legal issue - or under lawful age. Fifth - It is my will and desire, that all of my property (if any) after the payment of my debts and the legacies herein provided for, shall be equally divided among my heirs Benjamin, Wm. C., T. B., and John Coopwood and Elfrida Clarke if she survives me - otherwise among my four sons or their heirs. Sixth - For the purpose of carrying into effect this my will and desire, I do hereby appoint my sons, William C. and T. B. Coopwood, my executors - without being required by the court to give any bond or security for the faithful performance of their duties under this will - and I do hereby invest them with full and ample power to settle and close my business with such discretion as I myself could exercise if living and to enable them to do so, I hereby invest them with the title to all species of property of which I may die seized and possessed, whether it be real, personal, or misc. as fully as the title may be vested in me when I die - and with full power to sell and convey title to real or personal estate at public or private sale with warranty against my heirs and all other person or persons whomsoever as to make the title to any species of property sold by them as good as if the same had been sold by me to these _____________in my life time. Seventh - It is my wish and desire that my property be kept together on my plantation and employed in planting until my debts are all paid, but this must be governed by the discretion of my executors and direct that all of my real estate be exhausted in the payment of debts if necessary before any Negroes are sold for that purpose. And I hope if Negroes have to be sold they will be bought by my heirs and kept in the family. They have been faithful to me and I desire that they should be well treated. Eighth - I hereby appoint my sons Wm. C. and T. B. Coopwood guardian for my son John - and to continue to hold any property he may acquire from my estate in trust for him until, in their sound discretion, it may be safe to resign the trust and in this matter I request them to act with firmness - and I hereby appoint them trustees for my son Benjamin F. Coopwood during his natural life to hold any property which may fall to him in a division of my estate and at this death the property to go to his heirs if any living, if none, then to my heirs. Ninth - It is my wish, and will, that my debts be paid, and property divided, without litigation or any order from court, but amicably among my heirs themselves - and to insure this object I revoke the division or share of any one of my heirs heretofore made in this will who resorts to litigation, or _________ my estate to cost and expense - and direct my executors to pay such heir one dollar, which sum shall be in lieu of all his rights in my estate - perpetual peace and harmony in family being my object. Having invested my executors with full powers over my estate, real or personal, and conferred upon them power to sell any part thereof for the payment of debts not hereby given to my son John - I now except Scott Abby and Patt - children of Bobb with the Negroes given to John. And - expressed my will and desire in as clear terms as I could in my own hand writing - I resign myself to the order of him in whose hands hang the destiny of men and nations with most solemn prayer that he may prepare me to meet my last and trying moments with firmness and composure. April 30th 1861 T. Coopwood We attest that the said Thomas Coopwood, whose name is signed to the foregoing will, acknowledged that he signed the same freely and voluntarily - that said acknowledgment was made in the joint presence of each of them and that we have signed this in the presence of each other. Saml. Moore Wm. H. Randle C. Sykes Note: Some of the words in Captain Coopwood’s Will are hard to translate or read. When in doubt about a word, I have left a blank. Some punctuation has been added to the Will. Attachment Number 5 1. Miles 2. Bobb 3. Moses 4. Tom Dalton 5. Phin 6. Dennis 7. Bill (Blind) 8. Geo. Davis 9. Burrell 10. John Spraggins 11. Pett 12. Natt 13. Jeff 14. Chester 15. Alleck 16. Jepe 17. Geo Cain 18. Wash 19. Dick Brahen 20. Alfred 21. Ezekiel 22. Henderson 23. Hall (One Eye) 24. Bill Barker 25. Preston 26. Elijah 27. Tom Branch 28. Stefiney (Boy) 29. Bobb 30. Jacob 31. Ephraim 32. Isaac 33. Zackariah 34. Matt Fowler 35. Alphonso 36. Edmond 37. Darby 38. Lewis White 39. Ephraham 40. Gilbert 41. Phil 42. Green 43. Bob 44. Leah 45. Sophia 46. Lucy Ann 47. Sarah 48. Abby 49. Delia 50. Clementine 51. Henry 52. Lewis 53. Sarah Elder 54. Mary Elder 55. Lucy Elder 56. Mariah 57. Matilda Fills Daughtey 58. Matilda 59. William 60. Mariah Davis 61. Mourning 62. Henry Cummings 63. Julia 64. Violet 65. Jane 66. Mariah Hany 67. Phebe 68. Mahaly 69. Lucy 70. Harriett 71. Patsy 72. Martha Ann 73. Milly 74. Frankey 75. Arabella 76. Polly 77. Luny 78. Margarett 79. Harriett 80. Mary 81. Elizabeth 82. Milly (Blind) 83. Joyacy 84. Patience 85. Laura Jane 86. Louisa 87. Elizabeth 88. Fanny Duke 89. Fanny Bob 90. Queeny 91. Angeline 92. David 93. Sandy 94. Henrietta 95. Betsy Green 96. John Rucker, Jr. 97. Minerva 98. Marthella 99. Alsy 100. Susan 101. Charlotte Bella Note: The list of the slaves mentioned in the Thomas Coopwood estate file was compiled by the Genealogical Society of Utah in December 2005, and the names of the slaves were written on the outside of the estate file. Although I have copied the names of the slaves prepared by this organization, I can’t verify the accuracy of this list. However, any interested person may review the inventory of personal property of Captain Coopwood’s estate by visiting the Monroe County Chancery Clerk’s Office (Case No. 1162). Three (3) of the twelve (12) pages of the Inventory of the personal property of the estate are missing and are not in the estate file. Therefore, Captain Coopwood may have owned more slaves than are written on the outside of the estate file. Attachment Number 6 The following instruments relate to the conduct of Thomas Coopwood’s business affairs because of his absence due to Confederate service: A. Captain Coopwood owned more slaves prior to his death than are reflected in the inventory of the personal property of his estate. By indenture dated December 7, 1861 (Deed Book 22, Page 309), Thomas Coopwood, acting by and through W. C. Coopwood and D. Clarke, his attorneys in fact, bargained, sold, and conveyed to Thomas Benton Coopwood slaves and other personal property to be sold to pay specific creditors. Thomas Benton Coopwood was directed to sell individual slaves for the following prices: (1) Ned (about 28 years old) - $1,200 (2) Big Sarah and her three(3) children - $1,800 (3) Alsa (woman - about 40 years old) - $400 (4) Ed (about 45 years old) - $600 (5) Ellen (8 years old) - $350 (6) Lee (deformed boy) - $200 (7) Little Sarah and child - $1,200 (8) Ed (aged 16 years) - $800 (9) Pat (10 years old) - $500 (10) Granville (aged 35 years) - $1,200 (11) Peter (aged 30 years) - $1,150 (12) Jack (12 years of age) - $800 (13) Zack (40 years of age) - $1,000 (14) Allen (aged 21 years) - $900 Thomas Benton Coopwood was also directed to sell the following personal property at the designated prices: (1) 3,500 bushels of corn at 50 cents per bushel for a total of $1,750; (2) 96 head of hogs for $384; (3) 15 mules for $1,650; (4) 11 stock horses for $900; (5) a blind mule and horses for $350; and, (6) 80 bales of cotton at $40 per bale for a total of $3,200. With the funds realized from the sale of said personal property, Thomas Benton Coopwood was directed to pay specific creditors: John Holliday, Wyatt Moye, William B. Weaver, Guardian, Needham Whitfield, Eckford and Weaver for Harrison Johnson, Clarke and Gillespie, David Clarke, I. H. Jarman, and a Mr. Barbee who held a judgment against Captain Coopwood. B. By instrument dated September 21, 1861 (Deed Book 22, Page 284), Thomas Coopwood appointed William C. Coopwood of Chickasaw County and David Clarke of Monroe County as his true and lawful attorneys in fact with full power and authority over all species of property, real, personal, or mixed. This Power of Attorney referred to Captain Coopwood’s property in Mississippi and Louisiana including Negroes, crops, and land. C. To secure the performance of the indenture dated December 7, 1861 (Paragraph A), Thomas B. Coopwood executed a bond in favor of Captain Coopwood dated December 7, 1861 (Deed Book 22, Page 311). This bond recited that Thomas B. Coopwood was directed to sell property worth $20,343.00 and Thomas B. Coopwood was bound unto Thomas Coopwood in the penal sum of $40,668.00 to insure that the provisions of the indenture (Paragraph A) were faithfully carried out. Sources 1) Causey, Donna R. Thomas Benton Coopwood - Biography and Geneology (1793-1862) included in First Families of Lawrence County, Alabama. Volume I. (2014). 2) East, Dennis, II. Land Speculation in the Chickasaw Cession: A Study of the New York and Mississippi Land Company, 1835-1889. Thesis. University of Wisconsin,1964. 3) Elliott, Jack D. Jr. Index to Lots in the Original Survey of Ripley, Tippah County, Mississippi. 2013. 4) Force, Peter. The National Calendar and Annals of the United States. Washington, 1833. 5) Livingston, John. Portraits of Eminent Americans Now Living: With Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Their Lives and Actions. Volume II. New York, 1853. 6) Livingston, John. Livingston’s Law Register For 1852. New York. 7) Olsen, Christopher J. Political Culture and Secession In Mississippi - Masculinity, Honor, and the Antiparty Tradition, 1830-1860. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 8) Records From The United States Bureau of Land Management. 9) Rowland, Dunbar. History of Mississippi - The Heart of the South. Jackson, 1925. 10) Smith, Robert Bruce. Madness and The Mississippi Bonds - A Tale of Old Woodville. 2004. 11) The Land and Estate Records in the Office of the Chancery Clerk of Monroe County, Mississippi. 12) Young, Mary Elizabeth. Redskins, Ruffleshirts, and Rednecks - Indian Allotments in Alabama and Mississippi, 1830-1860. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1961. Contributors 1) Ms. Beth Calvert, West Point, Mississippi 2) Thomas Benton Coopwood, M.D., Austin, Texas 3) Mr. Jack D. Elliott, Jr., West Point, Mississippi 4) Mr. James A. Forbus, Amory, Mississippi 5) Ms. JoAnn Haughton Forbus, Amory, Mississippi 6) The Genealogical Society of Utah 7) Ms. Angie Thompson, Smithville, Mississippi File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ms/monroe/bios/coopwood24gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/msfiles/ File size: 63.3 Kb