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Alexander
Copeland
Biographical Article in
Carolina Spartan |
Wednesday, Feb.19, 1889
ALEXANDER COPELAND
Captain ALEXANDER COPELAND was born Sept. 16, 1831, of plain, God-fearing
parents, in a humble and quiet home on North Pacolet, Spartanburg county, and
continued with them until his 20th year, when he, with some young friends
neighbors- caught the " California Gold Fever " and left for California about
the year 1850, where he attained his majority and spent some years
successfully mining.
Returning to his old home he settled down with his aged parents and beloved as
a farmer until the late, unfortunate war came on when he promptly volunteered
in Company "F", 13th South Carolina Regiment and was elected orderly sergeant
and thus battled for his countrys rights for four long, anxious and
self-sacrificing years. He rose gradually until he became Captain of the
company and so remained until the close of the war. Though often exposed in
several battles, he escaped injury, save a slight wound in one leg. After the
war , he returned again to his old home and resettled this time by marrying
MISS FANNIE, daughter of Capt. SAMUEL JEFFERIES of Union county in 1868, with
whom he lived happily until her death in April, 1874. She left one son,
SAMUEL, who is now nearly grown and promising. May he prove to be worthy of
his excellent father and mother.
In July , 1876, he married the second time to MISS ELLA, youngest daughter of
Hon. SIMPSON BOBO, of precious memory, with whom he lived a useful and active
life, until that life was ended on the 5th of December, 1889, by a sudden and
painful accident. He leaves his widow and two young children, besides SAMUEL
to mourn his tragic death.
Captain COPELAND , physically was no ordinary man. In mental ability, far
above the average. While in his youth he had limited opportunities , yet in
after life he became a very mature, thoughtful, well-rounded man. As a
husband, worthy of imitation, as a neighbor, few surpassed him, as a farmer,
intelligent, very successful, as a Christian, humble and decided from that
April Sabbath, 1875, when he gave his heart to God and afterwards in May his
hand to the writer for the M.E. Church, South.
In October 1883 he had a special warning that this was not his permanent home.
In directing about his gin his arm was caught and badly lacerated, that
amputation was necessary and from that hour he was a well man no more.
He left home on the 3rd of December in his usual health to attend to his
farming interests on Pacolet Rivers and Buck Creek and returning the morning
of the 5th driving a young and spirited horse down one of the long Pacolet
hills, the horse ran and threw him violently from his buggy at the foot of the
hill and was left unconscious and so badly injured that he died that night
between eight and nine o'clock. Thus has passed to his final home one of
nature's noblemen of old friends and neighbors that met together on his burial
day in the New Prospect cemetery.
May his boy, SAMUEL and little ALICE, catch his fallen mantle and wear it
worthy as he did.
His old pastor and friend. JAS. F. SMI |
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