Bill's Stories About Growing Up
in Pistol Ridge, Mississippi
Written and Compiled by Bill Bounds
Stories from Way Back
GUN FIGHT ON RED CREEK (As described by GGrandfather Gillum Bounds)
by Sandy Ladner ‑ Pearl River Historical Group
In the year of 1847 there was very little law and order in this country. The Mississippi Territory was very scarcely populated, so the opportunity to rob and plunder was irresistible. There were a few law officers but people lived so far apart that it made their job almost impossible to do, so people were in the habit of solving their own problems. Charles McGrath and Gale H. Wages were two members of the James Copeland Gang, they were robbers, murderers and just plain no good people. The gang robbed and plundered The Southern States which we know today as Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama. McGrath and Wages were both shot and killed in a gun fight on the East side of Red Creek, about eight miles East of Lumberton, Mississippi, by a man called James A. Harvey. This account of the gun battle was told by Gillum Bounds to Crawford Smith. "Wages and McGrath wanted money from James A. Harvey and said that they would kill him if he did not give it to then. Harvey knocked the bottom board off his house so he could see to shoot out at the outlaws. At dark he lay down and waited for them to come back to his house. When they walked up to his house, Harvey shot and killed both McGrath and Wages from his place on the floor." Harvey buried the two bodies nearby, still today, some old timers might be able to show you just where they were buried.
James Copeland wanted revenge, and so did Wage's mother and father. Wage's parents offered James Copeland $1000 in cash to kill James A. Harvey. James Copeland traveled to Mobile, Alabama to meet with other members of his gang they decided to let James and John Copeland, Jackson Pool and Sam Staughton ambush and murder James A. Harvey.
It was Sunday, July 8, 1848 when Copeland and his men left Mobile and traveled to Harvey's place on Red Creek, near Lumberton, where the gun battle had taken place. It took a week to arrive at the house, it was empty but the fields had been plowed so they knew Harvey was still using the farm. They began to set up the ambush in Harvey's home and waited for him to arrive. Copeland himself tells of how they were well armed. "We prepared ourselves with the best of double‑barrel guns and pistols and bowie knives, with plenty of ammunition and percussion caps of the best quality."
As the day wore on, the men grew hungry, so Staughton went into the field and got some corn, they built a fire in the fireplace and roasted the corn. Big mistake, this is how Harvey knew someone was there, he thought there might be some kind of trouble, so he went and asked his friends to help him investigate.
The next morning about 9:00 a.m. on July 15, 1848, John Copeland saw a group of men coming up to the house with Harvey leading them. The Copeland Gang took cover in the house, but at the first chance they got James, John Copeland and Sam Staughton slipped out the back door and ran for cover while bullets flew by their heads. James Copeland tells of what happened to Jackson Pool. "Pool was standing in the door with his gun at poise.
Harvey ran around the corner of the house on Pool's right and jumped into the gallery; Pool immediately fired his gun, the bullet struck Harvey in the left side. Harvey immediately squared himself and shot the contents of his whole load into Pool's side, and then fell to the floor. Pool stepped into the yard and another man shot him in the breast and he fell dead instantly." Ten days later Harvey died from the gunshot that he had received.
Later that very same day James and John Copeland and Sam Staughton finally got together and spent the night in the nearby woods. They all left the area the next day. James Copeland wanted to recover $30,000 in gold that Wages had buried in Catahoula Swamp in Hancock County near Gainesville, Mississippi but could not do this because the map showing where the gold was buried was lost in the gun battle on Red Creek. The map or the money was never found. James Copeland and his gang continued their many wrong deeds for some years, but James and most of his men were caught and James Copeland was hanged on October 30,1857 at Augusta, Mississippi for the murder of James A. Harvey.
Resources: Lumberton Heritage II, compiled by H. Mason Sistrunk and North Pearl River County, by L.M. Davis
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.wages/266.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx
Grandpa James Henry Bounds built this house around 1900 near the Mill Creek Cemetery.
BLACK CREEK MEN
VERSUS THE COPELAND GANG
(~1847-1857)
by Bill Bounds
There is reason to believe that some of our ancestors, Bounds, Anderson, and Lee, were among the “Black Creek Men”, mentioned in the infamous outlaw James Copeland`s confession to Perry County, MS Sheriff Pitts. James Harvey recruited these black creek men to engage the murderous Copeland gang in the “GUN FIGHT ON RED CREEK”.
It is likely that James Harvey sensed that he was to be murdered by the Copeland gang, due to the fact he (Harvey) had killed two Copeland gang members Wages and McGraft in a previous gunfight. This gunfight occurred near Red Creek about two miles from what later became the Ben and Ida Bounds home place in what became South Forrest County, MS. A marker for their graves was near this location. Someone removed the marker about 1955.
Harvey`s fight (in 1847) with Wages and McGrath was over land (known then as the Allen Brown place) Wages had sold to Harvey that he did not own. Wages claimed that Harvey owed him $40.00. Harvey refused to pay. Harvey knew they would kill him if he did not pay. He knocked some boards off the outside walls of his house for gun ports, lay down on the floor and waited for Wages and McGraft to return. He shot and killed the two murderous thieves as they approached his house.
Harvey asked for help from his neighbors to the north (Black Creek) area. He knew the Copeland Gang would be out for revenge. I believe that our GGrandfather Gillum Bounds, GG Grandfather John Anderson and GGGrandfather Reuben Lee along with his young son Eli “Coot” Lee could have been among these Black Creek men that Harvey recruited to fight against the murderous Copeland gang. This second gun fight, in the same location as the first, resulted in the death of James Harvey and a gang member named Poole. Ten years later Copeland was tried and convicted of murdering James Harvey. This gun fight was described by GGrandfather Gillum Bounds to Crawford Smith. (See story below.)
Why do I believe our Ancestors were probably in this gun fight against the Copeland Gang:
#1 GGrandfather Gillum Bounds provided a description of the gun battle to Crawford Smith; (See story below) GUNFIGHT ON RED CREEK
#2 GGGrandfather John Anderson is on record as a witness in the James Copeland`s murder trial.
#3 Oral history from the Lee family that GGrandfather Eli “Coot” Lee and his father Reuben Lee played a role in eliminating the Copeland gang. This info is from stories heard around the “campfire” during Jay Lee`s fox hunts in south Mississippi. The stories were told by Jay`s hunting group. Millard, Henry and I would join this group after the fox hounds had done their work or after the fox had outsmarted the hounds. No detailed info was given other than that the Lee`s were part of the “Black Creek Men” that fought against James Copeland. These “Black Creek Men” were mentioned by James Copeland in his confession to Perry County Sheriff Pitts. A distant relative named George Lee told Henry a similar story that the Lee`s were part of the demise of the Copeland gang.
#4 The ancestors named above all lived to the immediate north of the of the “gunfight on red creek” near black creek. This would have been a fairly easy horseback ride to the red creek gunfight site.
Note: Our GG Uncle Moses Fillingim was the Prosecuting Attorney in the James Copeland trial held in New Augusta, Perry County, Mississippi in 1855. The murderous James Copeland was convicted, and was hanged from the gallows in New Augusta, Ms in 1857.
Where's Ida?
Civil War Stories
The Civil War brought marauding Union Soldiers into southern Mississippi. These Union Troops for the most part subsisted, off the land, by raiding local farmers of their produce and livestock. Local people hid their livestock in the woods to avoid losing them to the Union Troops.
Grandmother Penny Lee Bounds was about 10 years old at the time. Her daddy , our Great Granddaddy Ely Lee was away fighting as a confederate soldier at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Grandmother Dicey Landrum Lee, Ely`s wife, and her children had their livestock hidden miles away in the woods. A Troop of Union Soldiers came to their home and demanded to know where their livestock was located.. No one would tell them. The soldiers grabbed young Penny and turned her upside down to make her talk. She would not tell them the location of the livestock. The soldiers then tied a rope around her ankles an hung her upside down from a rafter on the porch to make her talk. She still would not tell them where the livestock was hidden.
The discouraged Union Troops continued on their way, leaving young Penny hanging upside down on the porch. Her mother, Dicey, had to cut the rope to get her down. Penny was unhurt.
Ben And Ida Bounds Family Stories
by
Bill Bounds
Grandpa “Barefoot Bill” Anderson built a dam across a small creek near Mount Zion Baptist Church, also called Burnt Bridge Church in Lamar County, MS. He successfully operated a water powered Grist Mill at this site.
Grandpa stocked the mill pond with fish and ask the neighbors not to fish in it for two(2) years. Some neighbors ignored his request and fished it anyway. . When he threatened to have them arrested for trespassing, some of them got mad and came back after dark and attempted to drain his mill pond. Grandpa Bill, once shot someone in the legs with birdshot for stealing corn from his cornfield (for the second time), opted to just sell his home and mill pond and move away rather than do violence to his neighbors to prevent them from trespassing and fishing in his mill pond
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Riley Anderson, Mother Ida`s older brother had fallen in love with sixteen year old Ida Crosby the daughter of a neighbor. They wanted to get married, however, Mississippi law required that she be eighteen years old to get married. Her parents were also against her getting married at that young age. Uncle Riley was desperately looking for a way to marry young Ida. He was talking about eloping with her to Louisiana to get married.
One rainy Saturday, Grandpa Bill told Riley that on this rainy day, he could go get Ida and take her to Louisiana to get married, as her daddy always went to Purvis, MS to get supplies on rainy weather days. Uncle Riley with Grandpa Bill sitting beside him in the buggy eagerly drove the horse and buggy toward the Crosby homestead to try his luck at eloping with his sweetheart Ida Crosby.
When he arrived at the Crosby home he announced to her mother that he had come to get Ida and take her to Louisiana to marry her. Ida was ready and willing to go. Her mother grasped her and begged her not to go. Grandpa waiting in the buggy called to Riley to get Mrs Crosby`s grip off Ida and she would get in the buggy. Riley pried her loose from her Mom`s grip and she willingly climbed into the buggy and rode off with Uncle Riley and Grandpa. The two eager to get married dropped Grandpa Bill off near his house and headed for Louisiana where they got married.
Uncle Riley became a Baptist preacher. He and Aunt Ida had several children and lived a long happy married life.
After telling how Uncle Riley eloped with his sweetheart Ida Crosby to Louisiana to get married Mother would always tell this story.
A man was taking a young girl to Louisiana to marry her because she was too young to get married in Mississippi. He asked her to get out of the buggy and walk as they passed through Columbia , MS. He did this because he knew that telephone lines had just been established between Purvis and Columbia, MS. He was afraid that the authorities in Purvis would notify authorities in Columbia to apprehend him for illegally transporting the young girl to Louisiana to marry her. He figured that if she was unaccompanied at the time he could not be arrested for illegally taking her.
After hearing these two stories told together several times I became a bit curious about who this man was. So I asked Mother; Just who was this man who made his `Bride to Be` walk thru Columbia to avoid his arrest. She grinned sheepishly and replied, ”Riley”.
Recollections by Mother
by Bill Bounds
(1990`s)
Note; The following are things that Mother remembered, at my request, when she was about 93 years of age, about anything significant she could remember from childhood til the present. She wrote part of the following and after interviewing her I wrote the following about each about each subject.
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All the talk about the Sullivan Kilrain fight at Richburg, MS , south of Hattiesburg, MS in 1889, seventeen years before she was born.
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Saddle horse “Molly” turned heels to stall door to avoid being bridled. Molly had a reputation for being smart and contrary at times. No one was at that time allowed to go into the stall to bridle her as this mare was known to kick or bite at any unwary person. Cleo, about thirteen years old at the time, was anxious to get going, astride Molly, to the grist mill with a sack of corn to be ground into cornmeal.
A short time later, Mother sees Cleo leading Molly from the barn all saddled, bridled and calling for the sack of corn to be tied onto the horses saddle so she could head out across red creek to Mr. Weldon Bell`s grist mill. It was never known how Cleo managed to outsmart Molly and safely get the bridle and saddle on her.
After carrying the corn across Red Creek to Mr. Bell`s Gristmill for grinding she and Molly the horse headed home. She took a shortcut home by fording red creek. After crossing red creek she came to a fork in the road, she could not remember which road fork to take home, After sitting on the horse for sometime, trying to figure out which way was home, she realized that smart old horse Molly probably knew the way home. She gave Molly free rein to go as she wanted and sure enough Molly took her straight home.
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I went to(walked to) Wiley Bounds school, which was located about 1.5 miles North of Pa`s place near Burnt Bridge Baptist church, near Black Creek in Lamar County,through the 6th grade. Pa then moved to (Anderson Hill) 2 miles North of Okahola on Old Highway 11. I then walked 2 miles to school at Okahola, through the 10th grade. I got in trouble with Pa once because I stopped to gather Pine mast(seeds) to eat. Pine mast tastes like peanuts.
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A dog jumped into the Kings chair and went to sleep. The King sat on him and the dog pinched the royal bottom.
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King Louis`s diamond ring had been stolen by one of his men. King Louis ordered the men into his chamber and had a tub filled with water and bran brought in. He then had each man plunge his hands into the tub. When the tub was emptied the ring was found.
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The cat shaved his head and told the rats “I am no more a cat”. A mouse said, “but you still have the heart of a cat, and you do not watch and pray, you watch to prey”.
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Once during school a bird flew thru the open window and lit on my teacher, 18 year old Cliff Barefoot`s, shoulder. When I got home I told Pa about this bird`s action. Pa said it was a sign that Mr. Barefoot would be drafted for World War I.. The next school day he told of receiving his military draft notice the same day the bird lit on his shoulder.
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Hickory nuts were a source of food when I was young. Girls would throw pine knots into the hickory trees to knock the nuts down. Boys would climb the hickory trees to get the nuts, one boy, named Roy Carter, fell to his death while gathering hickory nuts.
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When I was seven years old, I picked up an 18 inch long stick, threw it at a full grown bull and it knocked him down to the ground. It was a while before he got up.
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Ma once wore a bustle skirt, stuffed with meal bran to a dance. A boy sticks knife into her bustle skirt, allowing meal bran to squirt out with each dance step.
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Civil war veterans tell of burying the dead after a battle. Some were not dead and were crying out, don`t bury me I`m not dead. All the dead were buried in a shallow grave with a few arms ans legs sticking out of the dirt.
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Sharks will not attack whales, except mother whales with a baby in her pocket. A gang of sharks desire the baby for food.
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Aunt Liz, my Uncle John Anderson`s wife, expecting a baby, goes to the circus. The circus lions roar at her.
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My Granny Nancy Lee Anderson goes to the spring for water at dusk each day while she is pregnant. A large wildcat follows her home each evening, following closer each time. She tells Grandpa Elisha about it. He takes his gun and follows her to the spring. The cat is ready to attack, the cat squalls as he leaps for Granny. Grandpa Elisha shoots the cat dead.
Eli "Coot" Lee is the man with the beard. The young man next to him is his baby boy Joe Lee. Eli "Coot" Lee is a direct ancestor. His oldest daughter was Nancy Penina Lee "Grandma Penney" who married James Henry Bounds. Grandma Penney and Grandpa Henry were the parents of our Grandpa Benjamin Franklin Bounds.The woman and children are Joe Lee's wife and children. (The information in this caption came from Steve Bounds. )
