Joshua Short Copland

  General Notes:

OBITUARY

Joshua S. Copland was the son of John and Mary (Sarah) Copland. He was born Novenber 27, 1812, in Sumner County, Tennessee and died on his farm near Yates Landing, Massac County, Illinois. He came with his father to Southern Illinois at an early day. He was first married to Miss Elizabeth Axley, and to them were born nine children. His wife died in 1855. The following year he married Miss Caroline Evers, who survives him. Of this union there were born eight children. Mr. Copland was a pioneer Methodist. He was one of the charter members of the Lower Salem Church where he held his membership at the time of his death, the church being organized over forty years ago. He died in peace. He leaves a widow and ten children.

Unknown Newspaper
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Joshua Copeland had a large general store a mile north of Wilcox landing. The store was huge with double doors and large storeroom in the rear. One night in the middle of April 1862, Joshua Copeland was awakened by three sharp, short blast from a steam boat at the landing. These blast were repeated several times at short intervals. Copeland arose, dressed, hitched his team to the wagon and drove to the landing. When he got there the steamboat was gone. A lone coffin sat on the pier. Copeland loaded it into the wagon and drove back to the store. In the back room he opened the casket. In it lay his own son dressed in Union blue. He had been killed in the battle of Shiloh. This was the first Union soldier from Massac County to be killed in the Civil War. Not many nights later the same drama was repeated at the landing. This time it was the body of Captain Jimmie Williamson, Copeland's old friend and neighbor. He had been killed in the same battle.

Source: Pulaski County, Genealogy Notes Volume I ⁸⁷⁸

  Life Events:

• Religion: Methodist: Lower Salem Methodist Church (Hillerman, Massac, Illinois, USA). ⁸⁷⁸

Joshua married Delphia Caroline Evers, daughter of John Alexander Evers and Cynthia Brookshire, on 26 Jun 1856 in Graves County, Kentucky, USA. (Delphia Caroline Evers was born on 25 Jun 1833 in Graves County, Kentucky, USA, died on 17 Nov 1916 in Massac County, Illinois, USA and was buried on 19 Nov 1916 in Copland Cemetery (Massas County, Illinois, USA) ⁸⁷⁸.)

Joshua next married Elizabeth Axley. (Elizabeth Axley died in 1855 ⁸⁷⁸.)