Autobiography of Sarah Harriet Earl Coplan 1871-1955
The men plowed a ditch to bring the water to our fort. Well the Mexicans did not obey the men to keep the sheep on the outside line or ditch. One day the men took all the available weapons such as ax, club, knife and ran out to scare the herders off. When they returned my little sister said, "Papa did you kill any Mexicans?" She could not speak plain.
We were doing ok, but winter came and food was scarce. The men killed a lot of venison. I wished never to see another dish of deer meat. The snow was so deep the team could not go to Magdalena for food. But we made our gravies without grease. Then in a few months a man by the name of Porsor (Porson) Williams moved in. He had a ranch at upper Gila. He had lots of corn and we could have it if we could get through, which the men finally did. Bringing back corn and work horses. Then we formed a line, by the way this was my first experience in standing in line. Someone had a small mill to grind chicken feed. This is the way we ground corn for the corn bread. We were happy with it all.
Each man had taken up land, 100 acres each. Later each built a log cabin on it. I remember Papa moved us out on our homestead before we had doors and windows. They put dirt roofs on those cabins and when it rained some places leaked, and what a scramble for a dry place. I remember one night it had rained all day, but we had to mail so Pa rode one of the work horses to get. While he was gone, we were very badly scared. Some large animal rubbed against the quilt we had at the door instead of a door, not much protection at that. Ma sat there with the big old carbine ready to shoot. Don't know if she would have shot but she was on the job.
Some years later we had our horses in the pasture, when one night some Indians came and stole our team and a pair of race mare's from my Uncle George Earl. They left a couple of gave out horses, shod with rawhide. The way they did that was to cut a piece off wet rawhide, and put the horse's foot in it. Pull it up over the foot and tie it at the ankle. They killed off a Mexican Colony four miles from us. One poor man, with his two sons was in the field and saw it but could not get to them. Said the red skins beat his baby's brains out on the door jam. His wife was brutally mutilated. Even cut off her breasts. Imagine the poor man. They came to our family for shelter. He and his son's were always very good friends to our family.
I grew up and married when I was 19 years old. May 3, (1891) we went to live on the same old ranch my father had as a homestead. He had left for a better piece of land. Well Walter, my husband prompted on the land. This law was repealed soon after he proved up on the place. We even had the old cabin for a feed house, and had a two room log house in which our first son Willis was born. After losing three crops by frost, we decided to go to Utah to farm for a man by the name of Gardner. Who had two ranches with lots of cattle and horses. Well the man was a crook. He owned places, but had married twice, each widow had a place and he couldn't get either one. Well after we had lost crops and things had gone bad in other ways. We decided to go to Beaver City, Utah. We lived there five years. Our daughter Pauline was born there.(1 June, 1894)
Walter's parents had come back there to live. It was his old home. Grandpa Coplan had been a sawmill man there in the good old days. He had done well in the lumber but Mother Coplan failing health so the Dr. had told them to travel for her health. Which they did land in Luna, New Mexico. Her health had almost recovered. She lived 20 odd years longer. But after all the moved back to the old homestead to die. We had a very hard life. We raised eight children and moved around a lot.
Our oldest son, (John Willis, born 26 Feb. 1892) was in the first draft of 1916. He joined in May and died in August of leakage of the heart. He was buried at the Union Cemetery Service, Age 24. Have still seven living, three boys and four girls. Am now 74 years old and lonely?
Nov. 23, 1948- Well two more years have passed and I just had a lovely three day celebration, my 77th birthday. Martha, my dear daughter-in-law had planned a party for me. She told Cleo to come. She, Cleo flew over saturday night. We spent a lovely day. Had three birthday cakes. All kinds of presents, including two lovely bouquets of carnations and violets. $15.00 in cash, a bunch of groceries, a bottle of port wine, envelopes, paper, candy, and 15 lovely cards. Thanks God for my family and good friends.
My family has grown, I have 28 grandchildren. I am in my own little home. I am contented, and have the loveliest neighbors, who look after me all the time. They watch my blinds and if they don't go up at the proper time someone is at my door calling "Gram, are you all right?"
September 12, (1949) since writing the afore lots has passed under the bridge. On the 10 July went to Phoenix for a two-week visit, but took sickly, had a nose bleed. Had to have 10 days in the hospital. had to have two transfusions, come near going out but it was not my time. I am now back home and have nearly recovered my health. I am so glad to be home. It is the only time since our trip to Utah that I am at peace in my own home, thanks to Cleo who has made this possible. Bless her.
We had lots of grief in April. My son Ambrose, who lived in Oregon was very sick so my daughter Uzella went to see him. He passed away on April 19, (1949) just five weeks later. My brother John was very ill at the time. He passed away at Phoenix on 29 same month. Poor John, he had to lose a foot before passing away. He was lonely. He had lost his wife a couple of years before. Brose left his wife Janet and two children. Poor janet with nothing to live on. The boy is 15 the girl is 11. My heart aches for her so. Now my family has changes, two sons are gone. I now have 35 great-grandchildren.
Please feel free to contact Delbert Adair Jr. at the following address: dtadair@att.net
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