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children (to be discussed) when James became fed up with family life, packed his belongings, and left. Wesley remembers a story of how, a few days after the departure, family friends found his grandfather’s rifle stuck up in the marsh on a trail leading to New Orleans. It was their belief that someone ambushed him on the trail and carried the body off for disposal. No matter what happened to James Jr., he was never heard of again.
Wesley told us that his grandfather was part of the James Copeland gang, as did other family members. He also told us about the time when “Jim” was caught stealing a bolt of calico cloth in Mobile, Alabama. For this, “Jim” received a number of lashes with a whip, and at the same time, picked up the alias of “Calico Dick.” The fact that “Jim” was a member of the Copeland gang has been established in a book written by Copeland prior to his being hanged. The book names “Jim,” as well as, his older brother, Jack as his members in the 1840’s, operating out of Honey Island Swamp in Hancock County. The Copeland book states that James McArthur was indeed called “Calico Dick.” James, “Calico Dick” himself told the story of how he got that nick-name. He said that “when a youth living in Georgia he was caught stealing a bolt of calico and received thirty-nine lashes for his crime.”
“Calico Dick” joined the Copeland gang in 1845. He was involved in robberies, kidnappings, counterfeiting, and even murder. The last record we have of him was in the 1870 census. Much more information on this character can be found in the Copeland book. Of note is that his nick-name of “Dick” is a common version of Richard. Through all of our research, we have never found James McArthur, Jr. referred to as “Richard.” After Jim left his family, Jane, the mother died within a few years. The two children were raised by Indians in Devil’s Swamp where a tribe lived. According to Wesley and census records, his grandfather had only two children:
A.	Celia “Celie” McArthur - according to the 1870 Hancock census, she was bom in 1861. She appears again in the 1880 census as age 18. Wesley remembers hearing of this Aunt. As best as he remembers, she had no children, had
not married, moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas where she died, and is buried. We have, however, found a Celia E. McArthur that got a divorce from John C. Lott in Hancock County in 1889 (see Metal Boxes #358) for this information. Although not positive, we suspect this is Wesley’s old “Aunt Celia” that later moved to Arkansas.
B.	James Lott McArthur - according to his baptism record in Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, he was bom on March 17, 1864. This baptism was recorded November 12, 1881. James’ death certificate (MS Bureau of Vital Statistics) gives the same birthday and says he died on February 21, 1917 in Pearlington, MS. Wesley told us that James L. McArthur married his mother, Laura Ellis, and had a large family. They married on May 25, 1891 in Hancock County. After James’ death, Laura remarried to Victor LaFontaine. She is buried in Cedar Rest Cemetery with a headstone. James L. McArthur is buried in Logtown Cemetery without a headstone. James Lott McArthur and Laura Ellis had the following children:
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