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It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

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OUTLAWS AND ROYALTY HERE TOO!
One of the most famous outlaws ever to be recorded in the history of Mississippi was James Copeland and his gang. The Copeland Gang roamed the area from the late 1830s until Copeland was captured and hanged in 1857. During this time, the Copeland Gang was feared from Mobile, Alabama, and the Gulf Coast area to the Pearl River. It has been said that Copeland buried vast amounts of gold and loot in the area that has never been found.
Another bizarre chapter of history occurred when Jerome Bonaparte, a brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, came to the area to collect and arrange a ransom for Napoleon so that he could return to power. Fear of pirates and outlaws caused Jerome to bury some $80,000 under an oak tree near the settlement later to be Known as Napoleon. When the scheme failed, Jerome returned to Europe and according to local folklore was never able to return and dig up the $80,000.
FEDERAL GUNBOAT SUNK
During the Civil War, the little town of Pearlington was bombarded by the Federal gunboat, WABASH. Citizens of the little community hid out in the swamps until the gunboat headed on up the river towards Gainesville.
With all the young river pilots fighting away from home and the older pilots hidden out in the swamps, the gunboat commander tried to navigate the Pearl without a pilot. About a mile above the settlement of Logtown, the ship crashed into an obstruction and sank. Even now the ship can be seen at low tide or when the water is very clear.
Though records mention very little about the Civil War in this particular area, Yankee troops were stationed in Pearlington and Gainesville to commandeer food stuffs and supplies they needed. Since the Pearl River was an important artery for the transportation of food and supplies, Federal ships and troops were in the area continually.
After the Civil War, the sawmill at Pearlington became the world's largest, with a capacity of 200,000 board feet per day.
As coastal and area towns grew larger and transportation systems improved, the population of the little towns of Gainesville, Pearlington, Westonia, Logtown, and Napoleon gradually dwindled along with the river traffic, until they became virtual ghost towns of a bygone era.
A NEW ERA DAWNS
When the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to locate the giant Mississippi Test Facility on the bank of the East Pearl River, the area was sparsely populated; nonetheless, a few families were required to relocate in order to make possible the facility that was to play such a vital role in the United States’ mission to reach the moon.
The ghosts of early settlers, river pirates, and outlaw bands have felt the vibration and heard the roar of giant rocket stages as they were tested and retested to prove their strength prior to undertaking their momentous journey to the moon. Today, these same ghosts, if they listen, will still hear the more subdued sounds of the Space Shuttle engines being tested in our nation’s continuing quest to reap knowledge and benefits from space.
Other changes are quietly taking place in ways that do not disturb the sleep of the early denizens of this historic area. The Mississippi Test Facility, which became National Space Technology Laboratories (NSTL) and which is now named the John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC), is currently concerned with employing space technology developed during the sixties and early seventies to conserve and improve our environment.
Inspired by past history, we here today are still seeking—the treasures of knowledge—the frontiers of enlightenment. May we too succeed!