These ringing words of the fearless old War Governor stand out in bold contrast to the cringing attitude of Governor Packer, of Pennsylvania, who hastened to send two of Coppoc’s companions (Cook and Hazlett) back to the Virginia gallows without even an investigation of the legality of the papers.
Governor Letcher was in a great rage when the Iowa Governor’s refusal reached him but he understood that nothing short of a rigid compliance with all requirements of law would enable him to wrest a victim for execution from Iowa. He had the grand jury summoned and procured Coppoc’s indictment. The following is one of the counts in the famous document:
“Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Virginia, Jefferson County.
“The jurors of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in and for the body of the County of Jefferson, duly empanelled and attending upon said court, upon their oaths present, that Barclay Coppoc being a free person, on the Sixteenth and Seventeenth days of October, in the year 1859, and on divers other days before and after that time, in the County of Jefferson and Commonwealth of Virginia aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this court, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigations of the devil, did maliciously, willfully and feloniously conspire with certain John Brown, Edwin Coppoc, John E. Cook, Shields Green, John Copeland, Aaron D. Stevens and other persons to the jurors unknown, to induce certain slaves of said County and Commonwealth aforesaid, to wit, slaves called Henry, Levi, Ben, Jerry, Phil, George and Bill, the slaves of John H. Alstead, and each of said slaves respectively to rebel and make insurrection against their said masters, and against the authority of the constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to the evil example of all others in like case offending, and against the form of the statute in that case provided and against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Endorsed—“A True Bill,” February 3, 1860.
It was the 10th day of February before Governor Letcher’s legal requisition reached Des Moines. Then Governor Kirkwood was compelled to issue his warrant
* The original papers in this case, with a copy of Virginia's indictment of Barclay Coppoc, may be seen in the Historical Department of Iowa.
