People
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School Teacher Travels the World.
A Tale of Two Soldiers.
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 118, No. 41
• Corinth, Mississippi •
Milder Today
Tonight
56
39
0% chance of rain
18 pages • Two sections
History preservation Man arrested for double homicide BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth Police have a subject in custody for the death involving two brothers. Sirdon Capanion Greer, 28, of 1803 East Fifth Street, Corinth, was apprehended with help by the Tupelo Police Department and returned to Corinth early Saturday morning. Greer is set to face charges on two counts of first degree murder and one count of arson when he appears in court Tuesday, according to Corinth Detective Capt. Ralph Dance. Greer will be charged for the shooting deaths of two brothers and then setting their home on fire at 912 Second Street around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. The bodies of James Copeland, 67, and Jerry Copeland,
64, were found by Corinth firemen after extinguishing the blaze at the home the brothers shared. Autopsy results com- Greer pleted in Jackson Friday showed the Copelands had been shot in the head with a .410 shotgun. “Both were shot before the fire was set,” said Dance. It appears the motive for the double homicide was of the domestic variety. “It looks like the subject Please see GREER | 6A
Staff photo by Zack Steen
Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center Park Ranger Tom Parson dreams of one day being able to tell the Corinth Civil War story from the land on the abandoned West Corinth Elementary School property.
Park ranger shares West Corinth story BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
On a hot October morning in 1862, more than 5,000 Union and Confederate soldiers engaged in battle on land adjacent to where Battery Robinett once sat. Some 152 years later, the land is home to the abandoned West Corinth Elementary school. The City of Corinth is debating what to do with the property. The National Park Service wants the property based on the importance of the land under the school and playground. Across Linden Street sits the multi-million dollar Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, a unit of the Shiloh National Military Park, where park ranger
and local historian Tom Parson dreams of one day being able to tell more of the Corinth Civil War story. “The land where the school sits now was actually just in front of where Battery Robinett once sat,” said Parson as he looked beyond the jungle gym to what used to be a small earthen redoubt or fortification. “It looked a lot different in those days.” The local historian said all the trees were cut down for 300 yards in front of the fort to create a field of fire and to form a defensive layer of abatis – trees cut in the direction of an advancing enemy with sharpened tops. “The tree tops faced to the north and northwest,” he said.
“The idea being the trunks and branches would break up advancing infantry formations.” Parson writes a column for the Daily Corinthian where he details the stories of the many Civil War soldiers who were in Corinth so many years ago. One Confederate soldier he has mentioned before is Captain Thomas Tobin. “On that fateful day, 12 pieces of Confederate artillery were drawn into position at the tree line and aimed at the fort,” Parson said. “Prior to the bombardment, a young officer in command of one of the Confederate batteries crept forward to see if he could find a better location for his four guns.” Please see PROPERTY | 12A
Workers remove 100-year-old tree BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Amid the ongoing renovation projects happening at the Verandah-Curlee House, workers recently removed an old tree from the property. The hackberry tree had begun to show signs of distress several years ago, according to Siege and Battle of Corinth Commission Chair Rosemary Williams. “The commission had it pruned and fertilized in an effort to revive it,” she said. “The treatment was not successful, and limbs continued to die and fall. Removal was recommended last fall, and we were finally
able to have it cut in recent weeks. Two tree specialists reported that the tree was quickly dying and, when cut, believed that it was about 100 years old.” During the process, a small plaque was found attached to the trunk inscribed with the date 1865. That is not believed to be when the tree was planted, however. “At one time, someone placed small plaques and markers in the yard identifying the plants, and some had an estimated age thought at the time,” said Williams. Please see TREE | 6A
Walker has Drive begins for Purple Heart veterans’ monument passion for assisting others BY STEVE BEAVERS
sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
(This is the second of a fourpart series on African Americans in the community.) It’s not hard to find Willie Walker. Where others are in need of help is a place anyone can find the Daily Corinthian Circulation Director. During his professional career, the 60-year-old has been put in position to offer assistance to others. From jobs at three different newspapers to being assistant pastor at New Covenant Baptist Church, Walker has been there for the public. Please see WALKER | 2A
The Military Order of the Purple Heart is on a mission. One which will honor the nation’s oldest military decoration. Plans to put a Purple Heart monument at court square have reached the fundraising stage, according to Modern Woodmen’s Steven Eaton, who is working with the local Chapter 813 on the project. “We hope to have the monument ordered by April 1,” said Eaton, whose father, Jerry is a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 813. To place the order, around $4,000 is needed. Modern Woodmen has pledged to match $2,500 of the cost to place the monument at the northeast corner of the courthouse. Bricks, which will provide a walkway around the red stone monument, are now being
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Please see MONUMENT | 3A
Jerry Eaton with Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 813 (left) talks with his son, Steven, about the Purple Heart Monument slated to be placed sometime next year on court square.
Index Stocks......8A Classified......4B Comics Inside State......5A
Weather......9A Obituaries......6A Opinion......4A Sports....10A
On this day in history 150 years ago The C.S.S. Hunley is prepared for active operations in Charleston Bay, S.C. She is skippered by Lieutenant George E. Dixon, a veteran of the Battle of Shiloh. An explosive spar torpedo is fitted to her bow. She will weigh anchor tomorrow.