Commonwealth Journal
May 12, 2008 07:21 am
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Dear Editor:
This letter is to correct an error that’s been done many, many years ago. All the way back in January 1862.
After checking all of our records from Benton County in the battle of Mill Springs, on Jan. 19, it was reported that Zollicoffer’s death was caused by three bullets. Two were from Northern officers but the other man and the third bullet, who was never reported regarding the death of this general, came from the infield rifle of James Swan who was born and raised in Benton County, Ind. His bullet was the one that caused Zollicoffer’s death and at the battle site his name should be added to the memorial.
Somerset is a special city to us because of a young man named Henry Copenhaver who was only 2 years old at the time of the battle. He was standing under a tree where a Yankee cannon ball landed in the fork. This young man from your city came to Benton County and worked as a farm hand for a farmer at Boswell, Ind., and married one of his daughters, Pargoda Wattles. Two years later he and his brother, John Douglas, moved to Fowler and became the complete town employees. They built streets, dug sewers and cleaned the main streets twice a week to clean up after the horses.
Henry and his wife had a wonderful large family and he worked hard. They were able to buy several homes in Fowler. All their children did well except their youngest. He came back to your city, this was young Henry. At the age of 16 he drove his car down to see his girlfriend in Somerset and was killed just outside of your city.
In their lifetime they bought the old mercantile factory in Fowler which has been closed for many years. The ground contains a large factory with three large kilns. Behind the factory a pond was dug out of the blue clay to make tiles and so forth. When they bought this factory, it was nothing but weeds and quite rundown. Henry and his children tore down the factory, cleaned off the ground, built a new house and new barn and later started Fowler Copenhaver Park.
In 1942 just two days before Pargoda’s death they gave to Fowler a city park with a beautiful pond. So we would like to thank the people of Somerset for sending up from there a wonderful young man and his hard working family. So now we wish all of you, that you might have a wonderful summer and we hope to visit you soon again and I hope to meet you.
Sincerely yours,
Freeman Harold Furr
Benton, KY 47944
P.S.: William Henry Copenhaver was my grandfather.
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