Ka cika wannan jumla: An haifi Henry Coppée a Savannah, Georgia, a cikin iyalin Faransawa da suka zauna a ƙasar Haiti. Ya yi karatu a Jami'ar Yale na shekara biyu, ya yi aiki a matsayin injiniyan injiniya, kuma a ƙarshe ya sauke karatu daga West Point a 1845. Ya yi aiki a cikin Yakin Mexico-Amurka a matsayin laftanar kuma an ba shi kyaftin din don jaruntaka a yakin Contreras da
Churubusco. (Yar'uwa) A lokacin yakin basasa na Amurka, ya shirya "Jaridar Sabis na Amurka".