Title: Biographical and historical sketches of early Indiana
Authors: Woollen, William Wesley,
City of Publication: Indianapolis
Publisher: Hammond & Co.
Date: 1883

ABEL C. PEPPER was born in Kentucky, and emigrated to Indiana Territory in 1815.
He was a soldier in the war of 1812, having been a private in Captain William Garrard's troop of
volunteer light dragoons. He was mustered out of the service by Lieutenant-Colonel James V. Bell,
at Lower Seneca, August 10, 1813, and received from his captain the following certificate:

"Franklinton, August 18, 1813.
"By virtue of the within order, Abel C. Pepper, a private in my troop of volunteer light dragoons,
who has served under my command twelve months, is hereby honorably discharged from the service, and is entitled to the privileges and emoluments provided by the acts of Congress upon such discharge.
"WILL GARRARD, JR.,
"Captain of Volunteer Light Dragoons."

When he came to Indiana he settled in Dearborn county, and soon afterward became one of her leading citizens. He had a taste for military affairs, and had been in the Territory but a short time until he became a militia captain. He was advanced to the office of colonel, and subsequently to that of brigadier general,
although he was generally called by the title of Colonel.

He served as County Commissioner of Dearborn county, as her Sheriff, and for several terms represented her people in the Legislature of the State. In 1828 he was a candidate for Lieutenant-Governor, but was defeated by Milton Stapp a few hundred votes. In 1830 General Stapp was a candidate for Governor, and during the canvass made a speech at Rising Sun, in which he said the people of Dearborn county ought to support him, for they did but little for him when he ran for Lieutenant-Governor. Continuing, he said:

"When the returns came in from every portion of the State, except old Dearborn, I felt rejoiced at the result. But when the votes of Dearborn were counted, it was - Pepper,' - Pepper,' Pepper,' and I assure you it came near peppering me."

In 1829 Colonel Pepper was appointed sub-Indian agent at Fort Wayne by General Jackson.
He was afterward promoted to the office of Indian agent, and then superintendent for the removal of the Indians in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. In 1839 he resigned this office. Subsequently he was elected a Sinking Fund Commissioner, and in 1845 was appointed by President Polk United States Marshal for Indiana.
He held this office until 1849, when he was superseded by John L. Robinson. In 1850 he represented Ohio and Switzerland counties in the constitutional convention, and took a very active part in its proceedings. He served on the committees of elective franchises, apportionment and representation, banks and banking, arrangement and phraseology, and of the militia, being chairman of the last.

In the convention Colonel Pepper took a decided stand against a State bank. Early in the session he offered a resolution. "That from and after the expiration of the charter of the State Bank of Indiana all connection between the State and banks shall cease." He made a speech in favor of the resolution, in
which he declared himself in favor of free banks and opposed to a State bank.
During the session of the convention Colonel Pepper offered a resolution of inquiry in relation to the unsold lots and land included in the donation by the national government to the State.
In speaking on this resolution, he said:

" My object in offering the resolution is to secure the preservation of these lots for the use and pleasure of the people of the State as well as the citizens of Indianapolis, as public grounds.
In all the large cities of our country it became an object of great interest to secure squares and open plats of ground in their midst, to be ornamented with trees and shrubbery, and to serve the double purpose of public use and private gratification. While it is yet possible to secure such lots here I wish to see it done."

Colonel Pepper died at his home in Rising Sun, March 20, 1860, and was buried in the cemetery there. His death caused much grief among his neighbors, and he was also mourned throughout the State,
for he was well known to the people as a good and patriotic man.

Colonel Pepper was a devoted member of the Masonic fraternity. He was made a Mason in 1816, and afterward received the highest honors of the craft, serving both as Grand Master and Grand High Priest
of the order in the State. He was one of the brightest and most zealous Masons ever within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Indiana.

When Colonel Pepper was a young man he determined to study and practice medicine. Accordingly he entered the office of a physician as a student, and soon afterward a man came to get medicine for a sick person while the doctor was away. The student thought he would act the doctor for the nonce, and put up what he thought was a dose of salts, gave it to the messenger, and sent him away. The doctor soon returned, and, on being told by Mr. Pepper what he had done, ordered him to mount a horse at once and overtake the messenger, as what he had given him was the rankest poison. The student did as directed, and succeeded in reaching the house of the sick man just in time to prevent him from taking the poison. This narrow escape from causing the death of a human being induced Colonel Pepper to quit the study of medicine, and hence he did not become a physician.

After this Colonel Pepper concluded to study law. He purchased some law books, and for a time diligently studied them. Soon after commencing these studies a farmer came to him and narrated a difficulty he had had with a neighbor, and urged the Colonel to take the case. He had no license, but knowing the suit could be brought before a justice of the peace, he accepted the employment.
The case was tried, decided against his client, and then appealed to the Circuit Court, which confirmed
the judgment of the justice. The costs were so heavy that the farmer had great difficulty in saving his farm from being sold to pay them. This ended the Colonel's aspirations to become a lawyer.
After this Colonel Pepper engaged in merchandising, and continued at it most of the time he was not in public life.

Mr. Shadrach Hathaway, eighty-eight years old, and now living at Rising Sun, in 1883, says that he and Colonel Pepper once walked from Rising Sun to Cincinnati, some thirty miles or more. Their route was through Kentucky. When they were near Covington they encountered a hill, and the Colonel, being much fatigued, said he would give "a quarter" if he were at its top. Mr. Hathaway took him upon his back and safely carried him to the top of the hill. The "quarter" was paid.

A gentleman of this city, who was a lad of thirteen when he looked upon the face of the Colonel at his funeral in March, 1860, has very pleasant recollections of the last years of the Colonel's life.
During a series of lectures at Rising Sun by home talent-doctors, lawyers, clergymen and "statesmen"
the Colonel lectured upon his experience among the Indians, occupying the old fashioned high pulpit in the Universalist church.

As he proceeded with his description he gave forcible illustrations by means of his Indian relics. With the aid of the county sheriff dressed up with a buffalo's head, tinkling bells, and other instruments of terror to eye and ear, he presented to the audience the "medicine man" as he appeared in his native forests.
The boys were impressed and the adults amused by the spectacle and the vivid description, punctuated by tosses of the head and jangling of the bells. The fright of the young folks was tempered by a suspicion that they knew the man in costume.

In the winter of 1860 a committee of boys from a literary society called upon Colonel Pepper one evening and solicited his patronage to the society, and asked him to address it. They found him tired with a hard day's work in killing hogs, but were received with kindness, and with a dignity that reminded them of the Father of his Country.
Colonel Pepper presided at the ceremonies of laying the corner-stone of the Court-house of Ohio county, at Rising Sun. The stone-mason, who supplemented speculative masonry with limestone and mortar, had trouble in convincing the Colonel which corner should be honored, as the building did not front due east and west, the street upon which it stands running 36° north of west by 36° south of east.

For a time after the election at which Colonel Pepper was a candidate for Lieutenant-Governor it was supposed that he had been elected, and preparations were being made to do him honor, when unexpected returns from distant parts crushed the hopes of his friends, and left him a defeated candidate for the second office in the State.

Colonel Pepper was slightly above medium height, spare and sinewy, of easy and pleasing address.
He was urbane and dignified in his intercourse with his fellow men, and was particularly polite to ladies.
He was a useful and patriotic citizen, and his memory should be perpetuated in the history of the State.