Abel Claypole Pepper (April 20, 1793 – March 20, 1860) was an American politician, law enforcement officer, and

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

. During his long career in government service, Pepper oversaw the removal of American Indians in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin on behalf of the

United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

, signing treaties with Indigenous peoples, which eventually resulted in the

Potawatomi Trail of Death The Potawatomi Trail of Death was the forced removal by militia in 1838 of about 859 members of the Potawatomi nation from Indiana to reservation lands in what is now eastern Kansas. The march began at Twin Lakes, Indiana (Myers Lake and Cook ...

. He served in the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...

three times and was a United States Marshall.

Early life and education

Abel Claypole Pepper was born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

on April 20, 1793. Pepper moved to Kentucky and served as a private in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

with the Kentucky volunteer light dragoons. He was

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

in 1813. Pepper first pursued a career in medicine, interning at a doctor's office. He changed his career path after incorrectly prescribing the wrong medication to a patient. He started studying law and represented, unlicensed, a local farmer in court. Pepper failed to win the case for the client. He stopped pursuing law. In 1816, Pepper moved to

Rising Sun, Indiana Rising Sun is a city in Randolph Township and the county seat of Ohio County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. It is also the only incorporated community in the county. The population of Rising Sun was 2,304 at the 2010 census. Hist ...

. In 1820, he married Jane Haff. They had four children together.

Career and life

After relocating to Rising Sun, Pepper became active in the community. He became the County Commissioner of Dearborn County. He joined the Indiana Militia, in which he earned the rank of colonel and brigadier general. He used the title of colonel, regardless of his higher rank. Pepper served his first term in the

in 1825, followed by a second term in 1826. He ran for Lieutenant-Governor in 1828, running against

Milton Stapp Milton Stapp (July 14, 1792 – August 2, 1869) was an American politician who served as the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1828 to 1831. Stapp was born in Kentucky. Settling in Madison, Indiana, Stapp worked as a shopkeeper. He ser ...

. Pepper lost the election by "a few hundred votes." In 1829, Pepper was appointed by

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

to the

as a sub-

, focused on the removal of American Indians in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Eventually, he was named superintendent. During his time as an Indian agent, he negotiated nine treaties between the

Potawatomie The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a me ...

s, with he Potawatomies handing selective land plots over to the state and settlers, including the Treaty of Turkey Creek Prairie. Those Potawatomies that did not leave their land within the two years agreed to in the treaties were forced to evacuate, resulting in the

. In 1836, he returned to the Indiana House of Representatives to serve a third and final term. He resigned from his position with the Department of War in 1839. Pepper became director of the

Bank of Indiana The state Bank of Indiana was a government chartered banking institution established in 1833 in response to the state's shortage of capital caused by the closure of the Second Bank of the United States by the administration of President Andrew Jac ...

in 1842. Pepper ran for the position against fellow representative William Andrews. The House of Representatives voted five times, with the final vote giving Pepper the majority (51 votes) over Andrews (46 votes). After the one-year term expired, Pepper was voted again, unanimously, as director. In 1844, he served as the sheriff and

Sinking Fund A sinking fund is a fund established by an economic entity by setting aside revenue over a period of time to fund a future capital expense, or repayment of a long-term debt. In North America and elsewhere where it is common for public and privat ...

Commissioner of

Dearborn County, Indiana Dearborn County is one of 92 counties of the U.S. state of Indiana located on the Ohio border near the southeast corner of the state. It was formed in 1803 from a portion of Hamilton County, Ohio. In 2020, the population was 50,679. The county ...

. After his tenure, he was appointed by President

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

United States marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcem ...

, serving from 1845 until 1849. Pepper was a

freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, serving as a Grand Master and Grand High Priest. He was also a member of the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

Later life and death

Pepper was a member of the Indiana Constitutional Commission in 1850. He represented Ohio and Switzerland Counties. He died at home on March 20, 1860, in Rising Sun. He is buried in Rising Sun.

Legacy

Pepper's papers are held in the collection of the

Indiana State Library The Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau is a public library building, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the largest public library in the state of Indiana, housing over 60,000 manuscripts. Established in 1934, the library has gather ...

References

External links

*
"Treaty on the old frontier. Col. Abel C. Pepper, U.S. Indian agent"
from the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pepper, Abel Claypole 1793 births 1860 deaths United States Indian agents People from Rising Sun, Indiana People from Virginia People from Kentucky in the War of 1812 United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 Indiana National Guard personnel Members of the Indiana House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians United States Department of War officials Indiana sheriffs United States Marshals American Freemasons