The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-06-19

OF IOWA

'~+F
born fighter. There may be others,
there probably are several; but there
isn't a mothers son of 'em who can
stack up beside William Peters Hep
burn late Lieutenanr-C Colonel, I'd Iowa
Cav, and now representing the 8th
iowa District in Congress.
He is a real. simon-pure Colonel, is
''old Pete Hepburn" not one of your
courtesy "Co,onels," but man with a
record. And what a record Just think
Of being particularly commended in
General Orders by Gems. Sheridan,
Rosecrans, Gordon Granger and half
dozen others. Why. 1t is like coming
history of the war to read of the
battles Col. Hepburn was in, and the
various acts of special gallantry he
performed "in the line of duty" Every
thing that Col. Hepburn does Is in the
line of duty; you couldn't coax him to
do things any other way. He looks on
life pretty seriously, yet the quaint
streak of humor in him relieves the
otherwise brusque sternness of manner
which, after all. is the cover to big
heart and a kindliness of nature that
remains to this day as sweet as the
kernel of nut. Aye, to this day"
and that means long, long time. Col.
Hepburn is not young, though he is 20
years younger in Thought and action
| than dozens OF his confreres.
Ohio claims him as her son, proud
| to be the native State of such a man,
but in 1871, when William Peters Hep
burn was just merging int his 18th
year, his people followed the setting
sun over into Iowa. then a Territory,
peopled by Indians, squatters, hunters
and trappers, the Hepburns going in
| on that
First low wash OF waves,
| Where soon would roll human sea-"
| Listen how he describes his "larnin'."
please and you will know at once why
he stands four square to the world
Educated in the schools of the Terri
tory and in printing Office" No col
lege. no university, could ever have
given that boy any more than he got
out of that method of education. The
schools of the Territory of Iowa were
not much, probably, but they gave him
n foundation upon which he built an
education in printing office, and what
he knew he knew. Sabe? There wasn't
| a bit of theorizing in his education.
He got it all by hard knocks in the raw
school of experience where the hide
was clawed off of effete theories at
every turn of the hour hand on the
clock. Then he says in his Congress
4 sional biography, "was admitted to
practice law in 1854 and so he "was
graduated in his 21st year.
NVban trao son hapop IN poicop tho
) fountains of the Republic. Hepburn, in
all the strength of his powerful young
manhood, took up the fight for the
Flag and for the Constitution. He spoke
; as one gifted with prophecy. with an
: eloquence born of fervor rooted in prin-
: ciples, and mighty We're the blows, he
/ dealt the copperheads who hypocriti-
cally prayed for peace and worked foi
war In this school of torchlight cam.
paigns he developed that wonderful
r voice of his. which in its first great
, power was like unto the voice that
, came from Mount Sinai. Clear, round
pure, penetrating, tremendous in vol
= ume, It reached right down into the
/, soul, and never let go for a second un'
). til you had heard every word he ha6
7. to say.
$ But war came, and the time for ac'
,. tion with IT, william Peters Hepburn
, enlisted in the I'd Iowa Cav, became
!. a Captain. then Major and then Lieu
T. tenant-C Colonel of the regiment. AnC
r the things that came in between? All
:, there you will find the grit of MAJ
S who pioneered in 1S41 i'm the IndiaI
;. country and practically educated him
= self. With daring which one biog
:. rapher declares was brave and terrible
:. as the charge at Balaklava, under th
terrific storm of musketry and masse'
ii cannon, Hepburn led his regiment II
/, its charge at Pennington i'm front o
}, Corinth. i'm May, 1862. 1t was but thre
$ minutes long that horrible assault, bu
e 1t saved Paine's Division, and Hepburn
o was especially mentioned for gallantr.
! in that seemingly hopeless charge
5, where somebody blundered," but no
IS he nor the brave I'd Iowa Cav. The
:, came 1uka and the battle of Corint
,. in the early Autumn. when the I'd low
Is cav, then with Hatch's Cavalry, wa
;. designated by Rosecrans as the ey
/, OF the Army"
,. Col. Hepburn was given importau
d posts both on the staff of Gen. Sheri
IA dan and of Gen. Rosecrans, and Jan
uary of 1863 found him on the sta
OF the latter as Inspector of theNCaV
airy OF the Army of the Cumberlan,
with the rank Of Lieutenant-Colone
ct In February OF 1864 he was placed
m command of the Second Brigade of III
10 Sixteenth Army Corps.
40 Out Of the service. col. Hepbur
AZ rgam took up the party work-Repul
. lioan Party. of course. He had been
-, Delegate to the National Republica
a Convention of 1860 from Iowa, and ",
no again elected Ia that responsible pla,
- I'm 1855 and 1896, He was Presidel
Il, tia Elector in 1876 and I'm 1855, az
- was Solicitor OF the Treasury durir
a. the Administration of President Harr
ma son He came a. Congress In lSSl-t
a i7lh-and served three termsi th'
an there came a hiatus. You rememb
a that Grover Cleveland WAS PresideI
va the FIRST Democratic President In MAJ
long year and the Democrats We
sweeping the country, In the A.
gouurpss la IkNk the Veterans ul