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Roswell Web Magazine - the Web Magazine that Showcases Roswell & New Mexico
Dad Peppin's Role in
Lincoln County War history
Published
in Don Bullis' New Mexico Historical Notebook, issue 6-21-06, reprinted herein
with his permission:
DID
YOU KNOW….
by
Don Bullis
Born in Vermont, George Warden "Dad" Peppin (1841-1904)
made his way to New Mexico by means of the 5th Infantry of the so-called
California Column in 1862. He was discharged at Fort Stanton, in Lincoln County,
in 1864. He made his living as a stonemason for many years. Peppin's claim to
fame came with the Lincoln County War. After Sheriff William Brady was murdered
on April 1, 1878, and his successor, John Copeland, was removed after a month or
so in office, Peppin became Lincoln County Sheriff. Since he was staunchly on
the side of Murphy and Dolan in the affray, some local folks called him the
"quasi-sheriff." His appointment came in time for him to be the
representative of the law at the time of the Five Day Battle at Lincoln in July
1878. He handled the situation badly by allowing the Murphy-Dolan faction to
control events, and he hid behind a detachment of regular army troops as the
killing spun out of control. He was not re-elected in the November 1878
election. Presidential Investigator Frank Angel described him as a "weak
Murphy man—partisan, not reliable." He later became a butcher at
Fort Stanton.
(Above)
From New Mexico: A Biographical Dictionary by Don Bullis,
scheduled for publication in October 2006.
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