Anderson County Biographies
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Southeastern Kansas"
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1894
CAPT. HENRY C. REPPERT. who follows
farming on sections 18, 20 and 21, Reeder
Township, Anderson County, is one of the
honored veterans of the late war, who ably and
faithfully defended the Union in her hour of
peril and followed through many a hard battle the
Old Flag which now floats so triumphantly over
the united nation.
The Captain was born in Greene County, Pa.,
May 10, 1836. His grandfather, George Reppert,
was a native of Germany, and the founder of the
family in America. The father of our subject,
Louis Reppert, was born in Greene County, Pa.,
and married Susan Jenkins, a native of the same
county. They there located, but afterward removed to Washington County, Ohio, in 1838. In
1875, they went to Ashland, Ky., where they spent
their remaining days. They had a family of five
children: Henry C; Valeria, wife of Colonel Douglas, of Putnam, Ky.; Anna, wife of Hon. J. S. Cone,
of Red Bluff, Cal.; Walter, who died in Red Bluff
in 1891; and Phalauris, who died in Walla Walla,
Wash., about 1889.
Our subject was about two years old when his
parents removed to Washington County, Ohio,
and he was reared on his father's farm four miles
south of Marietta. He remained at home until
eighteen years of age, when he crossed the plains
to California, driving an ox-team from Ft. Scott
to Sacramento and arriving at his destination after five months of travel. He engaged in mining
and steamboating, meeting with very good success.
Soon after his return to Ohio, he went to West
Virginia, where he was engaged in the oil business
for two years, but in April, 1861, was obliged to
leave on account of the troubles that preceded the
war. On the 15th of September following, he
became a member of Company L, First Ohio Cavalry, and served as a private until February 14,
1863, when he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. A month later he was made First Lieutenant,
and December 14, 1864, became Captain, in which
capacity he served until receiving his discharge,
September 26, 1865. His company was body guard
for Gen. George H. Thomas for two years. Captain Reppert was absent from duty only twenty
days, while home on a furlough. He was always
found at his post, encouraging his troops and
leading them on to victory.
After receiving his discharge in Nashville, Tenn.,
the Captain returned to Washington County, Ohio,
and in the following December came to Anderson
County, Kan. After two years he took up his
residence upon his present farm in Reeder Township, where he owns four hundred acres of valuable land that is highly cultivated. He has erected
good buildings and made all necessary improvements, and the place is considered one of the model
farms of the community.
While home on a furlough, the Captain was
married near Marietta, Ohio, on the 24th of September, 1864, to Miss Ann Briggs, who was born
in that locality on the 3d of December, 1836,
and is a daughter of Dean and Sarah (Scott)
Briggs, the former a native of Massachusetts, and
the latter of Washington County, Ohio. Her
parents married and settled in the latter county,
where her father died in 1884. Her mother still
survives. They had two children: Ann, and
Martha, wife of E. F. Murdock, of Chillicothe,
Ohio. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Reppert were born six
children: Martha B., who died in childhood; Valeria, who became the wife of Samuel Dushane and
died in Kansas City, Mo., May 4, 1892; Sidney C, J
Louis v., Henry C. and Rutherford H.
The Captain takes a very prominent part in
political affairs, is a stanch advocate of Republican
principles, and in the fall of 1874 was elected a
member of the Legislature. For several terms he
served as Township Trustee, and has filled every
public office with credit to himself and satisfaction
to his constituents. Socially, he is a member of
Cloud Post No. 176, G. A. R., of Central City.
His possessions have been acquired through his
own efforts, and he may truly be called a self-made
man. His life has been well and worthily spent,
and he is as true in times of peace as he was when
the Union was in peril.
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