Enlisted in the Benela Sharpshooters, Capt Robert Middleton, cmdg, at Grenada, MS on 4 Sep 1861. This company was mustered in at Trenton, TN, 25 Sep 1861 as Co. I, 4th Regt Miss Inf, CSA. It was among the troops posted at Fort Henry on the Tennessee River when Grant's land and river expedition approached in Feb 1862. The naval attack compelled the surrender of Fort Henry on 6 Feb, so the regt retreated to Fort Donelson where it fought gallantly for several days, but was compelled to surrender on 16 Feb 1862. Jesse was a prisoner at Camp Morton, Indianapolis, IN, and died from pneumonia in the Prison Hospital on 2 Apr 1862. The official records show that he was buried in the Green Lawn Cemetery. In 1991, a monument was proposed to honor the Confederate soldiers buried in this cemetery. Jesse Jr's name will be listed on this memorial.

In 1774, a petition was signed in Fauquier County, VA, requesting that the petitioners be permitted to worship as Baptists. At that time (prior to the American Revolution), the official church was the Church of England. Among the signers were a Samuel PEPPER, a John PEPPER, two Richard OLDHAMs, a John OLDHAM, and an Alexander HOLTON. John PEPPER recorded three deeds to property in Caswell County, NC prior to 1780. One of the deeds stated that John was from Guilford County. He was on the tax rolls of St. David's District of Caswell County in 1777 with an estate valued at 110 pounds. He had a land grant to 500 acres on Stoney Creek in Caswell County dated 1 Oct 1778. Description of the properties indicated that the adjoining landowners were OLDHAMs. Family records of the OLDHAM family reveal that Richard OLDHAM married Ann PEPPER and that Elizabeth OLDHAM married "Mr. Pepper in North Carolina". John is the only PEPPER found to be living near the OLDHAMs, and Elizabeth PEPPER is listed on the 1850 census for Anderson County, SC in the household of Ruth BENNETT. This seems to provide sufficient evidence that it was our John that married Elizabeth OLDHAM. John sold his NC property in the early 1780s and was in the Pendleton District of SC in 1790. He was a charter member of the Big Springs Primitive Baptist Church near Williamston, now in Anderson County, SC. He is said to have given the property for the church, which is borne out by the quit claims signed by his children in the 1830s. His will was signed 25 Jan 1816 and proved 4 Mar 1816. It is recorded in Will Book A, page 186, in Anderson County, SC. The Battles of Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, King's Mountain, Camden, and other battles of the Revolutionary War, took place while John was living in the Caswell/Guilford area of NC. Most of the OLDHAMs, who were his brothers-in-law and neighbors, are found in the official records as having participated in some of these battles. There had been much speculation about John's military record, but it was not until late in 1980 that a connection was established. A letter to Miss Nina Pepper from Mrs. Lavada Smith, Route 2, Smithdale, MS 39664, provided the following news: "This info has been accepted by DAR. They passed the John Pepper War Record from NC and refused the record from SC, which I had previously sent in, therefore, since 6 Nov 1978 I have been searching for our John Pepper. The info I am giving you was accepted by DAR so the line has been established. Our John Pepper has a record recorded in a manuscript Volume in the custody of the State Archives of NC dated 3 Oct 1785, Certificate No. 25, a pay voucher certificate to John Pepper for 18 pounds and 4 shillings for service during the Revolution, dated 29th day of Sept. 1783. They accepted this and that completed my two years of searching. I think they are correct. Note that Samuel was born 19 May 1779 in NC, his wife Ann Harper was born in NC, Ruth Pepper was born in 1776 in NC, so would think that after the War they moved to SC and that John served from State of NC, not SC. If there are members of the Pepper family who would like to use John Pepper as a supplement, they are welcome to use my National No. 620262. When you check your records I think you have most of what I have given you except that they took the John Pepper from NC."