his first commission from the French government. King Charles I's warrant for Hepburn's levy of 1200 men dates from 26 March and the entry in the Privy Council records dates from 24 April. Hepburn raised 2000 men in Scotland for French service, and was in command at the conquest of Lorraine and at the siege of Nancy. He continued his successful career, in Alsace and at the taking of de La Mothe castle in 1634. Hepburn was in charge of 6000 men at this time gaining the rank of Marechal de Camp. He then served in Germany under Marshal La Force, de Breze, and cardinal de la Valette, eventually joining with Duke Bernhard of Weimar's army in 1635. By March that year, the author of The Modern History of the World noted Hepburn as Field Marshal for the king of France's army. The rank did not exist as such, but his title was Marschal de Camp. He was soon after awarded the rank of Marshal of France while on campaign, though he died before he hard the news of his levation. During this period, Hepburn acted as an intermediary between the Swedes and the French military commanders. By this juncture his Régiment de Hebron had at its head three senior officers: the Colonel, Sir John Hepburn, Lieutenant-Colonel Munro, and Major Sir Patrick Monteith. It included 45 Captains, 1 Lieutenant-Captain, 45 Lieutenants, 48 Ensigns, 4 surgeons, 6 adjutants, 2 chaplains, 1 drum-major, 1 piper, 88 sergeants 288 corporals, 288 lance-corporals, 96 drummers and 48 companies each consisting of 150 musketeers and pikemen, totalling some 8,316 men. On either 8 or 21 July 1636 Hepburn was killed by a gun shot wound to the neck during the siege of Saverne. John was buried along with his sword, helmet and spurs in the cathedral at Toul Cathedral in France. A monument, since destroyed, was erected there on the western side of the left transept. He appears not to have married or to have fathered any children. Andrew Hepburn, claiming to be the brother German of both Colonel Sir John and Lieutenant Colonel Sir James Hepburn, petitioned the Scottish Privy Council in July 1636 for the right to claim their property and goods as the sole surviving heir. Hepburn's French regiment, Régiment d’Hebron, later morphed into the modern Royal Scots regiment of the British Army. References Anon., The Swedish Intelligencer, four parts, London, 1632–34.