William Jasper
William Jasper (c.
1750 –
October 9,
1779) was a noted American soldier in the
Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment.
Jasper first distinguished himself in the defense of
Fort Moultrie on
June 28,
1776. When a shell from a British warship shot away the flagstaff, he recovered the flag, raised it on a temporary staff, and held it under fire until a new staff was installed.
Governor Rutledge presented his own sword to Jasper in recognition of his bravery.
In 1779, sergeant Jasper participated in the
Siege of Savannah, led by
General Lincoln, in which
Savannah, Georgia, was recaptured from the British. He was mortally wounded during an assault on the British forces there.
Sgt. Jasper's story is similar to that of Sgt.
John Newton. Several states have adjacent counties named Jasper and Newton, as though these were remembered as a pair, due to the popularity of
Parson Weems' fictionalizing early American history.
[Lou Ann Everett (12/1958). "Myth on the Map". American Heritage 10 (1): 62-64.American Heritage article]*
Jasper County, Georgia *
Jasper County, Illinois *
Jasper County, Indiana *
Jasper County, Iowa *
Jasper County, Mississippi*
Jasper County, Missouri*
Jasper County, South Carolina*
Jasper County, Texas and the city of
Jasper, Texas*
GeorgiaInfo entry for statue of William Jasper in Savannah
