“Parson Weems: A Biographical and Critical Study” (Lawrence Counselman Wroth)
Hmm, always wondered why there are so many Jaspers and Newtons so close to each other…
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 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 South Carolina flag, raised it on a temporary staff, and held it under fire until a new staff was installed . Governor Rutledge gave a golden sword to Jasper in recognition of his bravery. The golden sword is now in the possession of his great great great grandson Jeremy Jasper. In 1779, Sergeant Jasper participated in the Siege of Savannah, led by General Lincoln, which failed to recapture Savannah, Georgia, 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.
Places named after Jasper
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
City of Jasper, Alabama
City of Jasper, Arkansas City of Jasper, Florida
Town of Jasper, Tennessee
City of Jasper, Georgia
City of Jasper, Minnesota
(click to continue reading William Jasper – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)