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 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.

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. [Lou Ann Everett (12/1958). "Myth on the Map". "American Heritage" 10 (1): 62-64. [http://IanHistor.tripod.com/rm.html American Heritage article] ]

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

References