George Mercer (military officer)

George Mercer (June 23, 1733 - April, 1784) was an American (then British colonial subject) surveyor, military officer, and politician from Virginia.

Born at Marlborough Plantation, Virginia, to John Mercer and Catherine Mason Mercer [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~vastaffo/johnmercer.htm John Mercer ] ] , he became a surveyor of Virginia, he then joined the provincial First Virginia Regiment in 1754, during the French and Indian War, as a lieutenant. Serving with George Washington as his aide-de-camp [ [http://www.newrivernotes.com/va/clewis.htm Journal of Captain Charles Lewis. October to December 10, 1755 ] ] [ [http://www.san.beck.org/WASH4-Virginia.html GEORGE WASHINGTON: Virginia Patriot by Sanderson Beck ] ] . He was wounded at the battle to defend Fort Necessity [ [http://www.nps.gov/archive/fone/rostersep.htm Roster of Virginia Soldiers - Fort Necessity NB ] ] , following which he rose to the rank of captain. His younger brother, Lt. John Fenton Mercer, was killed and scalped at Edwards's Fort, April 1756 [ [http://www.fortedwards.org/mercer.htm John Fenton Mercer Family Tree ] ] . He then became the commander of the newly formed Second Virginia Regiment, in 1758, and a lieutenant colonel.

In 1758 the two Virginia Regiments were assigned to regular British Army Brigadier General John Forbes to march from Philadelphia westward and take Fort Duquesne in the western Pennsylvania frontier. On November 12 while on patrol, from Fort Ligonier, to repel French and Indian raids, the 2nd Virginia accidentally engaged Washington and the 1st Virginia in a heavy fog and at night. Two officers and 38 men are killed or wounded. [ [http://www.post-gazette.com/travel/20020630washchron8.asp Washington in Western Pennsylvania: a timeline ] ] .

After the war Mercer became Assistant Deputy Quartermaster-General for Maryland and Virginia (1759). Then in 1761 became a Burgess to the Virginia General Assembly. During this time he also became a land speculator in the Ohio River Valley and became the Ohio Company of Virginia's agent sent to England [http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=WasFi03.xml&
] . Washington, and George's father, John, were also members of the company.

He was appointed Stamp Collector for Maryland and Virginia in 1765, to help enforce the Stamp Act, but resigned amidst violent protests [http://www.wadsworth.com/history_d/templates/student_resources/0030724791_ayers/sources/ch05/5.1.merceraccount.html] , and then he was appointed Governor of North Carolina, but never assumed that position.

George had two other brothers, Judge James Mercer (1735-93) and John Francis Mercer, Captain of the 3rd Virginia, Anti-Federalist at the Constitutional Convention, and Governor of Maryland, 1801-03 [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000645 MERCER, John Francis - Biographical Information ] ] [ [http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/B/mercer/mercer.htm From Revolution to Reconstruction: Biographies: John Francis Mercer ] ] . A maternal cousin to George Mason. In 1767 he married Mary Neville at Scarborough, England, who died a year later [ [http://gunstonhall.org/masonweb/p45.htm#i2239 Descendants of George Mason, 1629-1686 - Person Page 45 ] ] .

He died in London.

References

Sources

* [http://www.history.org/Almanack/people/bios/biomer.cfm Bio at History.org]
* [http://www.virginiaplaces.org/military/revwar.html The Revolutionary War in Virginia]