William Jasper

Soldier, war hero

  • Born: c. 1750
  • Birthplace: Unknown
  • Died: October 9, 1779
  • Place of death: Savannah, Georgia

Significance: William Jasper was an American soldier and war hero. He served as part of the 2nd South Carolina Continental Regiment during the Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and famously risked his life to replace fallen battlefield flags on two separate occasions. He was killed during the British assault on Savannah, Georgia, on October 9, 1779. After his death, Jasper gained widespread recognition for his bravery and eventually became one of the most well-known noncommissioned officers of the Revolutionary War.

Background

William Jasper's early life is all but entirely undocumented. It is believed that he was born sometime around 1750, but his origins are otherwise unclear. Most accounts indicate that he immigrated to the United States from Ireland in his youth, but others suggest that he had German roots. Whatever his ethnic background and wherever his place of birth, Jasper was raised in the South Carolina and Georgia low country. Beyond that, there is no surviving evidence of how he spent his early years or what he did in life before the Revolutionary War.rsbioencyc-20170808-407-163856.jpg

Life's Work

Jasper made his first definitive appearance in historical records when he enlisted in the grenadier company of the 2nd South Carolina Continental Regiment on July 7, 1775. He was recruited by Continental Army major general and future South Carolina governor William Moultrie and legendary militiaman Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion. Within just months of his enlistment, Jasper distinguished himself as a strong natural leader.

Jasper began his military career at a key moment in the early stages of the Revolutionary War. At the time of his enlistment, South Carolina was on the verge of revolt. Lord William Campbell, who took office as the colony's governor only the previous month, struggled to keep control of a citizenry that was fed up with British rule. The situation deteriorated so quickly that Campbell gave up his office and fled from Charleston that September. His departure allowed Continental forces to take control of the city and take up its defense. Jasper's regiment was one of those subsequently stationed in Charleston. Specifically, the 2nd South Carolina was tasked with constructing and manning a defensive post to be called Fort Sullivan.

Fort Sullivan was one of the most unique military battlements built during the Revolutionary War. Because stone was not readily available in the Charleston area, the fort walls were constructed using palmetto logs and sand. Despite uncertainty about whether or not such a design would withstand a full-scale attack, work on the fort began in 1776.

Construction was not yet complete when a British naval force sailed into Charleston Harbor on June 28 and commenced an assault. During the ensuing battle, one of the 2nd South Carolina's flags was shot from its staff and fell to the ground outside the fort walls. Without hesitation, Jasper dashed from his post and bravely retrieved the flag as shots and shells rained down around him. After crossing back over the wall, Jasper reattached the flag to its staff, placed it at the fort's highest point, and shouted, "God save liberty and my country forever!" With that, he returned to his post and continued fighting until the British were eventually forced to retreat later that night. Both he and the fort, which was renamed Fort Moultrie in the commanding officer's honor, proved their worth.

Following the successful defense of Fort Moultrie, Jasper was given the responsibility of leading several small guerrilla raids on British forces encamped along the Georgia coast. Between 1776 and 1779, these raids led to the capture of numerous enemy patrols and provided substantial information on the size and placement of the British troops. The most famous of these was a 1779 raid during which Jasper and Sgt. John Newton rescued a group of prisoners as they were being marched to trial and their probable execution in Savannah. Jasper and Newton freed the prisoners after successfully ambushing their British escorts when they stopped at a spring for refreshment.

Jasper's final act of bravery came during a failed attempt to retake Savannah that played out between September and October of 1779. The main assault in this battle took place on October 9. In the midst of the fighting, a 2nd South Carolina solider carrying the regiment's flag fell wounded. Jasper took his fallen comrade's flag and tried to plant it on the British fortifications, but was himself mortally wounded in the process. Although he was rescued and carried off the field of battle, Jasper died several hours later.

Impact

Jasper started to emerge as a widely revered figure even before his heroic death. His actions at Fort Moultrie and his many successful raids quickly became known and his reputation among the continental soldiers serving in the southern theater was virtually unparalleled. Jasper was even offered a field commission at one point, but he declined the offer because he felt he was not adequately educated for such a position. By the time of his death, Jasper was held in the highest regard by those with whom he served.

Jasper first rose to national acclaim after he appeared as a character in author Mason L. Weems' 1809 historical novel The Life of General Francis Marion. Thanks to the surge in interest generated by this work, Jasper soon came to be seen as a genuine American hero. In the years that followed, eight different counties, including South Carolina's Jasper County, were named in his honor. Many towns also took his name. Additionally, his heroism in rescuing American prisoners from British captors was permanently commemorated in an oil painting by artist John Blake White that was presented to the US Senate in 1899.

Personal Life

Little is known of Jasper's life outside his military service. At the time of his death, he was married and had at least two children. Although most of his family's identities remain a mystery, an impoverished Charleston widow named Elizabeth Brown came forward in 1838 claiming to be Jasper's daughter. In 1844, Brown successfully petitioned the South Carolina House of Representatives for recognition and was granted a yearly pension of $100 for her alleged father's brave service.

Bibliography

Bodie, Idella. The Man Who Loved the Flag. Sandlapper Publishing Company, 1996.

Butler, Nic, PhD. "Who Was Sgt. William Jasper?" Charleston Time Machine, 22 June 2015, insidetheacademy.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Transcript-Noddings.pdf. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.

Davis, Robert S. "Jasper, William." South Carolina Encyclopedia, www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/jasper-william/. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.

"HISTORY: Sgt. William Jasper." Charleston Current, 18 May 2015, charlestoncurrents.com/2015/05/history-sgt-william-jasper/. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.

Lucas, Jake. "Sgt. Jasper, Battle of Sullivan's Island Hero, Immortalized on New Quarter." Moultrie News, 23 Nov. 2016, www.moultrienews.com/news/sgt-jasper-battle-of-sullivan-s-island-hero-immortalized-on/article‗d40a1012-aa8a-11e6-9ae5-4b7b36272c2b.html. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.

"Sergeants Jasper and Newton Rescuing American Prisoners from the British." United States Senate, www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Painting‗33‗00003.htm. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.

"A Storied Legacy of Honor and Sacrifice." The 2nd South Carolina Regiment, 1775–1780, www.2ndsc.org/the-regiment-of-1775.html. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.

Telzrow, Michael E. "Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Hero: The Story of Sergeant William Jasper Is a Reminder That Ordinary Men of Extraordinary Courage Can Shape History and Inspire Generations." New American, 28 Nov. 2005, www.thefreelibrary.com/Ordinary+man,+extraordinary+hero:+the+story+of+Sergeant+William...-a0139717191. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.