William Jasper (abt. 1750 - 1779)

Born about 1750 in Germany [uncertain]

Died 9 Oct 1779 at about age 29 in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia

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Biography

William Jasper is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 224241
Rank: Sergeant

William Jasper, Sergeant, 2nd South Carolina Regiment, was a noted American soldier in the Revolutionary War.^[1]

Sources differ on William Jasper's origins. According to one account, William Jasper (named Johann Wilhelm Gasper at the time) came to America in 1767. According to other accounts, William Jasper was the son of John Jasper, a Virginia blacksmith who had migrated to Union County, South Carolina during the early 1770s.^[1]

Jasper distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie (then called Fort Sullivan) on June 28, 1776. When a shell from a British warship shot away the flagstaff, he recovered the South Carolina flag in the Battle of Sullivan's Island, raised it on a temporary staff, and held it under fire until a new staff was installed. In 1779, Sergeant Jasper participated in the Siege of Savannah. He was mortally wounded during an assault on the British forces there.^[1][2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} William Jasper, Wikipedia.org, accessed December 3, 2018.
2. ↑ Sgt William Jasper, Find A Grave: Memorial #160619152, accessed December 3, 2018.

• Men of Mark in Georgia, Volume I (Northen, Georgia, 1907), pages 192-194.
• FamilySearch PID: MYBL-7DK
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 18 September 2019), memorial page for SGT William Jasper (1750–9 Oct 1779), Find A Grave Memorial no. 160619152, citing Savannah Battlefield Memorial Park, Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, USA ; Maintained by James (contributor 47106461) .