Jethro Sumner
Encyclopedia
Jethro Exum Sumner was a brigadier general
in the Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
.
Sumner was born in Virginia. He was active in the measures that preceded the Revolution, and in 1760 was paymaster of the provincial troops of North Carolina and commander at Fort Cumberland. He was also a commissioned officer in the Virginia Regiment
during the French and Indian War
. In 1776 he was appointed by the Provincial congress
colonel of the 3rd North Carolina Regiment
, and served under George Washington
in the north. He was commissioned brigadier-general by the Continental Congress
in 1779, was ordered to join General Horatio Gates
in the south, and was at the Battle of Camden
in 1780. He then served under General Nathanael Greene
, and at the Battle of Eutaw Springs
, September 8, 1781, made a bayonet charge, after which he was active in keeping the Tories in check in North Carolina until the close of the war.
Sumner was active after the war in the creation of North Carolina's chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati
, serving as its first president.
He died in Warren County, North Carolina
. Sumner County, Tennessee
(originally part of North Carolina) was named for him.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Sumner was born in Virginia. He was active in the measures that preceded the Revolution, and in 1760 was paymaster of the provincial troops of North Carolina and commander at Fort Cumberland. He was also a commissioned officer in the Virginia Regiment
Virginia Regiment
The Virginia Regiment was formed in 1754 by Virginia's Royal Governor Robert Dinwiddie, initially as an all volunteer militia corps, and he promoted George Washington, the future first president of the United States of America, to its command upon the death of Colonel Joshua Fry...
during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. In 1776 he was appointed by the Provincial congress
North Carolina Provincial Congress
The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government.-First Provincial Congress:...
colonel of the 3rd North Carolina Regiment
3rd North Carolina Regiment
The 3rd North Carolina Regiment was raised, on January 16, 1776, at Wilmington, North Carolina for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment would be captured by...
, and served under George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in the north. He was commissioned brigadier-general by the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
in 1779, was ordered to join General Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga – Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg – and...
in the south, and was at the Battle of Camden
Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a major victory for the British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War...
in 1780. He then served under General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
, and at the Battle of Eutaw Springs
Battle of Eutaw Springs
The Battle of Eutaw Springs was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, and was the last major engagement of the war in the Carolinas.-Background:...
, September 8, 1781, made a bayonet charge, after which he was active in keeping the Tories in check in North Carolina until the close of the war.
Sumner was active after the war in the creation of North Carolina's chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a historical organization with branches in the United States and France founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the American Revolutionary War officers and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American...
, serving as its first president.
He died in Warren County, North Carolina
Warren County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,972 people, 7,708 households, and 5,449 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,548 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
. Sumner County, Tennessee
Sumner County, Tennessee
Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
(originally part of North Carolina) was named for him.