William Jasper

William Jasper
Jasper raises the Moultrie Flag during the Battle of Sullivan's Island
Born	c. 1750
Died	October 9, 1779 (aged 29) Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	Continental Army
Years of service	1775–1779
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	2nd South Carolina Regiment
Battles / wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Sullivan's Island Siege of Savannah †

William Jasper (c. 1750 – October 9, 1779) was an American soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment.

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. Governor John Rutledge gave his 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. Five states (Indiana, Missouri, Texas, Mississippi, and Georgia) have adjacent counties named Jasper and Newton, as these were remembered as a pair, due to the popularity of Parson Weems' memorializing early American history.^[1] Several other states have a Jasper County with a county seat of Newton, or vice versa.