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From: Herma R Armstrong <>
Subject: [MADKY-L] Jasper Newton
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 00:13:54 -0400


For any of you who are interested in the prevalence of "Jasper Newton" as
a name for male children in the early 1800's and as place names . . .

Jasper and Newton were 2 sergeants enlisted by Gen. Francis Marion in SC
during the Revolution. Little is known of Newton, but he apparently
served alongside Jasper. Jasper is said to have rescued the flag as Ft.
Sullivan was being bombarded by the British fleet in 1776. Facing deadly
fire, he placed a flag on the end of a sponge-staff (the ramrod used to
clean the barrel of a gun) and remounted it on the walls of the fort.
Later the 2 sgts. were instrumental in freeing 10 American prisoners
scheduled to be hanged.

BUT . . . how much of the story is true and how much is legend?

Bob Kammen of the Fauquier Co. VA mailing list referred me to an article
published at a website called "Illinois Periodicals On-line" by Charles
A. Chapin http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/ihwt9812.html
If you go this website and continue reading almost to the end (there are
some large gaps so you have to keep scrolling down), you will see that
the story of Sgts. Jasper and Newton was popularized in a historical
novel about the life of Gen. Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox) by Parson
Mason L. Weems Weems is the same fellow who came up with the story of
Washington and the cherry tree. Peter Horry, an aide to Gen. Marion, kept
a diary during the war and he loaned this diary to Weems to use in
writing the book. When Weems' book was published, Horry protested the
embellishments but to no avail. Weems apparently added great daring-do as
well as complete conversations. Horry complained to Weems that he had
written a "romance."
Weems' book, first published in 1809, was a runaway bestseller for its
time and several more editions were published between 1810 and 1820. It
is doubtful that people realized the book was a novel and not history.
The result? 16 counties and 23 cities named "Marion." Not to mention all
the places named Jasper and Newton and all the children named "Francis
Marion" and "Jasper Newton."
Interestingly, SC has no city or county named Jasper.

Herma


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