William Jasper
" William Jasper was a brave sergeant in the division of General Moultrie. For personal bravery and shrewdness, he had few equals. In the heat of the attack upon Fort Moultrie, the flagstaff was shot off by a cannonball. The banner fell outside of the works. Amidst a storm of iron hail, Jasper leaped from one of the embrasures, recovered the flag, mounted it on his spontoon staff, and unfurled it to the breeze. He was promoted to the highest rank he would accept. He often brought in prisoners before General Moultrie was aware of his absence. On one occasion, several prisoners were ironed and put under the guard of eight soldiers with a corporal and sergeant, and they started for Savannah with a fair prospect of the hemp. One was a Mr. Jones whose young wife was in great agony on his account and followed him with their only child and a lovely boy five years of age. Jasper and his kindred spirit, Sergeant Newton, resolved on their rescue. Within two miles of Savannah, in a copse of wood, is a spring of excellent water about six rods from the road. There, Jasper and Newton lay in ambush. When the party arrived, eight of them laid down their guns on the road and went to the fountain to drink, leaving two to guard their prisoners. The next moment, the two on guard slumbered in death, and the rest of the British party were all made prisoners; the Americans were released, and the whole arrived at the American camp the next morning at Perrysburg. The distressed wife had no intimation of the heroic adventure until the crack of the two guns from Jasper and Newton. The next moment, she clasped her fond husband to her convulsed bosom. Her joy may be faintly imagined and not described. Governor Rutledge presented Jasper with an elegant sword for his noble daring at Fort Moultrie. Soon after the brave defense of Fort Moultrie, Mrs. Elliott presented a splendid display of colors to Colonel Moultrie's regiment that composed the force in that action." At the storming of Savannah, two officers fell in an attempt to plant these colors upon the enemy's redoubt. When a retreat was ordered, Jasper was mortally wounded while in the act of rescuing this standard from the enemy. After the retreat, Major Horry called to see him and was made the bearer of the following message. "I have got my leave. That sword was presented to me by Governor Rutledge for my services in defense of Fort Moultrie. Please give it to my father and tell him I wore it in honor. If the old man should weep, tell him his son died in the hope of a better life. Tell Mrs. Elliott I lost my life in supporting the colors she presented to our regiment. Should you ever see Jones, wife, and son, tell them Jasper is gone, but the remembrance of that battle which he fought for them brought a secret joy in my heart when it was about to stop its motion forever." A few moments after he closed this message, his noble soul soared to heaven."
Source: The Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution by L. Carroll Judson