'Francis Nash' (
1742 –
October 7 1777) was a brigadier general killed in the
American Revolutionary War.
Nash was born in
Prince Edward County,
Virginia. At an early age he became prominent as a
North Carolina merchant, attorney, and
justice of the peace; experiences which eventually led to a seat in the
North Carolina House of Commons. His brother was
Abner Nash.
During the
War of the Regulation, Nash was a lawyer working in
Hillsborough, North Carolina, and was, along with
Edmund Fanning, charged and found guilty of extorting money from the local residents. He served as a captain in the Orange County militia, and participated in the
Battle of Alamance, fighting against the
Regulators.
In
1775, the Provincial Congress elected Nash
Lieutenant Colonel of the
First North Carolina Regiment,
Continental Army. After taking part in the expedition to aid
Charleston in
1776 and
1777, Nash (now in command of the North Carolina Brigade) marched north to join General
George Washington's Army and commanded the 1st North Carolina Regiment at the
Battle of Brandywine. He was mortally wounded while leading his brigade in the
Battle of Germantown on
October 4,
1777 and died on
October 7. He was buried in the Towamencin Mennonite Meetinghouse Cemetery in
Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania on
October 9,
1777.
Nash was regarded by Washington as a brave and valuable soldier. The governor of North Carolina described him as ''"the ablest North Carolina officer in the field"'' and at his death was described as ''"one of the most enlightened, liberal, and magnanimous gentlemen that ever sacrificed his life for his country."''
The cities of
Nashville, Tennessee,
Nashville, North Carolina,
Nashville, Georgia,
Nash County, North Carolina, General Nash Elementary School in
Towamencin Township,
Pennsylvania, and the
USS Nashville (LPD-13) (
Amphibious transport dock) were named in his honor.
References
Initially based on public domain material from the Web site of USS ''Nashville'' (LPD-13), http://www.nashville.navy.mil.
External link
★
Photographs of grave monuments of Nash