Abner Nash (August 8,1740 –December 2,1786) was an American politician who served as the second governor of North Carolina from 1780 to 1781 and as a member of the Continental Congress from 1782 until his death.
Nash was born the son of Col. John Nash and Anne Owen [1] at "Templeton Manor" Plantation in Prince Edward County in the Colony of Virginia. He read law and was admitted to the bar in Virginia. He also began his political career there,serving in the House of Burgesses from 1761 to 1765 before moving to New Bern,North Carolina. He married the widow of former colonial governor Arthur Dobbs. [2] [3] [4]
Nash was an active supporter of the revolutionary cause. He represented New Bern in the rebel "provincial congress" assembled from 1774,and in 1776 was a member of the committee that drafted the state's new constitution. He became a member of the North Carolina House of Commons in 1777 (serving as the first Speaker of that house) and the North Carolina State Senate in 1779. [3] [4]
He was elected governor by the legislature in 1780. During his brief tenure as governor,North Carolina saw some of its worst conflicts as a battleground in the American Revolutionary War. Unlike his brother Francis,his temper and poor health were poorly suited to the needs of war. This brought him into difficulty with the legislature. The assembly appointed Richard Caswell as commander-in-chief (Major General) of the North Carolina militia and state troops,even though the constitution assigned this responsibility to the governor. Then in December 1780,they named a Council Extraordinary that further encroached on his office. Consequently,Nash resigned and went home in the spring of 1781. Thomas Burke was named to replace him. [3] [4]
Later in 1782,North Carolina eased political tensions by sending Nash as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He would serve there the rest of his life,as he died at a session in New York City. Abner was initially buried in St. Paul's Churchyard in Manhattan,but his body was later returned for burial in a private,family plot in Craven County,North Carolina. [3] [4]
His son,Frederick Nash,was also a lawyer and political leader. He would serve as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Another descendant,Frederic,would later become a famous poet by his middle name,Ogden Nash.
Francis Nash was a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Prior to the war,he was a lawyer,public official,and politician in Hillsborough,North Carolina,and was heavily involved in opposing the Regulator movement,an uprising of settlers in the North Carolina piedmont between 1765 and 1771. Nash was also involved in North Carolina politics,representing Hillsborough on several occasions in the colonial North Carolina General Assembly.
Richard Caswell was an American politician and lawyer who served as the first and fifth governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1776 to 1780 and from 1785 to 1787. He also served as a senior officer of militia in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. As a delegate to the First Continental Congress,he was a signatory of the 1774 Continental Association.
The North Carolina State Treasurer is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina responsible for overseeing the financial operations of state government. The current state treasurer is Dale Folwell.
Benjamin Williams was the 11th and 14th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina,from 1799 to 1802 and from 1807 to 1808. He was the first of two North Carolina Governors since the American Revolution to serve nonconsecutive terms.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1777 met in two sessions in New Bern,North Carolina,from April 7 to May 9,1777,and from November 15 to December 24,1777. This was the first North Carolina legislature elected after the last provincial congress wrote the first North Carolina Constitution. This assembly elected Richard Caswell as the state's first constitutional governor.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1779 met in three sessions in three locations in the years 1779 and 1780. The first session was held in Smithfield from May 3 to May 15,1779;the second session in Halifax,from October 18 to November 10,1779;the third and final session in New Bern,from January to February,1780.
The Hillsborough District Brigade of militia was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia established on May 4,1776. Brigadier General Thomas Person was the first commander. Companies from the eight regiments of the brigade were engaged in 55 known battles and skirmishes in North Carolina,South Carolina,and Georgia during the American Revolutionary War. It was active until the end of the war.
James Glasgow served as the first North Carolina Secretary of State,from 1777 to 1798.
The New Bern District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4,1776,and disbanded at the end of the war.
North Carolina state troops in the American Revolution were the initial military units created in a transition from the Province of North Carolina under British rule to independence from British rule. Most units did not last long as such and were either transferred to the Continental Army or state militia instead.
William Caswell was an American politician,lawyer,and planter. Besides service on state court benches,he represented Dobbs County in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1779 to 1784. He was also a senior officer who commanded militia during the American Revolution.
The Dobbs County Regiment was a unit of the North Carolina militia that served during the American Revolution. The regiment was one of thirty-five existing county militias that were authorized by the North Carolina Provincial Congress to be organized on September 9,1775. All officers were appointed with commissions from the Provincial Congress. On May 4,1776,the regiment was placed under the command of the New Bern District Brigade commanded by Brigadier General Richard Caswell. The regiment was active until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 and was engaged in twelve known battles and skirmishes in North Carolina,South Carolina and Georgia.
The Wayne County Regiment was a unit of the North Carolina militia that served during the American Revolution. The North Carolina General Assembly created Wayne County and its regiment of militia out of part of Dobbs County and its regiment of militia on November 2,1779. The officers were appointed and commissioned by the governor of North Carolina. The regiment was disbanded at the end of the war.
The Hyde County Regiment was a unit of the North Carolina militia that served during the American Revolution. Hyde County,formed in 1705,had a militia in colonial times that was used to defend the coast of the Province of North Carolina. The North Carolina General Assembly authorized the Hyde County Regiment on September 9,1775,along with 34 other county regiments. The officers were appointed and commissioned by the Governor of North Carolina. The regiment was subordinated to the New Bern District Brigade of North Carolina militia on May 4,1776. The regiment was disbanded at the end of the war.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1780-1781 was the fourth elected legislative body of the State of North Carolina. The assembly consisted of a Senate and House of Commons that met in three sessions in at least two locations in the years 1780 and 1781. Each of the existing 50 North Carolina counties were authorized to elect one Senator and two members of the House of Commons. In addition,six districts also elected one House member each. The first two sessions were probably held in New Bern,North Carolina in April and September 1780. The third session met in Halifax from January 27,1781 –February 13,1781.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1782 was the state legislature that first convened in Hillsborough,North Carolina,on April 15,1782,and concluded on May 18,1782. Members of the North Carolina Senate and the North Carolina House of Commons were elected by eligible North Carolina voters.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1783 was the state legislature that convened in Hillsboro,North Carolina from April 18,1783,to May 17,1783. Members of the North Carolina Senate and the North Carolina House of Commons were elected by eligible North Carolina voters. This was the last assembly to meet during the American Revolution. Much of their time was devoted to taking care of the North Carolina soldiers that fought in the war.
The Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress was the last of five extra-legal unicameral bodies that met beginning in the summer of 1774. They were modeled after the colonial lower house. These congresses created a government structure,issued bills of credit to pay for the movement,organized an army for defense,wrote a constitution and bill of rights that established the state of North Carolina,and elected their first acting governor in the fifth congress that met in 1776. These congresses paved the way for the first meeting of the North Carolina General Assembly on April 7,1777 in New Bern,North Carolina. The Fifth Congress met in Halifax from November 12 to December 23,1776. Richard Caswell served as president,with Cornelius Harnett as vice-president.
The North Carolina General Assembly of April to June 1784 met in New Bern from April 19 to June 3,1784. The assembly consisted of the 120 members of the North Carolina House of Commons and 50 senators of North Carolina Senate elected by the voters in April 1784. As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina,the General Assembly elected Alexander Martin to continue as Governor of North Carolina. In addition,the assembly elected members of the Council of State.
The North Carolina General Assembly of October 1784 met in New Bern from October 25,1784 to November 26,1784. The assembly consisted of the 116 members of the North Carolina House of Commons and 55 senators of North Carolina Senate elected by the voters on August 20,1784. As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina the General Assembly elected Richard Caswell as Governor of North Carolina and members of the Council of State.