Jacques Marcus Prevost
Encyclopedia
Jacques Marc, Jacques-Marc, James Marcus or Mark Prevost (1736, Geneva - 1781) was a British Army officer of Swiss origin.
to a family originating in Savoy
and had eight siblings, including Jacques' two elder brothers Augustine
(born 1723) and Jacques (born 1725), who both served in the army of the King of Sardinia then the Dutch Republic
.
in 1755 and with the threat of war with France looming. The three were sent to North America when this war broke out and Jacques Marc was wounded at the Battle of Carillon
in New York in 1758. Augustine was also seriously wounded (with General James Wolfe
's army near Quebec) that year, and the two brothers recuperated in New York City that year, with Augustine going on to serve further with the Royal American Regiment, especially in the Caribbean, rising to lieutenant colonel. In New York Jacques Marc first met Theodosia Stillwell Bartow.
When his wounds had healed, in 1761 Jacques Marcus went with Henry Bouquet
, a Swiss colonel in the Royal American Regiment, to set up a British post at Presque Isle (present-day Erie, Pennsylvania
) and show a presence at Fort Niagara
. Next Prevost was assigned to command a body of troops in New York City but was soon put on half pay after the French defeat and the reduction in military activity. Whilst there he married Theodosia in Trinity Church in Manhattan in 1763. His next assignment was to command a detachment of Bouquet's force at Fort Loudoun on the Pennsylvania frontier fighting against Ohio Native American towns in the Muskingum Valley before returning to his wife in New York in 1765. He then went back onto half pay before his unit was posted to the West Indies in 1772, though he again returned to New York from 1773. By then the couple were living in The Hermitage.
's capture in December 1778 he was for a short time British governor of Georgia
in succession to Archibald Campbell
. Accompanying a body of troops to Jamaica in 1781, he died of wounds suffered earlier in the war later that year. Weeks after his death his wife became involved with Aaron Burr
, later marrying him.
Early ife
He was born in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to a family originating in Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
and had eight siblings, including Jacques' two elder brothers Augustine
Augustine Prevost
Major General Augustine Prévost was a Swiss-born British soldier who served in the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence.-Seven Years War:...
(born 1723) and Jacques (born 1725), who both served in the army of the King of Sardinia then the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
.
Seven Years War
Jacques appears to have joined these two brothers in the Netherlands. Augustine was then commissioned as a major, Jacques as a colonel and Jacques Marcus as a captain in the new Royal American Regiment, formed of German and Swiss settlers in the colonies by Great Britain after General Braddock's defeat in western Pennsylvania in the French and Indian WarsFrench and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
in 1755 and with the threat of war with France looming. The three were sent to North America when this war broke out and Jacques Marc was wounded at the Battle of Carillon
Battle of Carillon
The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
in New York in 1758. Augustine was also seriously wounded (with General James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
's army near Quebec) that year, and the two brothers recuperated in New York City that year, with Augustine going on to serve further with the Royal American Regiment, especially in the Caribbean, rising to lieutenant colonel. In New York Jacques Marc first met Theodosia Stillwell Bartow.
When his wounds had healed, in 1761 Jacques Marcus went with Henry Bouquet
Henry Bouquet
Henry Bouquet was a prominent British Army officer in the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War. Bouquet is best known for his victory over Native Americans at the Battle of Bushy Run, lifting the siege of Fort Pitt during Pontiac's War.-Early life:Bouquet was born into a moderately wealthy...
, a Swiss colonel in the Royal American Regiment, to set up a British post at Presque Isle (present-day Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
) and show a presence at Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
. Next Prevost was assigned to command a body of troops in New York City but was soon put on half pay after the French defeat and the reduction in military activity. Whilst there he married Theodosia in Trinity Church in Manhattan in 1763. His next assignment was to command a detachment of Bouquet's force at Fort Loudoun on the Pennsylvania frontier fighting against Ohio Native American towns in the Muskingum Valley before returning to his wife in New York in 1765. He then went back onto half pay before his unit was posted to the West Indies in 1772, though he again returned to New York from 1773. By then the couple were living in The Hermitage.
American War of Independence
On the outbreak of the American War of Independence he was a lieutenant-colonel living in Paramus, New Jersey, and after SavannahSavannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
's capture in December 1778 he was for a short time British governor of Georgia
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...
in succession to Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell (British Army officer)
General Sir Archibald Campbell KB served as Governor of Jamaica and Madras. He was a major Scottish landowner, Heritable Usher of the White Rod for Scotland and a Member of Parliament for the Stirling Burghs.-Birth:...
. Accompanying a body of troops to Jamaica in 1781, he died of wounds suffered earlier in the war later that year. Weeks after his death his wife became involved with Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
, later marrying him.
External links
- http://www.thehermitage.org/prevosts_text.html
- http://shapiro.anthro.uga.edu/Lamar/PDFfiles/Publication%2064.pdf