Lipscomb Norvell (September 1756 – March 2, 1843) was an American military officer in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Norvell was the son of John Norvell and an unknown daughter of Moses Lipscomb of

Hanover County, Virginia Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

, and the great grandson of Captain Hugh Norvell, one of the original trustees of the city of

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula ...

. Norvell entered the Continental Army on August 7, 1777, as a cadet in Captain William Mosby's company of the

5th Virginia Regiment The 5th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775, at Richmond, Virginia, for service with the U.S. Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, B ...

of Foot commanded by Colonel

Josiah Parker Josiah Parker (May 11, 1751March 11, 1810) was an American politician, Revolutionary War officer and Virginia planter who served in the United States House of Representatives from Virginia in the First through Sixth United States Congresses as ...

. On January 15, 1778, he became regimental

paymaster A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...

. He fought in the Revolutionary War Battles of Brandywine, Trenton, and Monmouth. He became a second lieutenant in September, 1778 and a first lieutenant in February, 1780. In 1780, he was in the City of Charleston with forces sent to defend the city in response to a British threat towards southern colonies. After the

Siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The Britis ...

, the city fell, Norvell was taken prisoner of war and remained in British custody until the end of the war. From his service, he joined the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

. After the war, he was a justice of the peace and early pioneer in Kentucky, where he had received considerable lands as a bounty for his war service. At the time of his death, he lived with his family in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. He is believed to be the first Revolutionary War officer buried in the

Nashville City Cemetery Nashville City Cemetery is the oldest public cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of Nashville's prominent historical figures are buried there. It includes the tombs of 22,000 people, 6,000 of whom were African Americans. Overview Nashville ...

.Bond, Octavia Zollicoffer One of his sons was U.S. Senator

John Norvell John Norvell (December 21, 1789April 24, 1850) was a newspaper editor and one of the first U.S. Senators from Michigan. History Norvell was born in Danville, Kentucky, then still a part of Virginia, where he attended the common schools. He is t ...

of Michigan and his grandson, William Walker, the son of Mary Norvell Walker, was a filibuster in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

References

* Heitman, F. B., ''Officers of the Continental Army: War of the Revolution'', Washington DC 1893 * Guild, Joseph C., ''Old Times in Tennessee'', Nashville, Tennessee, 1878. * Bond, Octavia Zollicoffer, "Yester Nashville Names," ''The Nashville American'', November 7, 1909 * Obituary Lipscomb Norvell, "The Nashville Whig", March 2, 1843, Nashville, Tennessee * Palmer, Friend, ''Early Days in Detroit'' Detroit, Michigan 1906.

External links

Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War
1756 births 1843 deaths People from Hanover County, Virginia Continental Army officers from Virginia Virginia colonial people Burials in Tennessee Lipscomb {{US-army-bio-stub