Thomas Blount (May 10, 1759February 7, 1812) was an American soldier, and politician. He served as a lieutenant in the

North Carolina Line The North Carolina Line refers to North Carolina units within the Continental Army. The term "North Carolina Line" referred to the quota of infantry regiments assigned to North Carolina at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together ...

and as an adjutant general to Major General

Richard Caswell Richard Caswell (August 3, 1729November 10, 1789) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the List of Governors of North Carolina, first and fifth Governor of North Carolina, governor of the U.S. state, state of North Carolina from 1 ...

in the North Carolina militia 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 ...

. After the war, he served as a representative in the North Carolina General Assembly and served three terms in

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from the 5th Congressional District in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Early life

He was born at ''Blount Hall'' on May 10, 1759, in

Craven County Craven County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 100,720. Its county seat is New Bern. The county was created in 1705 as Archdale Precinct from the now-extinct Bath County. It was rename ...

(in the portion of it which became Pitt County in 1760) in the

Province of North Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monarch of Great Britain was repre ...

. His parents were Jacob Blount of

Beaufort County, North Carolina Beaufort County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,652. Its county seat is Washington. The county was founded in 1705 as Pamptecough Precinct. Originally included in Bath Cou ...

and Barbara Gray Blount. Jacob Blount acquired an estate of six thousand acres on Contentnea Creek between 1757 and 1783. Thomas had six siblings: William (b. 26 Mar. 1749), Ann (b. 3 Oct. 1750), John Gray (b. 21 Sept. 1752), Louisa (b. 17 Jan. 1755), Reading (b. 22 Feb. 1757), and Jacob (b. 5 Nov. 1760). Thomas's mother died in 1763 and his father remarried to Hannah Salter Baker. Thomas was educated at home. He was close to his brothers William and John Gray in both business and politics. Together, they ran the Blount Brothers mercantile business, which was one of the largest in North Carolina and based in

Washington, North Carolina Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States, located on the northern bank of the Pamlico River. The population was 9,744 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beaufort County. It is commonly known as "Original W ...

. John Gray and William were representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Career

Military service

In 1777 at the age of 16, Blount entered 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 ...

's 5th North Carolina Regiment during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a lieutenant under Captain Benjamin Stedman. He was dropped from the rolls in January 1778, since he was captured during the conflicts (most likely the Battle of Germantown). He was among those

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

shipped to England for detention. In 1780, he was back in North Carolina and served as Adjutant General to Major General

in the North Carolina militia.

Political career

He served as a representative from the North Carolina in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

: * (17931795), 3rd United States Congress, 9th North Carolina Congressional District,

Anti-Administration party The Anti-Administration Party was an informal political faction in the United States led by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson that opposed policies of then Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in the first term of US President George ...

affiliation * (17951797), 4th United States Congress 9th North Carolina Congressional District * (17971799), 5th United States Congress 9th North Carolina Congressional District,

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...

* 1798, lost to Willis Alston in a four-way race for the 9th North Carolina Congressional District (see 1798 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina) * 18051807, 9th United States Congress, 3rd North Carolina Congressional District,

* 18071809, 10th United States Congress, 3rd North Carolina Congressional District,

* 18111812, 12th United States Congress, 3rd North Carolina Congressional District, He served until his death in February 1812. He died in Washington, D.C. and was interred at the

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...

Personal life

He was the brother of

William Blount William Blount (March 26, 1749March 21, 1800) was an American Founding Father, statesman, farmer and land speculator who signed the United States Constitution. He was a member of the North Carolina delegation at the Constitutional Convention o ...

and John Gray Blount and the uncle of

William Grainger Blount William Grainger Blount (1784 – May 21, 1827) was an American politician who represented Tennessee's 2nd district in the United States House of Representatives from 1815 to 1819. He is the son of Southwest Territory governor William Blount ...

. His wife, Mary J. Sumner, was the daughter of

Jethro Sumner Jethro Exum Sumner ( – c. March 18, 1785) was a senior officer of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in Virginia, Sumner's military service began in the French and Indian War as a member of the state's Provi ...

. His home at Tarboro, The Grove, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1971.

References

Congressional Bio

External links

Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blount, Thomas 1759 births 1812 deaths People from Pitt County, North Carolina Continental Army soldiers from North Carolina Burials at the Congressional Cemetery Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina 18th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians