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
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.
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,
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 ...
* 18071809,
10th United States Congress, 3rd 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 ...
* 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.
See also
*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)
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