Jethro New
Jethro New | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1757 |
| Died | January 1, 1827 (aged 69) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Kentucky and Indiana frontiersman; officer in the Continental Army and aid to General George Washington. |
| Spouse | Sarah Bowman |
| Children | 12 children |
| Relatives | George Bowman, father-in-law Abraham Bowman, brother-in-law Isaac Bowman, brother-in-law John Jacob Bowman, brother-in-law |
Jethro New (September 20, 1757-1827) was an 18th century American frontiersman and Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War, at one time serving as an aid to General George Washington. He was a prominent settler in North Carolina and Kentucky as well as being among the first families to arrive in Jennings County, Indiana.
Of his twelve children, his son Hickman New was a minister of the Disciples of Christ and his son Robert New was the first Secretary of State following Indiana'a admission into the United States. His youngest son Jeptha Dudley New was a state representitive of Indiana in the United States Congress from 1879 to 1881.
Biography
Born in Kent County, Delaware, he enlisted in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Serving under Captain Rhodes in the 2nd Delaware Regiment, he saw action at the Battle of Cowpens and the Seige of Yorktown and was present at the execution of British spy Major John André in 1780. Captured by the British at one point, he was tied to a horse and forced to walk several miles on muddy roads. After his release, he became an aid to General George Washington. [1]
Following the war, he married Sarah Bowman in North Carolina and together had 12 children. Sarah Bowman was one of the daughters of Virginia pioneer George Bowman and, in 1785, he moved his family to Kentucky County to join his brothers-in-law Abraham, Isaac and John Jacob Bowman who had settled in the area nearly a decade before. After his wife died in 1813, he and his family moved from Gallatin County, Kentucky to Jefferson County, Indiana and later to Vernon, Indiana. He died there in 1827 and later buried in the lower part of Vernon Cemetery. [1]