Jacques Marcus Prevost facts for kids

James Marcus Prevost (born Jacques-Marc Prévost; 1736 – 1781) was a British Army officer. He was born in Geneva, a French-speaking city in Europe. He led British troops in North America and the West Indies. This included fighting during the French and Indian War. This war was also known as the North American part of the Seven Years' War.

Prevost was called back to serve during the American Revolutionary War. He briefly served as the colonial governor of the Province of Georgia in 1778. This happened after the British took over Savannah, Georgia. He also served in the West Indies more than once. He died in Jamaica from injuries he got earlier in the war.

Early Life and Family Background

Jacques-Marc Prévost was born in 1736. His family came from a place called Bossy, near Geneva. At that time, Geneva was a republic, a country ruled by its citizens. He had eight brothers and sisters. His older brothers, Augustine and Jacques, also became soldiers. They served in the army of the King of Sardinia.

Military Service in the Seven Years' War

Joining the Royal American Regiment

Prevost joined his brothers in the military in the Netherlands. Great Britain hired them as officers for a new group called the Royal American Regiment. Augustine became a major, Jacques a colonel, and Jacques Marcus a captain. In the American colonies, Britain recruited German and Swiss immigrants for this regiment. This happened after General Edward Braddock's defeat in 1755. Britain was worried about a war with France, which became the Seven Years' War in Europe.

Fighting in North America

The three Prevost brothers came to North America in 1756. Jacques Marcus was hurt at the Battle of Ticonderoga in New York in 1758. Augustine was also badly wounded that year. He was serving with General James Wolfe's army near Quebec. Both brothers got better in New York City. Augustine continued to serve in the Royal American Regiment, especially in the Caribbean. He eventually became a lieutenant colonel.

After recovering, Jacques Marcus traveled in 1761 with Henry Bouquet. Bouquet was a Swiss colonel in the Royal American Regiment. They went to set up a British base at Presque Isle, which is now Erie, Pennsylvania. Their goal was to stop French troops at Fort Niagara. Prevost then commanded troops in New York City. After Britain won against France, there was less military action. So, he was put on half pay, meaning he received half his salary.

Marriage and Family Life

While recovering in New York City, Jacques Marc met Theodosia Stillwell Bartow. They got married in Trinity Church in 1763. They had five children together. These included Augustine James Frederick Prevost (born 1765) and John Bartow Prevost (born 1766).

While Jacques was away fighting, his wife Theodosia met an American colonel named Aaron Burr. He was ten years younger than her. In 1781, after learning her husband had died, Theodosia married Burr. Burr became a stepfather to the Prevost family's five children. Burr and Theodosia had five more children together. However, only their daughter Theodosia Burr Alston lived to be an adult. She was later lost at sea.

Service on the Frontier

Prevost's next job was to lead a group of Bouquet's soldiers. They were stationed at Fort Loudoun in Pennsylvania. He fought against Native American forces in the Muskingum River Valley in present-day Ohio. He returned to Theodosia in New York in 1765.

Prevost was on half pay again for several years. In 1772, his unit was sent to the West Indies. He returned to New York in 1773. By then, he and Theodosia had moved to their home in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. Their home was called The Hermitage.

Role in the American Revolutionary War

Beginning of the War

When the American War of Independence began, Prevost was a lieutenant-colonel. He was living at home in Paramus, New Jersey. He and his older brother, Brigadier General Augustine Prevost, were sent to St. Augustine. Their job was to help lead the British efforts in the Southern colonies.

Key Battles and Governorship

Jacques Marcus Prevost led British troops at the Battle of Brier Creek. This was a big victory for the British over the Americans. It slowed down the American progress in the war for a year. The battle ended with the British taking over Savannah in December 1778. Prevost was briefly made the British governor of Georgia. He took over from Archibald Campbell. Georgia was the only American state that the British managed to take back during the war.

Final Years and Death

In 1781, Prevost was sent with troops to Jamaica. He was there to help stop an uprising. He died in Jamaica that same year from injuries he had received earlier in the war.

While Prevost was fighting for the British, his wife Theodosia Bartow Prevost was at their home in New Jersey. She hosted important American leaders like George Washington. Other guests at their home included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr. Burr, who was ten years younger than Prevost's wife, became close with her while Prevost was away. She married Burr soon after Prevost's death in Jamaica.