Person:Abner Nash (3)

About Abner Nash

From wikipedia.com

Abner Nash (August 8, 1740 – December 2, 1786) was the second Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1781 and 1782, and represented North Carolina in the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1786.

Nash was born the son of Col. John Nash and Anne Owen[1] at "Templeton Manor" Plantation in Prince Edward County in the Colony of Virginia. He read law and was admitted to the bar in Virginia. He also began his political career there, serving in the House of Burgesses from 1761 to 1765, before moving to New Bern, North Carolina. He married the widow of former colonial governor Arthur Dobbs.[2][3][4]

Nash was an active supporter of the revolutionary cause. He represented New Bern in the rebel "provincial congress" assembled from 1774, and in 1776 was a member of the committee that drafted the state's new constitution. He became a member of the North Carolina House of Commons in 1777 (serving as the first Speaker of that house) and the North Carolina State Senate in 1779.[3][4]

He was elected governor by the legislature in 1780. During his brief tenure as governor, North Carolina saw some of its worst conflicts as a battleground in the American Revolutionary War. Unlike his brother Francis, his temper and poor health were poorly suited to the needs of war. This brought him into difficulty with the legislature. The assembly appointed Richard Caswell as commander-in-chief (Major General) of the North Carolina militia and state troops, even though the constitution assigned this responsibility to the governor. Then in December 1780 they named a Council Extraordinary that further encroached on his office. Consequently, Nash resigned and went home in spring 1781. Thomas Burke was named to replace him.[3][4]