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23 Facts About Jeremiah Olney

1.

Jeremiah Olney was born into an old family from Rhode Island.

2.

Jeremiah Olney formed a company of infantry from that state at the start of the American Revolutionary War.

3.

Jeremiah Olney moved south in 1781 to lead the Rhode Island Regiment at Yorktown.

4.

Jeremiah Olney supported the Federalist Party and held various civil offices.

5.

Jeremiah Olney invested in farms, turnpikes, shipping, and other business ventures.

6.

Jeremiah Olney was one of Joseph's 12 children and was sibling to a twin named Marcy.

7.

Jeremiah Olney remained a captain during the entire year of 1776 when the unit was called the 11th Continental Regiment.

8.

The sources stated only that Jeremiah Olney fought in four battles.

9.

That day, Jeremiah Olney was promoted lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Rhode Island.

10.

Jeremiah Olney said, "The King of England orders his rebellious subjects to lay down their arms, and they are warned that if they stand battle, no quarter will be given".

11.

When Stuart insisted on seeing the fort's commander, Jeremiah Olney replied that they would, "defend the fort unto the last".

12.

The British officer pressed further and Jeremiah Olney remarked that, "seeing Colonel Greene was altogether needless," because he would defend the fort "as long as he had a man and as to mercy it was neither sought nor expected".

13.

Jeremiah Olney's condition lasted a few years after which she recovered and outlived her husband by over 30 years.

14.

The couple had only one child, Mary Timmins Jeremiah Olney who married Samuel Carr and had three sons.

15.

Jeremiah Olney was one of the few individuals who served in the Continental Army for the entirety of its existence.

16.

Jeremiah Olney was a founding member of the Rhode Island Society of the Cincinnati and served as its treasurer and later as its president from 1800 until his death in 1812.

17.

Jeremiah Olney retained this position despite attempts to oust him in 1793 and 1802 for too-rigorous enforcement of duties and fees.

18.

Jeremiah Olney sold water from "Jeremiah Olney's Fountain" to nearby homes in North Providence.

19.

Jeremiah Olney bought shares in turnpikes, sold framed prints, invested in property, and sold lottery tickets.

20.

Jeremiah Olney acted as the agent for some ex-officers who owned shares in a farm in Tiverton, Rhode Island.

21.

Jeremiah Olney invested in the trading voyages of his seafaring brother-in-law Joseph S Cooke.

22.

Jeremiah Olney helped start the Providence Theatre and defended it in print against people who called it a bad influence.

23.

Jeremiah Olney died on 10 November 1812 and was buried in the North Burial Ground in Providence.