|
North Carolina's Governors
Abner Nash (ca. 1740-1786) succeeded Richard Caswell to become the second governor of the young state. He was born in present-day Prince Edward County, Virginia. He began the practice of law in 1757 and in 1761-1762 served in the House of Burgesses. Soon after leaving the Virginia legislature, Nash moved to North Carolina. He represented the town of Halifax and Halifax County in the North Carolina assembly in 1764-1765 and 1771. In the early 1770s Nash relocated to New Bern, the seat of royal government, where his public career prospered. As tensions with Great Britain mounted, Nash distinguished himself as a leading and zealous advocate for the Patriot cause. When Governor Josiah Martin fled from New Bern for his own safety, he singled out defiant Nash for special censure. From 1774 to 1776 Nash was a delegate to each of North Carolina's five provincial congresses. In 1777 he represented New Bern in North Carolina's first General Assembly as an independent state, serving three years, part of that term as speaker. On April 20, 1780, he resigned his seat upon his election as governor. As chief executive Nash drew upon every resource to support the national war effort while protecting North Carolina against British attack. Like Caswell, he found his constitutional powers inadequate to the task that lay before him. When nominated for reelection in June of 1781, he cited fatigue and health concerns in asking that his name be withdrawn. Nash returned to the House of Commons and three times accepted election to the Continental Congress, where he pressed for a stronger central government. It was while attending Congress that Nash died in New York City, on December 2, 1786. Initially buried there in St. Paul's churchyard, he was later moved to the cemetery of his Craven County plantation, "Pembroke."
|
