Governor of Mississippi Territory. A Harvard graduate, Sargent began his career as captain of a merchant vessel owned by his father. In 1775, he enlisted in the army and served for eight years, rising during the Revolutionary War from Lieutenant to Brevet-Major. He served as Secretary of the Northwest Territory from 1787 to 1798 and then was appointed Governor of the Mississippi Territory. A Federalist, Sargent faced strong political opposition during his tenure as Governor and was generally unpopular with the people. He was replaced as Governor in 1801 but chose to remain in Mississippi rather than return to the Northeast. Having married a wealthy widow, Sargent was able to live in the high style of early-nineteenth-century Natchez, enjoying a planter's life at Gloucester Plantation and engaging in a wide range of hobbies, from studying the stages of the Mississippi River to digging in Indian mounds to collecting fine art. Sargent died at sea in the Gulf of Mexico, not far from New Orleans. It has been determined that he was buried at sea, so the crypt he built for himself remains empty, and the obelisk monument his son built in Gloucester Cemetery is a cenotaph.
Governor of Mississippi Territory. A Harvard graduate, Sargent began his career as captain of a merchant vessel owned by his father. In 1775, he enlisted in the army and served for eight years, rising during the Revolutionary War from Lieutenant to Brevet-Major. He served as Secretary of the Northwest Territory from 1787 to 1798 and then was appointed Governor of the Mississippi Territory. A Federalist, Sargent faced strong political opposition during his tenure as Governor and was generally unpopular with the people. He was replaced as Governor in 1801 but chose to remain in Mississippi rather than return to the Northeast. Having married a wealthy widow, Sargent was able to live in the high style of early-nineteenth-century Natchez, enjoying a planter's life at Gloucester Plantation and engaging in a wide range of hobbies, from studying the stages of the Mississippi River to digging in Indian mounds to collecting fine art. Sargent died at sea in the Gulf of Mexico, not far from New Orleans. It has been determined that he was buried at sea, so the crypt he built for himself remains empty, and the obelisk monument his son built in Gloucester Cemetery is a cenotaph.
Bio by: NatalieMaynor
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