Sumter, Thomas (1734–1832), an American military leader and
statesman. Sumter, known as the “Carolina Gamecock” for his
courage and fighting spirit, distinguished himself as a
brigadier general of South Carolina militia during the
Revolutionary War. The daring guerrilla attacks he led against
British forces contributed greatly to their defeat in the South.
Sumter was born near Charlottesville, Virginia. He fought in the
French and Indian War and against the Cherokees on the frontier.
After the Revolutionary War, he served in both the U.S. House of
Representatives (1789–93; 1797–1801) and the U.S. Senate
(1801–10).