Jeremiah Olney

Jeremiah Olney was born into an old family from Rhode Island. He formed a company of infantry from that state at the start of the American Revolutionary War. After serving as captain in 1776, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel at the beginning of 1777. As secondincommand of the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment, he fought at Red Bank. After its commander was wounded early in the action, he led Varnums brigade in bitter fighting at Monmouth in June 1778.

Olney was born in 1749 at Providence, Rhode Island to parents Joseph Olney and Elizabeth T. Mawney . He was one of Josephschildren and was sibling to a twin named Marcy. Olney descended from Thomas Olney, a minister of the First Baptist Church in America and one of the founders of the Rhode Island colony. Olney at first declined a captains commission in the Rhode Island Army of Observation. Later he assumed command of a company of infantry in Colonel Daniel Hitchcocks Rhode Island Regiment. He held a captains commission in the regiment beginning onMay 1775. He remained a captain during the entire year of 1776 when the unit was called the 11th Continental Regiment.

Source: Wikipedia