Baptist minister. Pastor in New Jersey and Pennsylvania; U.S. military chaplain, Revolutionary War, Indian campaigns, War of 1812.

Jones was born on May 12, 1736, near Newark, Delaware. At the age of 22, he was converted and baptized. He went on to study theology and was ordained in 1766. Jones went on several missions to Ohio to bring the Gospel to the native tribes. He had a successful ministry in Monmouth until 1775 when his outspoken nature regarding the rights of the colonists caused turmoil in the church. After his resignation, he became pastor of a prominent church in Chester County, Pennsylvania. In that same year, Jones was asked to preach to the State Militia. He delivered his most famous sermon which affirmed a fight for liberty was honorable in the sight of God so long as the war “defensive.” This sermon was widely circulated in the colonies and its assertion that the war was a “just cause” persuaded many Christians take up arms against the King.

As a chaplain in the Continental Army, he was a trusted confidant of General Washington who used Jones to deliver secret messages. During one reconnaissance expedition, Jones took notice of a suspicious man. Jones arrested the man who turned out to be a British officer. Jones was so successful the British General Howe placed a reward for his capture – Jones was able to elude several attempts by the British to apprehend him. He served at several key battles and also served Washington as an observer at Yorktown when General Cornwallis surrendered. Jones was also a trained physician caring for wounded soldiers, and at Valley Forge, he helped gather supplies.

At the end of the war, Jones returned to his ministry until 1794 when General Anthony Wayne again asked him to serve as Chaplain on an expedition to the Northwest Territory to subdue the native tribes. Jones readily accepted and even preached to many settlements in Kentucky and Ohio. Two years later he returned to Pennsylvania to resume his duties at his Church. Jones served his country one more time at the age of 76 in the War of 1812. He was initially rejected due to his age but he appealed to former military friends who helped him get a position as chaplain. Jones died in 1820 at his home and was buried at his church.

Accessed 12 Jun 2019 from: https://www.theamericanview.com/rev-david-jones/