John Laurens: Cobalt Character

The real history

John Laurens was born in Charleston on October 28, 1754. His father, Henry Laurens, was a wealthy merchant and planter who had been one of the leading figures in the Atlantic slave trade. John studied in London and Geneva and was training as a lawyer in London when the war began.

He sailed home in December 1776, leaving behind a pregnant wife he had married in secret. In 1777 he joined Washington's staff, where he became close friends with fellow aide Alexander Hamilton. He fought at Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth and earned a name for reckless bravery. In December 1778 he fought a duel with General Charles Lee, who had been attacking Washington's reputation, and wounded him.

When the British shifted the war south, Laurens proposed that South Carolina arm enslaved men and grant them freedom in return for military service. Congress approved the idea in March 1779 and made him a lieutenant colonel. But the South Carolina legislature rejected his plan in 1779, in 1780 and again in 1782. Lawmakers would not accept such a threat to slavery.

Laurens was captured when Charleston fell in May 1780 and was exchanged that November. In 1781 he went to France as a special envoy and helped secure a loan, supplies and promises of French naval support. He then joined the Yorktown campaign, fought in the attack on Redoubt No. 10 and helped negotiate the British surrender.

On August 27, 1782, he was killed in a small skirmish on the Combahee River in South Carolina, one of the last fights of the war. Washington wrote that his only fault was a courage that bordered on rashness.

Sources

1. John Laurens, National Park Service
2. Laurens, John, South Carolina Encyclopedia
3. John Laurens, American Battlefield Trust

Checked against these sources on October 2, 2026. Spot a mistake? Report an error. How we check facts.