General James Hogun

From the Magazine of American History....a short biography of one of North Carolina's Revolutionary officers, General James Hogun.


As to General James Hogun...little has been known beyond the fact that he was probably from Halifax county, and that he was a brigadier-general. He was born in Ireland... . He married, October 3, 1751, Miss Ruth Norfleet, of the well-known family of that name.

He was appointed paymaster in the third regiment (Sumner's), but the 26th of November, 1776, he was elected colonel of the seventh North Carolina regiment...[and took] part in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown.

...General Washington stated that...Colonel Hogun by his distinguished gallantry at Germantown had earned the promotion, and he was therefore elected and commissioned a brigadier-general, January 9, 1779, and continued to serve with the army at the north. 

At the head of his brigade he [Hogun] passed through Halifax and Wilmington in February, 1780, and took part in the memorable defense of Charleston. When General Lincoln surrendered that city on May 12, 1780, though he surrendered five thousand men, only one thousand eight hundred of them were regular troops, and the larger part of these were General Hogun's North Carolina brigade. 

The surrendered militia were paroled, but the regular troops, headed by General Hogun, were conveyed to Hadrell's Point, in rear of Sullivan's Island, near Charleston. There they underwent the greatest privations of all kinds. They were nearly starved, but even a petition to fish, in order to add to their supply of food, was refused by the British. These troops were also threatened with deportation to the West Indies. General Hogun himself was offered leave to return home on parole. Tempting as was the offer, he felt that his departure would be unjust to his men, whose privations he had promised to share. He also knew that his absence would aid the efforts of the British, who were seeking recruits among these half-starved prisoners. He fell a victim to his sense of duty, and fills the unmarked grave of a hero.

General James Hogun died January 4, 1781, as a POW at Haddrell's Point near Charleston, South Carolina.

Haddrell's Point mentioned: