John Laurens: Unsung Hero of the Revolutionary War

Early Life:

John Laurens was born on October 28th, 1754, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Eleanor Bell and Henry Laurens. Henry Laurens, who would eventually become President of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution, owned several plantations and hundreds of slaves, which earned him the title of one of the wealthiest men in South Carolina. Like any young man of great means, John and three of his younger brothers were sent to Geneva, Switzerland, to complete their educations after their mother’s death. Geneva was known for the quality of its respected education system, and the liberal ideas that Laurens encountered during his years in school there, and later in London, influenced his opposition of slavery and his belief in equality. These liberal beliefs were sparked through the works of Europe’s first abolitionists, as well as by Laurens’ most influential teachers and friends, one of the most noteworthy being a man named Francis Kinloch.

John Laurens met Francis Kinloch during his time studying in Geneva and quickly befriended the fellow South Carolinian. The two young men often debated current political issues, such as the abolition of slavery, and the conflict between Great Britain and the American Colonies, in the letters they sent to each other. Despite the tensions that came from the fact that Laurens supported the American cause and Kinloch sided with the British, they consistently wrote letters back and forth until 1776. While the opening of his last letter is fairly affectionate, Kinloch effectively ended the friendship by closing with the following: “If you see any one I know, among the Carolinians of your acquaintance present my compliments; I would not be thought to have forgot them or my country”.¹ Kinloch’s curt response to Laurens’ previous letter, in which Laurens closed by saying “I shall always love you,” ³, hints at the possibility of contrasting emotions over the ending relationship. While some historians argue that Laurens’ appreciation of the Sentimental movement in literature influenced his writing style in his letters to Kinloch, and later to Alexander Hamilton, others suggest that he may have had a romantic relationship with both men due to the very plain style Laurens normally adopted. (for more info on this speculation, use the following links: Kinloch- ⁴ Hamilton-⁶

Soon after Kinloch and Laurens lost touch, Laurens had an affair with Martha Manning, a woman he had befriended while in England. After she unexpectedly fell pregnant, Laurens quickly married her, privately confessing in a letter to his uncle that “pity has only obliged [him] to marry”. Determined to aid in the American cause, John Laurens set sail for the American Colonies in December of 1777, leaving behind his wife and his unborn daughter, Frances, both of whom he would never see again.

The War and Washington’s Family

John Laurens joined the Continental Army in 1777, where he became a volunteer aide-de-camp for General George Washington and quickly gained the respect and friendship of those around him. Upon joining Washington’s “family” of young men serving as aide-de-camps, Laurens met Alexander Hamilton and Marquis du Lafayette, who had recently arrived from France. With the Philadelphia campaign under way, Laurens got his first taste of war at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Immediately throwing himself into the action, Laurens made a name for himself as a reckless, but fearless leader and soldier and caught the eye of Lafayette, who wrote of him, saying that “it was not his fault he was not killed or wounded he did everything in his power to procure one or t’other” ⁸

Just a few weeks later and Laurens was back on the battlefield on October 4, 1777 at the Battle of Germantown. Ordered to surprise-attack the British stationed just north of Philadelphia, the Americans tried to take the farmhouse on the hill that was held by British forces. Despite their best efforts, the siege was destined to be deemed unsuccessful after several failed attempts to take the house. Ever the rash young man, Laurens, along with French volunteer, the chevalier Duplessis-Mauduit, developed their own plan and together led a charge at the mansion, at which they threw burning straw. Laurens partially forced the doors open and fought with his sword in one hand and, in his other, a flaming torch with which he set fire to the woodwork in the house. He was struck by a musket ball, which went through his right shoulder, but quickly made a sling for himself from his uniform sash and continued to fight. Earning the respect of General Washington along with praise from his fellow soldiers for being a courageous leader, Laurens was awarded the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was made an official aide-de-camp.

As Laurens became involved with the duties of an aide-de-camp upon the Army’s arrival in Valley Forge, he also learned to navigate through the more political side of war as he served as the unofficial liaison between his father and General Washington. It was Laurens’ job to inform his father, who had recently been named President of the Continental Congress, of all that was happening within the Continental Army, including all successes, defeats, disputes, and, most importantly, any rumors uttered amongst the officers and enlisted men. In the fall of 1777, during which Granny Gates, Benjamin Rush, and Thomas Conway criticized Washington and advocated for his replacement in a series of attacks on his leadership abilities (infamously nicknamed the “Conway Cabal”), Laurens’ correspondence with his father in Congress would prove most useful. A loyal supporter of General Washington, Laurens sent letter after letter to his father, in which he praised the General and criticized Gates, Rush, and Conway. Always having admired Washington, Henry Laurens was influenced by his son’s strong opinions and stood his ground in Congress, allowing Washington to continue to lead the Continental Army without any further issues regarding the Conway Cabal. While he had helped his father squelch any criticism of Washington in Congress, Laurens would soon come face to face with challenging problems that could arise from dispute over leadership.

In December of 1778, John Laurens challenged Charles Lee to a duel. Lee, having failed to lead an organized attack at the Battle of Monmouth, had recently been subject to a court martial. During his court martial, he verbally insulted Laurens and spoke ill of Washington’s leadership and character. Thinking only of defending the honor of the General, Laurens recklessly challenged Lee to a duel, to which he agreed. Though dueling was technically illegal in the 1700s, it was common practice for men to agree to duels to preserve their honor, with no true intention of seriously injuring or killing their opponent. Such was the case of this particular duel. However, unlike most duels, Lee and Laurens started facing each other and advanced until they were only six paces away from each other. They then fired at the same time. Laurens wasn’t hit, but Lee was grazed by Laurens’ bullet. Lee called for a second round and, while Laurens initially agreed to one, their seconds managed to convince them that they had satisfied their honor. Interestingly, Lee later said that he gained “an odd sort of respect for [Laurens]” after this incident.

A Revolutionary Vision

Despite his many military tasks, as both an aide-du-camp and a lieutenant colonel, John Laurens managed the find the time to pursue the groundbreaking endeavor he would dedicate his life to: his vision of enlisting slaves into the Continental Army. Laurens believed that these slaves would form their own battalions and then be granted their freedom in return for their service. Being the son of one of a Southern plantation owner, this belief was revolutionary. He argued that the republican ideals for which the Patriots were fighting were no more than deceitful pretenses if slave labor continued. Laurens scrutinized the hypocrisies of the phrase “all men created equal” from the Declaration of Independence and argued in a letter to his father in 1778 that

“the rising of black battalions would advance those who [were] unjustly deprived of the Rights of Mankind [and] reinforce the Defenders of Liberty with a number of gallant solders” .

His letters reveal that he discussed this belief with anyone who would listen to him, not only writing to his father, but to Lafayette, Hamilton, and even General Washington himself. While many of the responses praised his dedication, he was often met with the cautionary advice of those who reminded him of the opposition he would indefinitely face. Disregarding this warning, he took this plan further and wrote to his father, who was the President of the Continental Congress, and proposed a plan of emancipation. However, despite the dire need for troops, Congress dismissed his proposal. While he would never see his plan put into action, Laurens was tremendously persistent in this endeavor, despite his many setbacks, and continued the pursuit of enlisting slaves into the Continental Army until the day he died.

Back Home in the South

In the spring of 1779, the British embarked upon a campaign in the South, capturing Savannah first and then moving on to capture Charleston as well. Determined to aid in the defense of his home state, Laurens left his position as Washington’s aide-du-camp and, after receiving written approval from the General, made his way to South Carolina, stopping first in Philadelphia to again petition Congress for the support of his plan to enlist slaves into Continental service. Due to the newly created British threat, Congress reluctantly permitted Laurens to move forward with his plan if he could gain the approval of South Carolina’s and Georgia’s state legislatures. These instructions determined that Laurens’ proposal would almost certainly fail because the Southern states were fearful of arming enslaved people. The Southern legislatures refused to grant him permission to form battalions of slaves, and despite his efforts, Laurens’ plans were never put into action.

While he was never granted permission to form his battalions, South Carolina did commission Laurens in the army as a lieutenant colonel and gave him command of rear guard troops who were in danger of being overrun by British forces in Charleston. Instead of withdrawing and acting on the defensive as ordered, Laurens led the inexperienced soldiers in an unnecessary charge, which resulted in numerous American causalities and Laurens himself getting injured. While the American commander, General William Moultrie, and several other American officers were infuriated to hear of his rash actions, the people of Charleston regarded him a hero for attempting to liberate them of British control.

Laurens later went on to take part in the failed attempt to recapture Savannah in October, 1779. By 1780, he was back in South Carolina to take part in the unsuccessful siege of Charleston. He, along with 5,500 American soldiers eventually surrendered in May. Most likely due to the influence of his father, Laurens was traded in a prisoner exchange in November of 1780.

The Reception Room of a King

After being released from British hold, Congress appointed John Laurens as an envoy to secure supplies and money from France. Arriving in France in late March of 1781, Laurens traveled to Paris to assist Benjamin Franklin in obtaining loans from the French government. After impatiently waiting six weeks with no results, Laurens called on the French minister of foreign affairs, the comte de Vergennes, and demanded money, weapons, uniforms for the soldiers, and ammunition, all of which were greatly needed in the Continental Army. Quick to dismiss his request, the comte de Vergennes retorted, “Colonel Laurens, you are so recently from the Head Quarters of the American Army, that you forget that you are no longer delivering the order of the Commander-in-Chief, but that you are addressing the minister of a monarch.”

The ever impetuous Laurens, never one to give up without a fight, ignored Vergennes and went straight to the man in charge: King Louis XVI himself. During a reception at which the king’s subjects could briefly pay their respects to him, John Laurens directly approached the king and presented him with his request. Despite this affront, Laurens managed to secure a 10 million livre loan from the Dutch, which was underwritten by the French, and sailed back to America in August of 1781 with money and two ships full of military supplies.

Laurens and the Battle of Yorktown

Laurens returned from France just time to rejoin Hamilton and Washington in Virginia for the Battle of Yorktown. While continuing to serve as Washington’s aides, both Lieutenant Colonel Laurens and Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton were given temporary command of light infantry battalions. On October 14th, 1781, Laurens and Hamilton led their battalions in the successful night attack on British Redoubt #10, while the French column, led by Wilhelm of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken, took hold of Redoubt #9. The capture of these British defenses made it possible for the Continental Army to finish its second parallel. Now, with a much closer and more intense bombardment from the Americans, the British position began to deteriorate and they quickly lost the upper hand.

The British soon called for a ceasefire in order to discuss terms for surrender. Two commissioners were appointed by the allied American and French forces to meet with the British representatives; John Laurens was one of them. Laurens, along with the viscount de Noailles (the Marquis de Lafayette’s brother-in-law), met the British representatives, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas and Major Alexander Ross, at the Moore House on October 18 to discuss the terms of British surrender. Laurens and the viscount were given strict order from Washington to require the British to surrender as unconditional prisoners of war and to insist their troops march out of Yorktown with cased flags. While the British protested, Laurens reminded them that those “harsh terms” were the very same terms demanded by the British during the siege of Charleston, in which he himself had been captured. Despite British opposition, Laurens insisted upon these conditions and General Cornwallis and the British army surrendered on October 19, 1781.

The War’s Not Done

Even after the monumental win at Yorktown, Laurens didn’t believe the war to be over yet. He continued to pursue his vision of enlisting slaves into the Continental Army, but was once again met with opposition and remained unsuccessful. He then joined General Nathaniel Greene’s army in South Carolina and played a large role in driving the British army out of the back country. As an outspoken, driven, and well-respected young man of twenty-seven, it seemed only fit that Laurens would join Hamilton and become one of the great leaders to help mold and lead the nation. After the Battle of Yorktown, Hamilton had left the army and had been appointed to the Continental Congress in 1782. Thinking of the future of the new country, Hamilton wrote the following in his last letter to Laurens:

Peace made, My Dear friend, a new scene opens. The object then will be to make our independence a blessing. To do this we must secure our union on solid foundations; a Herculean task and to effect which mountains of prejudice must be leveled! Quit your sword my friend, put on the toga, come to Congress. We know each others sentiments, our views are the same; we have fought side by side to make America free, let us hand in hand struggle to make her happy. ¹⁰

To Die For One’s Country

In August, 1782, Laurens was given command of a small group of troops organized to stop a British foraging party. Laurens disobeyed his orders to maintain a defensive position and instead sought out the British troops. Unknown to Laurens, Loyalists who had gathered word of his plan, notified the British forces, who had then prepared an ambush. On August 27th, 1782, Laurens was riding in front of his troops on their mission when one hundred and forty British soldiers, who had been hiding along the road in tall grass, fired at the battalion. John Laurens, refusing to surrender, stood his ground while his soldiers fled. During the second British volley, Laurens was struck by multiple musket balls and fell from his horse, mortally wounded.

Laurens’ soldiers later returned to collect his body and, few days later, he was buried at a nearby plantation until his father could return to bury him at the Laurens’ family plantation. The British-held newspaper, The Royal Gazette, in Charleston wrote of his death:

By accounts from the country we learn, that Mr. John Laurens, a Lieutenant colonel in the rebel army, and son of Mr. Henry Laurens, now in London; was lately killed near Combahee river, in attempting to impede the operations of a detachment of his Majesty’s troops.

When we contemplate the character of this young gentleman, we have only to lament his great error on his outset in life, in espousing a public cause which was to be sustained by taking up arms against his Sovereign. Setting aside this single deviation from the path of rectitude, we know no one trait of his history which can tarnish his reputation as a man of honor, or affect his character as a gentleman.

… While we were thus marking the death of an enemy who was dangerous to our Cause from his abilities, we hope we shall stand excused for paying tribute at the same time to the moral excellencies of his character – Happy would it be for the distressed facilities of those persons who are to leave this garrison with his Majesty’s troops that another Laurens could be found.

Word of Laurens’ death left a large impact on all who knew and worked with him. As a man expected to follow the lead of Washington and Hamilton, along with many others, and aid in the creation of America, Laurens’ death shocked the country. After hearing of his death, General Washington wrote:

“in a word, [Laurens] had not a fault that I ever could discover, unless intrepidity bordering upon rashness could come under that denomination; and to this he was excited by the purest motives.”

Henry Laurens was devastated to learn of his son’s untimely death. At the time, he had been in England, working to negotiate a peace treaty to officially end the war. Upon hearing the news of John’s death, Henry soon returned to America and reburied his son’s body at Mepkin, the Laurens’ family plantation in South Carolina.

As a man and leader so far ahead of his time who fought for what was right, even when that meant fighting alone, the words inscribed upon John Laurens’ tombstone are quite fitting:

DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI “Sweet and fitting it is die for one’s Country”

His dearest friend, Alexander Hamilton, the man who had lived with, worked with, and known John Laurens for almost the entirety of the war, sent a letter to General Greene in October of 1782 in regards to Laurens’ death. Speaking of both his admiration for John Laurens and of his grief over the loss of his friend, Hamilton appositely wrote :

I feel the deepest affliction at the news we have just received of the loss of our dear and [inesti]mable friend Laurens. His career of virtue is at an end. How strangely are human affairs conducted, that so many excellent qualities could not ensure a more happy fate? The world will feel the loss of a man who has left few like him behind, and America of a citizen whose heart realized that patriotism of which others only talk. ¹²

Sources

Fitzpatrick, Siobhan. “John Laurens.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 0AD, www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/john-laurens/.

Hamilton , Alexander. “Founders Online: From Alexander Hamilton to Major General Nathanael Greene, [12 …” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 1782, founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-03-02-0090.

Hamilton , Alexander. “Founders Online: From Alexander Hamilton to Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens, [1 …” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 1782, founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-03-02-0058.

HAMILTON, ALLAN MCLANE. INTIMATE LIFE OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON: Based Chiefly upon Original Family Letters and Other … Documents, Many of Which Have Never Been Published. FORGOTTEN Books, 2015.

John-Laurens. “John Laurens and Francis Kinloch.” Of Him Who Promises Much, Much Will Be Expected., 12 June 2016, john-laurens.tumblr.com/post/145777622748/john-laurens-and-francis-kinloch#:~:text=Kinloch%20to%20Laurens%2C%20April%2028%2C%201776%3A&text=But%20the%20closing%20is%20what,forgot%20them%20or%20my%20country.

“Lt Colonel John Laurens.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2019, www.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/johnlaurens.htm.

Massey, Gregory, D. John Laurens and the American Revolution. University of South Carolina Press, 2000.

says:, Val Plant. “The Sexuality of John Laurens.” 18th Century Pride, 18thcenturypride.com/the-sexuality-of-john-laurens/.