Lt.-Col. John Laurens (1754-1782)

He was born in Charleston and was educated in Europe. Rather than complete his law degree in England he returned to America to join the Continental Army, serving as Aide-de-Camp to George Washington. Despite the fact that his father made his fortune as one of the five largest slave traders in Colonial America, he was a vocal critic of slavery. In 1779, he gained approval from the Continental Congress for his plan to recruit a brigade of 3,000 slaves, promising them freedom in return for their service. The plan was defeated by political opposition in South Carolina. He was killed at the Battle of the Combahee River in August, 1782. He was married in London to Martha Manning whose brother became Governor of the Bank of England. They had one daughter.