Huger, Maj. Gen. Benjamin (1806 - )
REF: Confederate Military History Vol. 5, pg. 400
Huger, Benjamin Frost (21 July 1836- 10 Mar 1887)
EMAIL: bawaring@worldnet.att.net (Hampton Waring)
Major-General Benjamin Huger was born at Charleston in 1806, son of Francis Kinlock Huger,
whose wife was a daughter of Gen. Thomas Pinckney. His father, who was aide-de-camp to
General Wilkinson in 1800, and adjutant-general in the war of 1812, suffered imprisonment in
Austria for assisting in the liberation of Lafayette from the fortress of Olmutz; his grandfather,
Benjamin Huger, was a famous revolutionary patriot, killed before Charleston during the British
occupation; and his great-great-grandfather was Daniel Huger, who fled from France before the
revocation of the edict of Nantes and died in South Carolina in I711. General Huger was
graduated at West Point in 1825, with a lieutenancy in the Third artillery. He served on
topographical duty until 1828, then visited Europe on leave of absence; after being on ordnance
duty a year was promoted captain of ordnance in 1832, a department of the service in which he
had a distinguished career. He was in command of Fortress Monroe arsenal twelve years, was
member of the ordnance board seven years, and one year was on official duty in Europe. He
went into the war with Mexico as chief of ordnance on the staff of General Scott, and received in
quick succession the brevets of major, lieutenant-colonel and colonel, for gallant and meritorious
conduct at Vera Cruz, Molino del Rey and Chapultepec. In 1852 he was presented a sword by
South Carolina in recognition of the honor his career had cast upon his native State. After this
war he was a member of the board which prepared a system of artillery instruction for the army,
and was in command of the armories at Harper's Ferry, Charleston and Pikesville, Md., with
promotion to major of ordnance, until his resignation from the old army to follow his
State in her effort for independence. He was commissioned colonel of artillery in the regular
army of the Confederate States, in June, brigadier-general in the provisional service, and in
October, 1861, major-general. In May, 1861, he was assigned to command of the department of
Southern Virginia and North Carolina, with headquarters at Norfolk, and after the evacuation of
Norfolk and Portsmouth in the spring of 1862, he commanded a division of the army under
General Johnston and General Lee, during the campaigns which included the battles of Seven
Pines and the series of important actions ending at Malvern hill. Subsequently he was assigned
as inspector of artillery and ordnance in the armies of the Confederate States, and in 1863 was
appointed chief of ordnance of the Trans-Mississippi department. After the conclusion of
hostilities he was engaged for several years in farming in Fauquier county, Va. His death
occurred at his native city of Charleston, December 7, 1877. His son, Frank Huger, a graduate of
the United States military academy, 1860, entered the Confederate service as captain of the
Norfolk light artillery and had a conspicuous career with the army of Northern Virginia, rising to
the rank of lieutenant-colonel and the command of a battalion of artillery of the First corps.
REF: https://www.awod.com/gallery/probono/cwchas/williamw.html
Benjamin was a member of the Charleston Light Dragoons. He served throughout the war, then as a postmaster until his death.