Hudgins in Mathews County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Captain Louis d'Ohicky Arundel
In Memory of • 1746 - July 9, 1776
Photographed by Thierry Chaunu, July 8, 2026
1. Louis d'Ohicky Arundel Marker
Born in Alsace, France, Captain Louis d'Ohicky Arundel was breveted from the Royal Artillery School at Strasbourg and served as a lieutenant of artillery in the French colony of Saint Domingue in 1771. He volunteered for the Continental Army, receiving his commission on February 8, 1776. On July 9, 1776, he gave his life at the Battle of Cricket Hill, Gwynn's Island, Virginia, while serving as Virginia's artillery battery commander. He is the first known volunteer French officer killed in action fighting for American Independence.
Installed by the Virginia Society of the American Sons of the Revolution and the American Society of Le Souvenir Français. July 9, 2026
Erected 2026 by Virginia Society of the American Sons of the Revolution and the American Society of Le Souvenir Français.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 9, 1776.
Location. 37° 29.294′ N, 76° 18.429′ W. Memorial is in Hudgins, Virginia, in Mathews
this page online
Regionally, this memorial is on the Middle Peninsula and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Battle of Cricket Hill (a few steps from this marker); Dunmore's Last Stand (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named
Photographed by Thierry Chaunu, July 9, 1776
2. Louis d'Ohicky Arundel Marker
Also see . . .
1. Cricket Hill and Gwynn’s Island: Captain Arundel’s Only Fight.
" ..Although Arundel’s death was tragic, with the passage of time, we can now place his service in the larger context of events and appreciate the part he played in liberating Virginia from colonial rule..." (excerpt from Journal of the American Revolution, February 26, 2025, article (c) Patrick H. Hannum(Submitted on July 21, 2026, by Thierry Chaunu of New York, New York.)
2. Fort Cricket Hill Register Entry. Department of Historic Resources State & National Places/Landmarks Register with nomination form describing significance of the site and event. (Submitted on August 30, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.)
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, August 29, 2026
3. Fort Cricket Hill
The trace remains of Fort Cricket Hill's gun positions are accessible to the public at Morningstar Marinas just paces west/left of the marker. The remaining earthworks are for three of the four 9-pounders mounted east of the Narrows; another two guns, both 18-pounders, were in a different position to the west (and no longer exist). The gun positions shown were tasked with shelling Dunmore's camp and Fort Hamond on the southwest tip of Gwynn's Island, where Narrows Marina now stands. The 18-pounder battery to the west focused on the British flagship Dunmore, anchored just offshore in Hill's Bay.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, circa August 2026
4. Fort Cricket Hill
Recreational Drone view. The remaining earthworks of "Fort Cricket Hill" are visible at lower center just in front of the marina's storage building. Their target was the camp and fort (no longer extant) on the southwest corner of Gwynn's Island just to the left of the bridge, opposite the narrow channel. The range, even for cannon of that era, was very short.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2026, by Thierry Chaunu of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 24 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 21, 2026, by Thierry Chaunu of New York, New York. 3, 4. submitted on August 30, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
