General Charles O'Hara (1740 – 25 February 1802) was a British military officer who served in the Seven Years War, American War of Independence, and French Revolutionary War, and later served as Governor of Gibraltar. During his career O'Hara personally surrendered to both George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Charles O'Hara was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the illegitimate son of General James O'Hara and his Portuguese mistress. Charles was sen...
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General Charles O'Hara (1740 – 25 February 1802) was a British military officer who served in the Seven Years War, American War of Independence, and French Revolutionary War, and later served as Governor of Gibraltar. During his career O'Hara personally surrendered to both George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Charles O'Hara was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the illegitimate son of General James O'Hara and his Portuguese mistress. Charles was sent to Westminster School. On December 23, 1752, at the age of twelve -- a young but not uncommon age for a subaltern of the era -- he became a cornet in the 3rd Dragoons. He became a lieutenant in the 2nd Regiment of the Coldstream Guards on January 14, 1756 shortly before major warfare broke out in Europe.
In 1762, during the Seven Years' War, he served under his father in Portugal in the same campaign with Charles Lee. He also saw service in Germany.
On 25 July 1766, O'Hara was appointed commandant of the Africa Corps at in Senegal which had...
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