Hugh Waddell was born in Ireland in about 1734 and arrived in North Carolina in the 1750s. A merchant, planter, and politician, Waddell served as an officer during the French and Indian War, where his leadership was credited with saving Fort Dobbs from Cherokee capture in 1760. During the War of Regulation, Governor William Tryon made Waddell a general. While raising troops in Western North Carolina, he was ambushed by a group of Regulators. This setback along with considerable Regulator sympathy in the region prevented Waddell from joining the Eastern militia at the Battle of Alamance. Waddell additionally served as a representative for Rowan (1757-1760) and Bladen (1762, 1766, 1768, & 1771) counties in the General Assembly. He died on 9 April 1773.