Roll of Honor
Incident
Town Marshal Jim Cook was shot and killed exiting the Hamburg Town Armory during the beginning of a race riot in Hamburg.
There was a dispute over a public road, and a group of white men called the Red Shirts insisted the National Guard Armory turn in their weapons. The Red Shirts were a white supremacist group that opposed civil rights for black Americans and caused disruption during the 1876 South Carolina Elections. When the National Guard soldiers refused to give up their weapons, a shoot-out began. Marshal Cook was the first black man to be killed.
In the aftermath, 7 men were killed: one white man and six black men. Ninety-four men were indicted in the attack, but none were prosecuted. The town of Hamburg began its decline, and by 1929, all residents had left the town. Today, the town is a golf course in North Augusta, South Carolina.
Officer is beleived to have been buried In Hamburg town Cemetery which no longer exists
T Fazzini researcher December 15th, 2023
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-SC-2A6311F8- Stewardship
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
150 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Town Marshal Cook served with the Hamburg Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Hamburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Town Marshal James Cook is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In SC, 271 of 438 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Cook's cause is highlighted.
How James Cook Compares
Offender Outcome
Never prosecuted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Cook is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Cook was killed by gun; unknown type.