Charles MacGregor
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor KCB
CSI
CIE
(August 12, 1840–1887) was an Anglo-Indian
explorer, geographer and officer of the British Indian Army
. He was the Quartermaster General
for the British Army in India, the head of the Intelligence Department for the British Indian Army
and served under Frederick Roberts
in the Second and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars. The MacGregor Medal
is awarded in his honour.
descent, MacGregor was born in Agra
, India, the son of Major Robert Guthrie MacGregor of the Bengal Artillery. His grandfather was Major-General James MacGregor of the Bengal
Cavalry. MacGregor was schooled at Marlborough College
before returning to India aged 16 to join the Bengal Army. Arriving just in time for the Indian Rebellion of 1857
, MacGregor fought in a number of actions, including at Lucknow
and was wounded twice.
MacGregor earned successive promotions whilst serving variously in campaigns in China, the Bhutan War (where he became the deputy assistant Quartermaster General) and Abyssinia
including at the Battle of Magdala
. In the Second Afghan War MacGregor served as Quartermaster General on the Khyber communication lines and commanded the 3rd Brigade of the Kabul-Kandahar field force at the Battle of Kandahar
. In the second phase of the Second Afghan War he became Commander Stewart
's and Earl Roberts' chief of staff. After the Second Afghan War, training of men in intelligence gathering became the responsibility of the Quartermaster General and MacGregor served in this role for the East Indies until 1885.
In 1870 MacGregor founded the United Service Institution of India for the "furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services." The Institution awards the MacGregor Medal, founded in his memory, in recognition of valuable contributions to military intelligence that are of defensive importance to India.
MacGregor's The Defence of India (1884) attempted to alert the British public to the geo-strategic importance of India, and the threat posed to British interests by Russia
.
MacGregor was decorated variously with the Order of the Bath
(Knights Commander), the Order of the Star of India
(Companion) and the Order of the Indian Empire
(Companion). He was promoted to Major General weeks before his death in 1887.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
CIE
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(August 12, 1840–1887) was an Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
explorer, geographer and officer of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. He was the Quartermaster General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
for the British Army in India, the head of the Intelligence Department for the British Indian Army
Intelligence Bureau
Intelligence Bureau was the main internal intelligence agency of British India. It can also refer to:* Intelligence Bureau , the domestic intelligence organization of India...
and served under Frederick Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
in the Second and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars. The MacGregor Medal
MacGregor Medal
The is awarded to Indian Armed Forces personnel for valuable military reconnaissance. The medal was instituted in 1888 to honour the memory of founder, Maj Gen Sir Charles MacGregor....
is awarded in his honour.
Biography
Of ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
descent, MacGregor was born in Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
, India, the son of Major Robert Guthrie MacGregor of the Bengal Artillery. His grandfather was Major-General James MacGregor of the Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
Cavalry. MacGregor was schooled at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
before returning to India aged 16 to join the Bengal Army. Arriving just in time for the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, MacGregor fought in a number of actions, including at Lucknow
Siege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
and was wounded twice.
MacGregor earned successive promotions whilst serving variously in campaigns in China, the Bhutan War (where he became the deputy assistant Quartermaster General) and Abyssinia
1868 Expedition to Abyssinia
The British 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia was a punitive expedition carried out by armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire...
including at the Battle of Magdala
Battle of Magdala
The Battle of Magdala was fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast, which at that time was the capital city of Abyssinia...
. In the Second Afghan War MacGregor served as Quartermaster General on the Khyber communication lines and commanded the 3rd Brigade of the Kabul-Kandahar field force at the Battle of Kandahar
Battle of Kandahar
The Battle of Kandahar, 1 September 1880, was the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The battle in southern Afghanistan was fought between the British forces under command of General Roberts and the Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan, inflicting nearly 3,000 casualties in...
. In the second phase of the Second Afghan War he became Commander Stewart
Donald Martin Stewart
Field Marshal Sir Donald Martin Stewart, 1st Baronet, GCB GCSI CIE was a British field marshal. He was for five years Commander-in-Chief, India, and afterwards a member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India....
's and Earl Roberts' chief of staff. After the Second Afghan War, training of men in intelligence gathering became the responsibility of the Quartermaster General and MacGregor served in this role for the East Indies until 1885.
In 1870 MacGregor founded the United Service Institution of India for the "furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services." The Institution awards the MacGregor Medal, founded in his memory, in recognition of valuable contributions to military intelligence that are of defensive importance to India.
MacGregor's The Defence of India (1884) attempted to alert the British public to the geo-strategic importance of India, and the threat posed to British interests by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
MacGregor was decorated variously with the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(Knights Commander), the Order of the Star of India
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(Companion) and the Order of the Indian Empire
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(Companion). He was promoted to Major General weeks before his death in 1887.
Works
- Narrative of a journey through the province of Khorassan and on the n.w. frontier of Afghanistan in 1875, 1879
- Wanderings in Balochistan, 1882
- The defence of India: a strategical study, 1884
External links
- Rana ChhinaRana ChhinaSquadron Leader Rana Tej Pratap Singh Chhina , a writer and military historian, is a veteran of the Indian Air Force.Born and raised in New Delhi, Chhina was selected for the National Defence Academy in 1976,shortly after graduating from St...