Colquhoun Grant
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Colquhoun Grant (1780–1829) was a British Army
soldier and intelligence
officer during the Napoleonic Wars. He should not be confused with his contemporary and namesake Sir Colquhoun Grant
, who was a British cavalry general.
Of a family from the Scots
aristocracy
, Grant, the youngest of eight brothers, was commissioned into the 11th Foot in 1795, reaching the rank of Major
by 1809 when he was posted to the Iberian Peninsula
under the command of Arthur Wellesley
,later Duke of Wellington. In 1810 he was appointed to Wellesley's personal staff as an Exploring Officer in the Peninsula Corps of Guides, a special reconnaissance
unit who spoke the local languages.
Grant never thought of himself as a spy, and always rode in full uniform, often behind enemy lines, to note the positions and strength of the enemy.
Grant was captured by French
forces on 16 April 1812. As he was in uniform he was treated as an officer and gentleman by his captors, who offered him parole
which Grant accepted. His servant Leon, a local guide, was not so fortunate, and was shot. Grant was invited to dine with Marshal Marmont who hoped to find out more about Wellington, and who was angered by Grant's reticence. Marmont had good reason to remain suspicious of Grant, as the latter managed to send and receive secret messages while in captivity.
Marmont sent Grant to Paris
for interrogation
. It is clear from Marmont's correspondence that he had no intention of exchanging Grant for a prisoner of equal rank among the British, as was the custom of the time, considering him to be a spy. Grant, on seeing a copy of Marmont's letter, decided that it invalidated his agreement to parole and left him free to escape.
Grant was able to avoid recapture by passing himself off as an American
officer, and spent some weeks at liberty in the streets and salons of Paris, sending intelligence reports to Wellington. He then escaped to England, rejoining Wellington in early 1814. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel he was appointed commanding officer of the Corps of Guides and Head of Intelligence for the Peninsular Army.
During the Hundred Days
Campaign Grant was working as Intelligence officer in France when Wellington put him in charge of his own intelligence operations. Grant sent in a steady stream of reports regarding the build-up of French troops along the border and returned to Brussels in time to take part in the Battle of Waterloo
on June 18.
In 1821 Grant transferred to the 54th Foot as lieutenant-colonel, later commanding a brigade in the First Anglo-Burmese War.
He appears as a character in Susanna Clarke's fantasy novel set in the period, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
.
The character of Major Michael Hogan in Bernard Cornwell
's Sharpe
series of novels is loosely based on Grant.
In James McGee's novel Rebellion, based on the real 'Malet Conspiracy
', Grant joins forces with McGee's fictional hero, Matthew Hawkwood. Together, they take part in a plot by renegade French generals to seize control of the Empire while Napoleon Bonaparte is fighting in Russia.
His son, Walter Colquhoun Grant
, also became an army officer, the youngest captain
in the army at 24, before financial troubles saw him become an early settler in the Colony of Vancouver Island
. He later rejoined the army, serving in the Crimean War
and Indian Mutiny.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldier and intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
officer during the Napoleonic Wars. He should not be confused with his contemporary and namesake Sir Colquhoun Grant
Colquhoun Grant (British cavalry general)
Lieutenant General Sir John Colquhoun Grant KCB was a British soldier.-Military career:Sir Colquhoun Grant in joined the 36th Regiment as an ensign in 1793, exchanging to the cavalry , with which he served at Seringapatam, but returning to the infantry in 1802 to command the 72nd regiment, which...
, who was a British cavalry general.
Of a family from the Scots
Scotland
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...
aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
, Grant, the youngest of eight brothers, was commissioned into the 11th Foot in 1795, reaching the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
by 1809 when he was posted to the Iberian Peninsula
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
under the command of Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
,later Duke of Wellington. In 1810 he was appointed to Wellesley's personal staff as an Exploring Officer in the Peninsula Corps of Guides, a special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organisations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy. As a role, SR is distinct from commando operations,...
unit who spoke the local languages.
Grant never thought of himself as a spy, and always rode in full uniform, often behind enemy lines, to note the positions and strength of the enemy.
Grant was captured by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
forces on 16 April 1812. As he was in uniform he was treated as an officer and gentleman by his captors, who offered him parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
which Grant accepted. His servant Leon, a local guide, was not so fortunate, and was shot. Grant was invited to dine with Marshal Marmont who hoped to find out more about Wellington, and who was angered by Grant's reticence. Marmont had good reason to remain suspicious of Grant, as the latter managed to send and receive secret messages while in captivity.
Marmont sent Grant to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
. It is clear from Marmont's correspondence that he had no intention of exchanging Grant for a prisoner of equal rank among the British, as was the custom of the time, considering him to be a spy. Grant, on seeing a copy of Marmont's letter, decided that it invalidated his agreement to parole and left him free to escape.
Grant was able to avoid recapture by passing himself off as an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
officer, and spent some weeks at liberty in the streets and salons of Paris, sending intelligence reports to Wellington. He then escaped to England, rejoining Wellington in early 1814. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel he was appointed commanding officer of the Corps of Guides and Head of Intelligence for the Peninsular Army.
During the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
Campaign Grant was working as Intelligence officer in France when Wellington put him in charge of his own intelligence operations. Grant sent in a steady stream of reports regarding the build-up of French troops along the border and returned to Brussels in time to take part in the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
on June 18.
In 1821 Grant transferred to the 54th Foot as lieutenant-colonel, later commanding a brigade in the First Anglo-Burmese War.
He appears as a character in Susanna Clarke's fantasy novel set in the period, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is the 2004 first novel by British writer Susanna Clarke. An alternative history set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars, it is based on the premise that magic once existed in England and has returned with two men: Gilbert Norrell and...
.
The character of Major Michael Hogan in Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
's Sharpe
Richard Sharpe (fictional character)
Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. The stories formed the basis for an ITV television series wherein the eponymous character was played by Sean Bean....
series of novels is loosely based on Grant.
In James McGee's novel Rebellion, based on the real 'Malet Conspiracy
Malet coup of 1812
The Malet coup of 1812 was an attempted coup d'etat in Paris, France, aimed at removing Napoleon I, then campaigning in Russia, from power. The coup was engineered by Republican general Claude François de Malet, who had spent time in prison because of his opposition to Napoleon...
', Grant joins forces with McGee's fictional hero, Matthew Hawkwood. Together, they take part in a plot by renegade French generals to seize control of the Empire while Napoleon Bonaparte is fighting in Russia.
His son, Walter Colquhoun Grant
Walter Colquhoun Grant
Walter Colquhoun Grant was British Army officer and a pioneer settler in what is today British Columbia. He served briefly as a colonial surveyor but left after a few years to rejoin the army...
, also became an army officer, the youngest captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the army at 24, before financial troubles saw him become an early settler in the Colony of Vancouver Island
Colony of Vancouver Island
The Colony of Vancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Dominion of Canada through Confederation in 1871...
. He later rejoined the army, serving in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and Indian Mutiny.