Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB
(sometimes spelled Geoffrey, or Jeffrey, he himself spelled his name as Jeffery) (29 January 1717 – 3 August 1797) served as an officer in the British Army
and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
.
Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War
, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and Montreal. He was also the first British Governor General in the territories that eventually became Canada. Numerous places and streets are named for him, both in Canada and the United States. Amherst is also infamous for catalyzing the first historical incidents of biological warfare, as he endorsed and commanded giving blankets infected with smallpox to the natives. The events are recounted in Chapter 5 of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States
.
, England, on 29 January 1717, into a family of lawyers. His brothers included Admiral John Amherst
and Lieutenant General William Amherst. From an early age he received the patronage
of the Duke of Dorset
. Amherst became a soldier in 1735 when he became an ensign
in the Grenadier Guards
.
From 1741 he served in the War of the Austrian Succession
. His regiment was part of the British force sent to protect the Austrian Netherlands in 1741. He became an aide to General John Ligonier
the following year. As a staff officer he participated in the Battle of Dettingen
in 1743 and the Battle of Fontenoy
. Along with much of the army in Flanders
, he was recalled to Britain during the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745. Returning to the continent, he was given a prestigious post as an aide to the Duke of Cumberland, the commander of the British forces and saw further action.
to the Hessian
forces that had been assembled to defend Hanover
as part of the Army of Observation. As it appeared likely a French invasion attempt against Britain itself was imminent, Amherst was ordered in April to arrange the transportation of thousands of the Germans to southern England to bolster Britain's defences. By 1757 as the immediate danger to Britain had passed the troops were moved back to Hanover to join a growing army under the Duke of Cumberland. Amherst fought with the Hessians at the Battle of Hastenbeck
in July 1757. The Allied defeat there forced the army into a steady retreat northwards to Stade
on the North Sea
coast.
Amherst was left dispirited by the retreat and by the Convention of Klosterzeven
by which Hanover
agreed to withdraw from the war. He began to prepare to disband the Hessian troops under his command, only to receive word that the Convention had been repudiated and the Allied force was being reformed. Amherst was in Stade preparing to retake the offensive under the army's new commander Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick
, when he received word summoning him back to England.
, particularly in the North American campaign known in the United States as the French and Indian War
. After he served in Europe in 1757, Amherst led the British attack on Louisbourg
in 1758. Amherst judged that the year was too advanced for him to attempt attacks on either Quebec
or New Orleans and returned to Britain.
In the wake of this he was promoted to become commander-in-chief of the British army in North America
, and led the successful British conquest of New France
. In 1759, while James Wolfe
besieged and eventually captured Quebec
with one army, Amherst led another army against French troops on Lake Champlain
, where he captured Fort Ticonderoga
against little resistance but found his further advance frustrated and he had to delay any further move on Montreal until the following year.
from Lake Ontario
, and captured Montreal
, ending French rule in North America. He infuriated the French commanders by refusing them the "honours of war" (the ceremonial right of a defeated garrison to retain their flags); the Knight of Lévis burned the colors rather than surrendering them. Amherst held the position of military governor of Canada from 1760 to 1763. To celebrate the fall of Montreal on September 8, 1760 and the capitulation of New France to the British, John Worgan composed "A song of the taking of Mont-Real by General Amherst" in 1760: "I fill not the Glass, to some favourite lass, / A hero engrosses my Lays; / Thy Trumpet, O Fame! / His deed shall proclaim, / And spread round the Globe Amherst's praise."
From his base at New York, Amherst oversaw the dispatch of troops to take part in British expeditions in the West Indies that led to the British capturing Dominica
in 1761 and Martinique
and Cuba
in 1762.
Following the French invasion of Newfoundland in June 1762 Amherst sent his brother William Amherst with a force to retake the island which he did following the Battle of Signal Hill
in some of the last fighting of the war.
in North American history. In response to the 1763 uprising known as Pontiac's Rebellion
, Colonel Henry Bouquet
wrote to Amherst, his commanding officer, with the suggestion that the British distribute smallpox
-infected blankets to Indians. Amherst approved the plan and expressed his willingness to adopt any "other method that can serve to Extirpate this Execrable Race." William Trent, an officer at Fort Pitt, described giving smallpox infected blankets to Indians in his diary; however, this occurred several weeks before Amherst proposed the plan to Bouquet and it is unclear what role, if any, either of the men played in the incident.
Amherst was summoned home, obstensibly so he could be consulted on future military plans in North America, and expected to be praised for his conquest of Canada. Instead, once in London, he was asked to account for the recent rebellion. He was forced to defend his conduct, and faced complaints made by Sir William Johnson
and George Croghan
about his Indian policies. They had successfully lobbied the Board of Trade
which had led to Amherst's removal. He was succeeded in his command by Thomas Gage
.
continued his role as acting governor from the previous term. During this period he also served as the first Governor General of British North America from 1760 to 1763. This office still exists as the Canadian monarch's
representative in Canada
. He returned to Britain following Pontiac's Rebellion, but was disappointed by the reception he received.
In 1772 Amherst was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance
and soon gained the confidence of George III who had initially hoped the position would go to a member of the Royal Family
.
in 1776, as Baron Amherst of Holmesdale. During the American War of Independence he rejected a field command, since he had close relations with numerous personalities of the opposite side. He was promoted to General in 1778, and became Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
, which gave him a seat in the Cabinet
.
In 1778 when the British commander in North America, William Howe
, requested to be relieved, Amherst was considered as a replacement by the government. However, his insistence that it would require 75,000 troops to fully defeat the rebellion was not acceptable to the government, and Henry Clinton
was instead chosen to take over from Howe in America. Following the British setback at Saratoga
, Amherst advocated a limited war in North America, keeping footholds along the coast, defending Canada, East
and West Florida
, and the West Indies while putting more effort into the war at sea. With the entry of France into the war in 1778, this was the strategy largely adopted by the British government.
, but the enemy landing was abandoned.
in London. After the outbreak of rioting Amherst deployed the small London garrison of Horse and Foot Guards as best as he could but was hindered by the reluctance of the civil magistrates to authorise decisive action against the rioters. Line troops and militia
were brought in from surrounding counties, swelling the forces at Amherst's disposal to over 15,000 many of whom were quartered in tents in Hyde Park
. A form of Martial Law
was declared, giving the troops the authority to fire on crowds if the Riot Act
had first been read. Amherst's forces were able to bring the city under control, and civil authority was soon restored. Amherst was personally alarmed by the failure of the authorities to suppress the riots.
He was replaced as Commander-in-Chief in February 1782 by Henry Seymour Conway
.
, and is generally regarded as responsible for allowing the armed forces to slide into acute decline, a direct cause of the failure of the early campaigns in the Low Countries. William Pitt said of him “his age, and perhaps his natural temper, are little suited to the activity and the energy which the present moment calls for”. Horace Walpole called him “that log of wood whose stupidity and incapacity are past belief”. “He allowed innumerable abuses to grow up in the army… He kept his command, though almost in his dotage, with a tenacity that cannot be too much censured”. He retired from that post in 1795, to be replaced by the Duke of York, and was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal
the following year.
, location of General Amherst High School; Amherst, Massachusetts
, location of the University of Massachusetts Amherst
and Amherst College
(though the college is named for the town, not the man, the school's athletic nickname
is "the Lord Jeffs" and the team mascot is a gentleman dressed in something approaching an 18th century British officer's uniform, but in purple, one of the school's colours, not red); Amherst, New Hampshire
; Amherst, Nova Scotia
; Amherst, New York
; Amherst County, Virginia
; Amherst Island
, Ontario, and Amherst Island, the English name of Île d'Havre-Aubert of the Magdalen Islands
, Quebec
.
The Archives and Special Collections at Amherst College
holds some of Amherst's documents and correspondence.
The inscription states: To commemorate the providential and happy meeting of three brothers on this their Paternal ground on 25 January 1761 after a six years glorious war in which the three were successfully engaged in various climes, seasons and services.
Dedicated to that most able Statesman during whose Administration Cape Breton and Canada were conquered and from whose influence the British Arms derived a Degree of Lustre unparalleled in past ages.
Louisbour surrendered and Six French Battalions Prisoners of War 26 July 1758
Du Quesne taken possession of 24 November 1758
Niagara surrendered 25 July 1759
Ticonderoga taken possession of 26 July 1759
Crown Point taken possession of 4 August 1759
Quebec capitulated 18 September 1759
Fort Levi surrendered 25 August 1760
Ile au Noix abandoned 28 August 1760
Montreal surrendered and with it all Canada and 10 French Battalions laid down their Arms 8 September 1760
St Johns Newfoundland retaken 18 September 1762
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB
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...
(sometimes spelled Geoffrey, or Jeffrey, he himself spelled his name as Jeffery) (29 January 1717 – 3 August 1797) served as an officer in the British Army
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...
and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904, when the office was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff, soon to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff . From 1870, the C-in-C was subordinate to...
.
Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and Montreal. He was also the first British Governor General in the territories that eventually became Canada. Numerous places and streets are named for him, both in Canada and the United States. Amherst is also infamous for catalyzing the first historical incidents of biological warfare, as he endorsed and commanded giving blankets infected with smallpox to the natives. The events are recounted in Chapter 5 of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States
A People's History of the United States
Chapter 7, "As Long As Grass Grows or Water Runs" discusses 19th century conflicts between the U.S. government and Native Americans and Indian removal, especially during the administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren....
.
Early life
Jeffery Amherst was born in SevenoaksSevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, England, on 29 January 1717, into a family of lawyers. His brothers included Admiral John Amherst
John Amherst
Admiral John Amherst was a Royal Navy officer served during the First Carnatic War and the Seven Years' War, and who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Family:...
and Lieutenant General William Amherst. From an early age he received the patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of the Duke of Dorset
Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset
Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, PC was an English political leader and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was the son of the 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex and the former Lady Mary Compton, younger daughter of the 3rd Earl of Northampton...
. Amherst became a soldier in 1735 when he became an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
.
From 1741 he served in the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
. His regiment was part of the British force sent to protect the Austrian Netherlands in 1741. He became an aide to General John Ligonier
John Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier
Field Marshal John Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier, KB, PC was a French-born British soldier.He was born to a Huguenot family of Castres in the south of France, and who emigrated to England at the close of the 17th century...
the following year. As a staff officer he participated in the Battle of Dettingen
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...
in 1743 and the Battle of Fontenoy
Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...
. Along with much of the army in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, he was recalled to Britain during the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745. Returning to the continent, he was given a prestigious post as an aide to the Duke of Cumberland, the commander of the British forces and saw further action.
Germany
In February 1756 Amherst was appointed commissariatCommissariat
A commissariat is the department of an army charged with the provision of supplies, both food and forage, for the troops. The supply of military stores such as ammunition is not included in the duties of a commissariat. In almost every army the duties of transport and supply are performed by the...
to the Hessian
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
forces that had been assembled to defend Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
as part of the Army of Observation. As it appeared likely a French invasion attempt against Britain itself was imminent, Amherst was ordered in April to arrange the transportation of thousands of the Germans to southern England to bolster Britain's defences. By 1757 as the immediate danger to Britain had passed the troops were moved back to Hanover to join a growing army under the Duke of Cumberland. Amherst fought with the Hessians at the Battle of Hastenbeck
Battle of Hastenbeck
The Battle of Hastenbeck was fought as part of the Invasion of Hanover during the Seven Year's War between the allied forces of Hanover, Hesse-Kassel and Brunswick and the French...
in July 1757. The Allied defeat there forced the army into a steady retreat northwards to Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast.
Amherst was left dispirited by the retreat and by the Convention of Klosterzeven
Convention of Klosterzeven
The Convention of Klosterzeven was a 1757 convention signed at Klosterzeven between France and the Electorate of Hanover during the Seven Years' War that led to Hanover's withdrawal from the war and partial occupation by French forces. It came in the wake of the Battle of Hastenbeck in which...
by which Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
agreed to withdraw from the war. He began to prepare to disband the Hessian troops under his command, only to receive word that the Convention had been repudiated and the Allied force was being reformed. Amherst was in Stade preparing to retake the offensive under the army's new commander Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick
Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg , was a Prussian field marshal known for his participation in the Seven Years' War...
, when he received word summoning him back to England.
Louisbourg
Amherst gained fame during the Seven Years' WarSeven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, particularly in the North American campaign known in the United States as the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. After he served in Europe in 1757, Amherst led the British attack on Louisbourg
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
in 1758. Amherst judged that the year was too advanced for him to attempt attacks on either Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
or New Orleans and returned to Britain.
In the wake of this he was promoted to become commander-in-chief of the British army in North America
Commander-in-Chief, North America
The office of Commander-in-Chief, North America was a military position of the British Army. Established in 1755 in the early years of the Seven Years' War, holders of the post were generally responsible for land-based military personnel and activities in and around those parts of North America...
, and led the successful British conquest of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. In 1759, while James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
besieged and eventually captured Quebec
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
with one army, Amherst led another army against French troops on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, where he captured Fort Ticonderoga
Battle of Ticonderoga (1759)
The 1759 Battle of Ticonderoga was a minor confrontation at Fort Carillon on July 26 and 27, 1759, during the French and Indian War...
against little resistance but found his further advance frustrated and he had to delay any further move on Montreal until the following year.
Montreal
On 8 September 1760, he led an army down the Saint Lawrence RiverSaint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
from Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, and captured Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, ending French rule in North America. He infuriated the French commanders by refusing them the "honours of war" (the ceremonial right of a defeated garrison to retain their flags); the Knight of Lévis burned the colors rather than surrendering them. Amherst held the position of military governor of Canada from 1760 to 1763. To celebrate the fall of Montreal on September 8, 1760 and the capitulation of New France to the British, John Worgan composed "A song of the taking of Mont-Real by General Amherst" in 1760: "I fill not the Glass, to some favourite lass, / A hero engrosses my Lays; / Thy Trumpet, O Fame! / His deed shall proclaim, / And spread round the Globe Amherst's praise."
From his base at New York, Amherst oversaw the dispatch of troops to take part in British expeditions in the West Indies that led to the British capturing Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
in 1761 and Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in 1762.
Following the French invasion of Newfoundland in June 1762 Amherst sent his brother William Amherst with a force to retake the island which he did following the Battle of Signal Hill
Battle of Signal Hill
The Battle of Signal Hill was a small skirmish, the last of the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War. The British under Lieutenant Colonel William Amherst forced the French to surrender St...
in some of the last fighting of the war.
Pontiac's Rebellion
The hostility between the British and Native Americans after the French and Indian War led to one of the first documented attempts at biological warfareBiological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
in North American history. In response to the 1763 uprising known as Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
, Colonel Henry Bouquet
Henry Bouquet
Henry Bouquet was a prominent British Army officer in the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War. Bouquet is best known for his victory over Native Americans at the Battle of Bushy Run, lifting the siege of Fort Pitt during Pontiac's War.-Early life:Bouquet was born into a moderately wealthy...
wrote to Amherst, his commanding officer, with the suggestion that the British distribute smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
-infected blankets to Indians. Amherst approved the plan and expressed his willingness to adopt any "other method that can serve to Extirpate this Execrable Race." William Trent, an officer at Fort Pitt, described giving smallpox infected blankets to Indians in his diary; however, this occurred several weeks before Amherst proposed the plan to Bouquet and it is unclear what role, if any, either of the men played in the incident.
Amherst was summoned home, obstensibly so he could be consulted on future military plans in North America, and expected to be praised for his conquest of Canada. Instead, once in London, he was asked to account for the recent rebellion. He was forced to defend his conduct, and faced complaints made by Sir William Johnson
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
and George Croghan
George Croghan
George Croghan was an Irish-born Pennsylvania fur trader, Onondaga Council sachem, land speculator, British Indian agent in colonial America and, until accused of treason in 1777, Pittsburgh's president judge and Committee of Safety Chairman keeping the Ohio Indians neutral...
about his Indian policies. They had successfully lobbied the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
which had led to Amherst's removal. He was succeeded in his command by Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage was a British general, best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American War of Independence....
.
Political career
Amherst served as the nominal Crown Governor of Virginia from 1759–1768, though Francis FauquierFrancis Fauquier
Francis Fauquier was a Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Colony , and served as acting governor from 1758 until his death in 1768. He was married to Catherine Dalston....
continued his role as acting governor from the previous term. During this period he also served as the first Governor General of British North America from 1760 to 1763. This office still exists as the Canadian monarch's
Monarchy in Canada
The monarchy of Canada is the core of both Canada's federalism and its Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Canadian government and each provincial government...
representative in Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
. He returned to Britain following Pontiac's Rebellion, but was disappointed by the reception he received.
In 1772 Amherst was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance
The Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance was a member of the British Board of Ordnance and the deputy of the Master-General of the Ordnance. The office was established in 1544, and the holder was appointed by the crown under letters patent...
and soon gained the confidence of George III who had initially hoped the position would go to a member of the Royal Family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
.
American War of Independence
Amherst was raised to the peeragePeerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in 1776, as Baron Amherst of Holmesdale. During the American War of Independence he rejected a field command, since he had close relations with numerous personalities of the opposite side. He was promoted to General in 1778, and became Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904, when the office was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff, soon to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff . From 1870, the C-in-C was subordinate to...
, which gave him a seat in the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
.
In 1778 when the British commander in North America, William Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence...
, requested to be relieved, Amherst was considered as a replacement by the government. However, his insistence that it would require 75,000 troops to fully defeat the rebellion was not acceptable to the government, and Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)
General Sir Henry Clinton KB was a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America...
was instead chosen to take over from Howe in America. Following the British setback at Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
, Amherst advocated a limited war in North America, keeping footholds along the coast, defending Canada, East
East Florida
East Florida was a colony of Great Britain from 1763–1783 and of Spain from 1783–1822. East Florida was established by the British colonial government in 1763; as its name implies it consisted of the eastern part of the region of Florida, with West Florida comprising the western parts. Its capital...
and West Florida
West Florida
West Florida was a region on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico, which underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. West Florida was first established in 1763 by the British government; as its name suggests it largely consisted of the western portion of the region...
, and the West Indies while putting more effort into the war at sea. With the entry of France into the war in 1778, this was the strategy largely adopted by the British government.
Invasion scare
A long-standing plan of the French had been the concept of an invasion of Great Britain which they hoped would lead to a swift end to the war if it was successful. In 1779 Spain entered the war on the side of France, and the increasingly depleted state of British home forces made an invasion more appealing. Amherst organised Britain's land defences in anticipation of a Franco-Spanish invasion during the Armada of 1779Armada of 1779
The Armada of 1779 was an exceptionally large joint French and Spanish fleet intended, with the aid of a feint by the American Continental Navy, to facilitate an invasion of Britain, as part of the wider American War of Independence, and in application of the Franco-American alliance...
, but the enemy landing was abandoned.
Gordon Riots
In June 1780 Amherst oversaw the British army as they suppressed the anti-Catholic Gordon RiotsGordon Riots
The Gordon Riots of 1780 were an anti-Catholic protest against the Papists Act 1778.The Popery Act 1698 had imposed a number of penalties and disabilities on Roman Catholics in England; the 1778 act eliminated some of these. An initial peaceful protest led on to widespread rioting and looting and...
in London. After the outbreak of rioting Amherst deployed the small London garrison of Horse and Foot Guards as best as he could but was hindered by the reluctance of the civil magistrates to authorise decisive action against the rioters. Line troops and militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
were brought in from surrounding counties, swelling the forces at Amherst's disposal to over 15,000 many of whom were quartered in tents in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
. A form of Martial Law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
was declared, giving the troops the authority to fire on crowds if the Riot Act
Riot Act
The Riot Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorised local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action...
had first been read. Amherst's forces were able to bring the city under control, and civil authority was soon restored. Amherst was personally alarmed by the failure of the authorities to suppress the riots.
He was replaced as Commander-in-Chief in February 1782 by Henry Seymour Conway
Henry Seymour Conway
Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway was a British general and statesman. A brother of the 1st Marquess of Hertford, and cousin of Horace Walpole, he began his military career in the War of the Austrian Succession and eventually rose to the rank of Field Marshal .-Family and education:Conway was...
.
Later life
In 1788 he was created Baron Amherst of Montreal with a special provision that would allow this title to pass to his nephew (as Amherst was childless, the Holmesdale title became extinct upon his death). He again became Commander-in-Chief in 1793, the year Britain entered the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, and is generally regarded as responsible for allowing the armed forces to slide into acute decline, a direct cause of the failure of the early campaigns in the Low Countries. William Pitt said of him “his age, and perhaps his natural temper, are little suited to the activity and the energy which the present moment calls for”. Horace Walpole called him “that log of wood whose stupidity and incapacity are past belief”. “He allowed innumerable abuses to grow up in the army… He kept his command, though almost in his dotage, with a tenacity that cannot be too much censured”. He retired from that post in 1795, to be replaced by the Duke of York, and was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
the following year.
Legacy
Several places are named for him: Amherstburg, OntarioAmherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. It is approximately south of the U.S...
, location of General Amherst High School; Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
, location of the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
and Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
(though the college is named for the town, not the man, the school's athletic nickname
Athletic nickname
The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a university or college within the United States is the name officially adopted by that institution for at least the members of its athletic teams...
is "the Lord Jeffs" and the team mascot is a gentleman dressed in something approaching an 18th century British officer's uniform, but in purple, one of the school's colours, not red); Amherst, New Hampshire
Amherst, New Hampshire
Amherst is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,201 at the 2010 census. Amherst is home to Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Hodgman State Forest, the Joe English Reservation and Baboosic Lake....
; Amherst, Nova Scotia
Amherst, Nova Scotia
Amherst is a Canadian town in northwestern Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Located at the northeast end of the Cumberland Basin, an arm of the Bay of Fundy, Amherst is strategically situated on the eastern boundary of the Tantramar Marshes 3 kilometres east of the interprovincial border with New...
; Amherst, New York
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
; Amherst County, Virginia
Amherst County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,894 people, 11,941 households, and 8,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile . There were 12,958 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
; Amherst Island
Amherst Island
Amherst Island is one of the Thousand Islands in Lake Ontario near Kingston, Ontario. The island is approximately 70 km² in size, measuring 16.5 km long and 7 km at its widest. It is part of Loyalist Township in Lennox and Addington County. The two main communities on the island are...
, Ontario, and Amherst Island, the English name of Île d'Havre-Aubert of the Magdalen Islands
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands form part of the Canadian province of Quebec....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
The Archives and Special Collections at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
holds some of Amherst's documents and correspondence.
Montreal House
After the taking of Montreal in 1760, Amherst built Montreal House in his native Sevenoaks, Kent, for his seat. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the house and family hosted an annual summer picnic for the children educated at the junior school they established in the village of Riverhead; the school still bears Amherst's coat of arms. With the decline of the family's fortunes, the house was demolished in the summer of 1936 to make way for a housing development. Today only a single obelisk, the octagonal gatehouse and the derelict stone summerhouse remain as a memorial.The inscription states: To commemorate the providential and happy meeting of three brothers on this their Paternal ground on 25 January 1761 after a six years glorious war in which the three were successfully engaged in various climes, seasons and services.
Dedicated to that most able Statesman during whose Administration Cape Breton and Canada were conquered and from whose influence the British Arms derived a Degree of Lustre unparalleled in past ages.
Louisbour surrendered and Six French Battalions Prisoners of War 26 July 1758
Du Quesne taken possession of 24 November 1758
Niagara surrendered 25 July 1759
Ticonderoga taken possession of 26 July 1759
Crown Point taken possession of 4 August 1759
Quebec capitulated 18 September 1759
Fort Levi surrendered 25 August 1760
Ile au Noix abandoned 28 August 1760
Montreal surrendered and with it all Canada and 10 French Battalions laid down their Arms 8 September 1760
St Johns Newfoundland retaken 18 September 1762
External links
- Jeffery Amherst Collection, Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Historical Biographies: Jeffrey Amherst
- Amherst and Smallpox
- Amherst in the Haldimand Papers
- Amherst and Smallpox Blankets - Excerpts from actual letters in which Lord Jeffery Amherst approves smallpox plan (dated 16 July 1763) and discusses other methods of killing Native Americans with Colonel Henry Bouquet.
- Jeffrey Amherst and Smallpox Blankets - Extensive discussion and documentation of Amherst's involvement in warfare against Native Americans and the smallpox blanket tactics (University of MassachusettsUniversity of MassachusettsThis article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
) - 1759 From the Warpath to the Plains of Abraham ( Virtual Exhibition)
- National Battlefields Commission (Plains of Abraham)