Rifleman Thomas Plunkett
Encyclopedia
Thomas Plunket (died in 1851 or 1852) was an Irish
soldier in the British
army
95th Rifles regiment. He served throughout the Peninsula War and later in the Hundred Days
campaign of 1815.
He is remembered for a feat at Cacabelos
during Moore's
retreat to Corunna
in 1809. Here Plunket shot the French Général de Brigade
Auguste-Marie-François Colbert at a range of between 200 and 600 metres using a Baker rifle
.
Plunket had run forward to make this shot and, before returning to his own lines he reloaded and shot-down a trumpet-major who had rushed to the aid of the fallen general. This second feat showed that the first shot had not been a fluke, and the deaths were sufficient to throw the pending French attack into disarray. The shots were at a sufficiently long distance to impress others in the 95th Rifles, whose marksmanship (with the Baker rifle) was far better than the ordinary British soldiers who were armed with a Brown Bess
musket and only trained to shoot into a body of men at 50 metres with volley fire.
. Awarded a pension of 6d a day, he soon enlisted back into the army in a line regiment. The regiment was being inspected by his former commanding officer, General Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith
when the general recognised Plunket and inquired into what had happened to him. He was invited to the officers mess that night and the next day was promoted to corporal, and soon also had his pension raised to one shilling
a day with Beckwith's influence. He later renounced his pension in exchange for four years' pay and land in Canada
, but he returned to England
after a year, considering the land unsuitable.
Plunket died at Colchester
in 1851 or 1852. Several retired officers in the town heard about the death and recognized his name; as a result, they took up a collection for his widow and paid for his funeral.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
soldier in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
95th Rifles regiment. He served throughout the Peninsula War and later in 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 of 1815.
He is remembered for a feat at Cacabelos
Cacabelos
Cacabelos is a village and municipality located in the region of El Bierzo . According to the 2010 census , Cacabelos has a population of 5,498 inhabitants. It is well known for its wines....
during Moore's
John Moore (British soldier)
Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, KB was a British soldier and General. He is best known for his military training reforms and for his death at the Battle of Corunna, in which his force was defeated but gained a tactical advantage over a French army under Marshal Soult during the Peninsular...
retreat to Corunna
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
in 1809. Here Plunket shot the French Général de Brigade
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Auguste-Marie-François Colbert at a range of between 200 and 600 metres using a Baker rifle
Baker rifle
The Baker rifle was a flintlock rifle used by the Rifle regiments of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. It was the first standard-issue, British-made rifle accepted by the British armed forces....
.
Plunket had run forward to make this shot and, before returning to his own lines he reloaded and shot-down a trumpet-major who had rushed to the aid of the fallen general. This second feat showed that the first shot had not been a fluke, and the deaths were sufficient to throw the pending French attack into disarray. The shots were at a sufficiently long distance to impress others in the 95th Rifles, whose marksmanship (with the Baker rifle) was far better than the ordinary British soldiers who were armed with a Brown Bess
Brown Bess
Brown Bess is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army's Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. This musket was used in the era of the expansion of the British Empire and acquired symbolic importance at least as significant as its physical importance. It was in use for over a hundred...
musket and only trained to shoot into a body of men at 50 metres with volley fire.
Later life
After the war, Plunket was discharged from the 95th after recovering from the head wound he received at the Battle of WaterlooBattle 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...
. Awarded a pension of 6d a day, he soon enlisted back into the army in a line regiment. The regiment was being inspected by his former commanding officer, General Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith
Thomas Sydney Beckwith
Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith, KCB was an officer of the British army who served as quartermaster general of the British forces in Canada during the War of 1812, and a commander-in-chief at Mumbai during the British Raj...
when the general recognised Plunket and inquired into what had happened to him. He was invited to the officers mess that night and the next day was promoted to corporal, and soon also had his pension raised to one shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
a day with Beckwith's influence. He later renounced his pension in exchange for four years' pay and land in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, but he returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
after a year, considering the land unsuitable.
Plunket died at Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
in 1851 or 1852. Several retired officers in the town heard about the death and recognized his name; as a result, they took up a collection for his widow and paid for his funeral.