Robert Craufurd
Encyclopedia
Major-General Robert Craufurd (5 May 1764 – 23 January 1812) was a Scottish soldier and Member of Parliament
(MP). After a military career which took him from India to the Netherlands, he was given command of the Light Division in the Napoleonic Peninsular War
under the Duke of Wellington
. Craufurd was a strict disciplinarian and somewhat prone to violent mood swings which earned him the nickname "Black Bob". He was mortally wounded storming the lesser breach in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo on 19 January 1812 and died four days later.
, Ayrshire
, the third son of Sir Alexander Crauford, 1st Baronet (see Crauford Baronets
) and his wife, Jane Crokatt, and the younger brother of General Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd
. He was educated at Harrow School
(1779), and later at Göttingen University (1787).
He entered the army as an ensign
in the 25th Regiment of Foot in 1779, was promoted lieutenant
in 1781, and captain into the 75th Regiment of Foot
in 1783. He served with this unit in India in Lord Cornwallis's campaigns against Tipu Sultan
between 1790 and 1792, establishing a reputation as a good regimental officer.
In the early 1790s, Craufurd returned to Europe and was employed on attachment, under his brother Charles
, with the Austria
n armies operating against the French, remaining there after Charles was severely wounded. He returned to England in December 1797 and was promoted lieutenant-colonel. In 1798 he was appointed deputy quartermaster-general in Ireland, and his services during the suppression of the uprising there, especially his contribution to the operations against General Humbert's French corps, were praised by General Lake. In 1799 he acted as Britain's military attaché to General Suvorov
's headquarters during his campaign in Switzerland. He served on the staff in the expedition to The Helder in the Netherlands. On 6 February 1800 he married Mary Frances Holland (d. 1842), daughter of the architect Henry Holland
of Hans Place, Chelsea
, London
. They had three sons and a daughter.
in Nottinghamshire
through the influence of his brother Charles, who had married the dowager duchess of Newcastle (whose family owned the borough).
Craufurd was promoted colonel
on 30 October 1805 and gave up his seat in 1806 in the hope of going on active service. In 1807 he was sent to South America under General Whitelock and he took command of a light brigade, consisting of a battalion of the 95th rifle regiment and the light companies of several other battalions. His brigade led the advance upon Buenos Aires
and, in the attack on the city, achieved its objectives. However, on orders from Whitelocke, he halted and surrendered with the rest of the army. During this expedition he acquired a reputation as a leader of light troops and, in October 1807, sailed with Sir David Baird for the Iberian peninsula at the head of a light brigade. Baird's corps joined Sir John Moore
's army at Mayorga on 20 December, and Craufurd's command was repeatedly engaged, especially at Castro Gonzalo on the 28th. On 31 December the light division was ordered to leave the main army for Vigo
, where it embarked for England.
In 1809 Craufurd returned to the Peninsula, with the rank of brigadier-general, to take command of the Light Division (43rd, 52nd
and 95th). While on his way to join the army of Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the duke of Wellington), he heard rumours that during the battle of Talavera on 27–28 July, Wellesley had been killed. The march which followed is one almost unparalleled in military annals. The three battalions of the Light Division started in full marching order, and arrived at the front on the day after the Battle of Talavera, having covered 62 miles on foot in twenty-six hours.
Beginning their career with this famous march these regiments and their chief, under whom served such men as Charles
and William
Napier, Shaw
and Colborne
, soon increased their reputation as one of the best corps of troops in Europe, and almost every engagement following added to their laurels.
Craufurd's operations on the Côa and Águeda in 1810 were daring to the point of rashness; the drawing on of the French forces into what became the Battle of the Côa in particular was a rare lapse in judgement that almost saw his removal from command. Although Wellington
censured him for his conduct, he at the same time increased his force from brigade-strength to division-strength by the addition of two picked regiments of Portuguese Caçadores.
Craufurd's reputation for resorting to unnecessarily harsh treatment of his troops only increased during the peninsular war. His style of leadership was at times inconsistent with the function of the light infantry he commanded, who had been trained under Sir John Moore to operate more independently than conventional infantry of the day. Craufurd "stands out as a particularly fearsome martinet... [who] flogged his units into obedience, ensuring that they were more afraid of their officers than of any foe." In one diatribe delivered to the assembled division he insisted that they maintain straight lines of march regardless of the conditions of the terrain.
The winter of 1810-1811, Craufurd spent in England, and his division was poorly commanded in the interim by another officer, Sir William Erskine
. When Craufurd reappeared on the field of the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro, it was to the cheers of his men. In the fighting the light division again played a distinguished part, covering the change of front which Wellington found it necessary to make when outflanked by the French.
Craufurd was promoted major-general on 4 June 1811 and, in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo the following winter, led the light division in the attack on the smaller breach when the fortress was stormed on 19 January. At the very beginning of the assault he was mortally wounded in the abdomen and he was carried out of action by his staff officer, Lieutenant James Shaw-Kennedy
of the 43rd, and, after lingering four days, he died on 23 January 1812. He was buried in the breach itself. His death was marked by tributes in both houses of parliament, and, at public expense, a monument was erected to him and General Mackinnon, who was killed in the same siege, in St Paul's Cathedral
, London.
One of the quickest and most brilliant, if not the very first, of Wellington's generals, he had a fiery temper, which rendered him a difficult man to deal with, but to the day of his death he possessed the confidence and affection of his men in an extraordinary degree. As his friend, the fellow soldier George Napier
concluded:
During the First World War, a Lord Clive class
monitor
was named for him, HMS General Crauford
----
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP). After a military career which took him from India to the Netherlands, he was given command of the Light Division in the Napoleonic Peninsular War
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 Duke of Wellington
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...
. Craufurd was a strict disciplinarian and somewhat prone to violent mood swings which earned him the nickname "Black Bob". He was mortally wounded storming the lesser breach in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo on 19 January 1812 and died four days later.
Early life
Craufurd was born at Newark CastleNewark Castle
Newark Castle may refer to:*Newark Castle, Fife, Scotland*Newark Castle, Port Glasgow in Inverclyde, Scotland*Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire, England*Newark Castle railway station, Nottinghamshire, England*Newark Castle, Selkirkshire, Scotland...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, the third son of Sir Alexander Crauford, 1st Baronet (see Crauford Baronets
Crauford Baronets
The Crauford Baronetcy, of Kilbirney in south-west Scotland , is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 8 June 1781 for Alexander Crauford, the member of an ancient Scottish family...
) and his wife, Jane Crokatt, and the younger brother of General Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd
Charles Craufurd
Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd GCB was a Scottish soldier.Craufurd was the second son of Sir Alexander Crauford, 1st Baronet , and the elder brother of Robert Craufurd. He entered the 1st Dragoon Guards in 1778. Made captain in the Queen's Bays in 1785, he became the equerry and...
. He was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
(1779), and later at Göttingen University (1787).
He entered the army as an ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
in the 25th Regiment of Foot in 1779, was promoted lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1781, and captain into the 75th Regiment of Foot
75th Regiment of Foot
Four regiments of the British Army have been numbered the 75th Regiment of Foot:*75th Regiment of Foot , formed 1758 and disbanded 1763*75th Regiment of Foot , renumbered from the 118th in 1763...
in 1783. He served with this unit in India in Lord Cornwallis's campaigns against Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
between 1790 and 1792, establishing a reputation as a good regimental officer.
In the early 1790s, Craufurd returned to Europe and was employed on attachment, under his brother Charles
Charles Craufurd
Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd GCB was a Scottish soldier.Craufurd was the second son of Sir Alexander Crauford, 1st Baronet , and the elder brother of Robert Craufurd. He entered the 1st Dragoon Guards in 1778. Made captain in the Queen's Bays in 1785, he became the equerry and...
, with the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n armies operating against the French, remaining there after Charles was severely wounded. He returned to England in December 1797 and was promoted lieutenant-colonel. In 1798 he was appointed deputy quartermaster-general in Ireland, and his services during the suppression of the uprising there, especially his contribution to the operations against General Humbert's French corps, were praised by General Lake. In 1799 he acted as Britain's military attaché to General Suvorov
Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
's headquarters during his campaign in Switzerland. He served on the staff in the expedition to The Helder in the Netherlands. On 6 February 1800 he married Mary Frances Holland (d. 1842), daughter of the architect Henry Holland
Henry Holland (architect)
Henry Holland was an architect to the English nobility. Born in Fulham, London, his father also Henry ran a building firm and he built several of Capability Brown's buildings, although Henry would have learnt a lot from his father about the practicalities of construction it was under Brown that he...
of Hans Place, Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They had three sons and a daughter.
Later career
In 1802 he was elected MP for East RetfordEast Retford (UK Parliament constituency)
East Retford was a parliamentary constituency in Nottinghamshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons for the first time in 1316, and continuously from 1571 until 1885, when the constituency was abolished...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
through the influence of his brother Charles, who had married the dowager duchess of Newcastle (whose family owned the borough).
Craufurd was promoted colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on 30 October 1805 and gave up his seat in 1806 in the hope of going on active service. In 1807 he was sent to South America under General Whitelock and he took command of a light brigade, consisting of a battalion of the 95th rifle regiment and the light companies of several other battalions. His brigade led the advance upon Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and, in the attack on the city, achieved its objectives. However, on orders from Whitelocke, he halted and surrendered with the rest of the army. During this expedition he acquired a reputation as a leader of light troops and, in October 1807, sailed with Sir David Baird for the Iberian peninsula at the head of a light brigade. Baird's corps joined Sir John Moore
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...
's army at Mayorga on 20 December, and Craufurd's command was repeatedly engaged, especially at Castro Gonzalo on the 28th. On 31 December the light division was ordered to leave the main army for Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
, where it embarked for England.
52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 52nd Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India during the Anglo-Mysore Wars...
and 95th). While on his way to join the army of Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the duke of Wellington), he heard rumours that during the battle of Talavera on 27–28 July, Wellesley had been killed. The march which followed is one almost unparalleled in military annals. The three battalions of the Light Division started in full marching order, and arrived at the front on the day after the Battle of Talavera, having covered 62 miles on foot in twenty-six hours.
Beginning their career with this famous march these regiments and their chief, under whom served such men as Charles
Charles James Napier
General Sir Charles James Napier, GCB , was a general of the British Empire and the British Army's Commander-in-Chief in India, notable for conquering the Sindh Province in what is now Pakistan.- His genealogy :...
and William
William Francis Patrick Napier
General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier KCB , Irish soldier in the British Army and military historian, third son of Colonel George Napier was born at Celbridge, near Dublin.-Military service:...
Napier, Shaw
James Shaw-Kennedy
General Sir James Shaw Kennedy KCB was a British soldier and military writer.-Personal background:Shaw Kennedy was the son of Captain John Shaw, a former captain in the 76th Highlanders, of Dalton, Kirkcudbrightshire. He was educated at Ayr Academy...
and Colborne
John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton
Field Marshal John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton, GCB, GCMG, GCH, PC was a British field marshal and colonial governor.-Early service:...
, soon increased their reputation as one of the best corps of troops in Europe, and almost every engagement following added to their laurels.
Craufurd's operations on the Côa and Águeda in 1810 were daring to the point of rashness; the drawing on of the French forces into what became the Battle of the Côa in particular was a rare lapse in judgement that almost saw his removal from command. Although Wellington
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...
censured him for his conduct, he at the same time increased his force from brigade-strength to division-strength by the addition of two picked regiments of Portuguese Caçadores.
Craufurd's reputation for resorting to unnecessarily harsh treatment of his troops only increased during the peninsular war. His style of leadership was at times inconsistent with the function of the light infantry he commanded, who had been trained under Sir John Moore to operate more independently than conventional infantry of the day. Craufurd "stands out as a particularly fearsome martinet... [who] flogged his units into obedience, ensuring that they were more afraid of their officers than of any foe." In one diatribe delivered to the assembled division he insisted that they maintain straight lines of march regardless of the conditions of the terrain.
If I ever have any occasion to observe any man of the Brigade pick his road and go round a pool of water instead of marching through it I am fully determined to bring the officer commanding the Company to which that man belongs to Court Martial. Should the court acquit the officer it shall not deter me from repeating the same ceremony on any other officer again and again ...I will insist on every soldier marching through water and I will flog any man attempting to avoid it.
The winter of 1810-1811, Craufurd spent in England, and his division was poorly commanded in the interim by another officer, Sir William Erskine
Sir William Erskine, 2nd Baronet
Major-General Sir William Erskine, 2nd Baronet was an officer in the British Army, served as a member of Parliament, and achieved important commands in the Napoleonic Wars under the Duke of Wellington, but ended his service in insanity and suicide.He was the eldest son of Lieutenant-General Sir...
. When Craufurd reappeared on the field of the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro, it was to the cheers of his men. In the fighting the light division again played a distinguished part, covering the change of front which Wellington found it necessary to make when outflanked by the French.
Craufurd was promoted major-general on 4 June 1811 and, in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo the following winter, led the light division in the attack on the smaller breach when the fortress was stormed on 19 January. At the very beginning of the assault he was mortally wounded in the abdomen and he was carried out of action by his staff officer, Lieutenant James Shaw-Kennedy
James Shaw-Kennedy
General Sir James Shaw Kennedy KCB was a British soldier and military writer.-Personal background:Shaw Kennedy was the son of Captain John Shaw, a former captain in the 76th Highlanders, of Dalton, Kirkcudbrightshire. He was educated at Ayr Academy...
of the 43rd, and, after lingering four days, he died on 23 January 1812. He was buried in the breach itself. His death was marked by tributes in both houses of parliament, and, at public expense, a monument was erected to him and General Mackinnon, who was killed in the same siege, in St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, London.
One of the quickest and most brilliant, if not the very first, of Wellington's generals, he had a fiery temper, which rendered him a difficult man to deal with, but to the day of his death he possessed the confidence and affection of his men in an extraordinary degree. As his friend, the fellow soldier George Napier
George Napier
Colonel The Hon. George Napier was a British Army officer, most notable for his marriage to Lady Sarah Lennox, and for his sons Charles James Napier, William Francis Patrick Napier and George Thomas Napier, all of whom were noted military officers, collectively referred to as “Wellington’s...
concluded:
Brilliant as some of the traits of his character were, and notwithstanding the good and generous feelings which often burst forth like a bright gleam of sunshine from behind a dark and heavy cloud, still there was a sullenness which seemed to brood in his innermost soul and generate passions which knew no bounds. (Napier, 225)
During the First World War, a Lord Clive class
Lord Clive class monitor
The Lord Clive class, sometimes referred to as the General Wolfe class, of monitors were ships designed for shore bombardment and were constructed for the Royal Navy during the First World War.-Design:...
monitor
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
was named for him, HMS General Crauford
Sources
- Crauford, Alexander (Grandson of the general) General Crauford and his Light Division (reprint Naval and Military Press ISBN 1-845740-13-0)
- Hibbert, ChristopherChristopher HibbertChristopher Hibbert, MC, FRSL, FRGS was an English writer, historian and biographer. He has been called "a pearl of biographers" and "probably the most widely-read popular historian of our time and undoubtedly one of the most prolific"...
(editor) The Recollections of Rifleman Harris The Windrush Press 1996 ISBN 0 900075 64 3 - J. W. Cole, Memoirs of British generals distinguished during the Peninsular War, 1, 1856
- D. Gates, The British light infantry arm, c.1790–1815, 1987
- W. Cope, The history of the rifle brigade, 1877
- G. Simmons, A British rifle man, ed. W. W. C. Verner, 1899
- E. Costello, The adventures of a soldier 1841
- W. Surtees, Twenty-five years in the rifle brigade, 1833
----