Samuel Benjamin Auchmuty
Encyclopedia
Sir Samuel Benjamin Auchmuty GCB
(1780 – 30 April 1868) was an Anglo-Irish soldier.
He was the second son of Samuel Auchmuty and his wife Elizabeth, only daughter of Francis Savage. Auchmuty entered the British Army as ensign in 1797 and served first in the French Revolutionary Wars
and subsequently in the Napoleonic Wars
. He was lieutenant of the 68th Regiment of Foot in 1800 and was promoted to captain in 1805. A year later Auchmuty was transferred to the 70th Regiment of Foot and in 1807 to the 7th Regiment of Foot. In 1810, he was appointed deputy assistant adjutant-general and attached to the 6th Infantry Division. He became Aide-de-camp to Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole in July 1813 and was promoted to major in October of the same year. Auchmuty fought in the Battle of Orthez
in February 1814 and in the Battle of Toulouse
in April, for which he received the Army Gold Medal
and was made a brevet lieutenant-colonel.
Auchmuty became colonel in 1831 and major-general 1841. He was transferred to the general staff in India
in 1848, became colonel of the 65th Regiment of Foot in February 1851 was promoted to lieutenant-general in November. In 1855, Auchmuty was appointed colonel of his old regiment, the 7th foot, and following the death of Sir Robert John Harvey was promoted finally to general in 1860. He was awarded a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
in 1957 and a Knight Grand Cross in 1961.
In 1817, he married Mary Anne Buchanan. Auchmuty died, aged 88 at Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
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...
(1780 – 30 April 1868) was an Anglo-Irish soldier.
He was the second son of Samuel Auchmuty and his wife Elizabeth, only daughter of Francis Savage. Auchmuty entered the British Army as ensign in 1797 and served first in the French Revolutionary Wars
French 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 subsequently in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He was lieutenant of the 68th Regiment of Foot in 1800 and was promoted to captain in 1805. A year later Auchmuty was transferred to the 70th Regiment of Foot and in 1807 to the 7th Regiment of Foot. In 1810, he was appointed deputy assistant adjutant-general and attached to the 6th Infantry Division. He became Aide-de-camp to Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole in July 1813 and was promoted to major in October of the same year. Auchmuty fought in the Battle of Orthez
Battle of Orthez
The Battle of Orthez saw the Anglo-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington defeat a French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France near the end of the Peninsular War.-Preliminaries:...
in February 1814 and in the Battle of Toulouse
Battle of Toulouse (1814)
The Battle of Toulouse was one of the final battles of the Napoleonic Wars, four days after Napoleon's surrender of the French Empire to the nations of the Sixth Coalition...
in April, for which he received the Army Gold Medal
Army Gold Medal
The Army Gold Medal , also known as the Peninsular Gold Medal, with an accompanying Gold Cross, was a British campaign medal awarded in recognition of field and general officers' successful commands in recent campaigns, predominately the Peninsular War...
and was made a brevet lieutenant-colonel.
Auchmuty became colonel in 1831 and major-general 1841. He was transferred to the general staff in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1848, became colonel of the 65th Regiment of Foot in February 1851 was promoted to lieutenant-general in November. In 1855, Auchmuty was appointed colonel of his old regiment, the 7th foot, and following the death of Sir Robert John Harvey was promoted finally to general in 1860. He was awarded a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1957 and a Knight Grand Cross in 1961.
In 1817, he married Mary Anne Buchanan. Auchmuty died, aged 88 at Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques.