Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet (10 May 1742 – 29 June 1818) was born into the British aristocracy. He fought in the American Revolutionary War
as a British officer. He served as a Member of Parliament
before, during, and after that conflict. In 1777 he led a detachment of the Guards Brigade at the battles of Brandywine
and Germantown
. Besides his combat duties, he served as the inspector of the Hessian
mercenary soldiers. After returning from America in 1777 he was promoted in rank to general officer. In 1787 he received advancement to lieutenant general
. He is remembered in United States
history for a clever but harsh comment that he made concerning the dead body of an American officer.
. Osborn was a cousin of Frederick North, Lord North
who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
from 1770 to 1782. He was the grandson of George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax
and the nephew of George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
. He was also a nephew of general and playwright John Burgoyne
. He served as Groom of His Majesty's Bedchamber
to King George III
in 1770. He was elected on 24 April 1769 to the House of Commons
for the Bossiney constituency in Cornwall
. On 12 October 1774 he was elected for the Penryn constituency in Cornwall
. Like his relative Lord North, Osborn held Tory political beliefs.
he was captain of the grenadier company of the Guards Brigade with the rank of lieutenant colonel
in the army. In addition to his other duties, he filled the post of Mustermaster-General and Inspector of the Foreign Troops. The latter responsibility required him to keep track of the strength and condition of the Hessian and other German mercenaries. The information was sent to Lord George Germain
, the Secretary of State for America. For the American war, the British military establishment assembled the 1,000-man Guards Brigade by choosing the men by lottery from the 1st, 2nd
, and 3rd Foot Guards. Brigadier General
Edward Mathew
commanded the unit which was split into two battalions of 500 troops each. Unlike the other regiments of foot, the light and grenadier companies of the Guards fought with their parent unit rather than being converged into elite battalions. Colonel
Charles O'Hara
, who later held important commands in the British army, belonged to the Guards Brigade. Among his friends, Osborn counted Lieutenant Colonel William Harcourt
of the 16th Light Dragoons, Captain-lieutenant Richard FitzPatrick
of the 1st Foot Guards, Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Wrottesley
of the 2nd Foot Guards, and Colonel Henry Monckton of the 2nd Grenadier Battalion.
Near Raritan Landing, New Jersey on May 31, 1777, Lieutenant William Martin of Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment and a 20 man patrol were ambushed by 60 Hessian mounted and foot Jägers
under Captains Richard Lorey and Carl Wreden. In the first fire, three mounted Jägers were wounded, two seriously. This infuriated the others and they set upon the Americans, killing Martin and six of his men while capturing seven more. When the Americans recovered Martin's body, it was found to be hideously mangled with seventeen sword wounds, "most of them mortal". The corpse was displayed to the American soldiers as proof of their enemies' brutality. Already irritated by incidents such as the bayoneting to death of Brigadier General Hugh Mercer
at Princeton
, Major General George Washington
sent Martin's remains into the British lines under a flag of truce with a letter of protest. When the wagon bearing the corpse arrived at Osborn's picket post, he accepted the letter but refused the dead body. His witty but heartless reply that he, "was no coroner", was received among British officers with great amusement and even made the rounds in London.
At the Battle of Brandywine
on September 11, 1777, Mathew's brigade was part of Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis'
division which had reached a position on the American right rear before being detected. At 4:00 PM, the Guards Brigade took position on the right flank of the first line. Osborn commanded both the grenadier company on the right and the light company which deployed as skirmishers in front. They were opposed by the Maryland Division which was commanded by Major General
John Sullivan
. Since Sullivan was responsible for supervising the American right wing, he left the division under the leadership of Brigadier General Philippe Hubert Preudhomme de Borre
. The Frenchman mishandled the Marylanders, throwing the division into confusion. With the Americans in disarray, the attack of the Guards easily swept them aside. At the end of the day, the entire brigade reported only one killed, five wounded, and two missing. Of these, one casualty was from Osborn's grenadiers and three from the light company. A few days after the battle Osborn and FitzPatrick caught two Guard grenadiers out plundering. The unfortunate soldiers were both sentenced to 500 lashes as punishment.
The night before the Battle of Germantown
on 4 October 1777, Howe warned Osborn to expect trouble and the detached Guard grenadier and light companies took post on the far right flank next to the Queen's Rangers
, a loyalist American unit. In the morning they were attacked by Brigadier General William Smallwood
's Maryland militia
and Brigadier General David Forman's New Jersey militia. The militia captured a few outworks but their organization soon unraveled in the face of opposition by professional soldiers. After driving back the American amateurs, the British swung to their left to flank Brigadier General Alexander McDougall
's Connecticut Brigade.
On 10 November during the final part of the Siege of Fort Mifflin
, Howe directed Osborn to lead an amphibious assault on the fort on Mud Island. Accordingly, he assembled his grenadier company plus an additional four officers, eight NCOs, two drummers, and 150 enlisted men from the Guards Brigade and marched to Province Island on the Delaware River
. They were joined there by a detachment of light infantry, the 27th Foot and the 29th Foot. Osborn planned to load eight flatboats with 35 soldiers each for the initial assault. In the event, the American garrison evacuated the fort on the night of November 15 and Osborn's detachment occupied the place without opposition.
On 16 December 1777, Osborn and Lord Cornwallis left Philadelphia aboard the frigate HMS Brilliant (36)
. During his tenure as Inspector of the Foreign Troops, he cultivated excellent relations with the Hessian officer corps. Upon his arrival in England, King George promoted Osborn to brigadier general. Having obtained leave from his regiment, he then traveled in Europe.One source says the old HMS Brilliant was laid up in 1776 and the new HMS Brilliant was not commissioned until 1779. See the Michael Phillips website.
. Osborn was promoted to lieutenant general
in 1787. On 1 September 1795, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
wrote a report to King George III
after inspecting military units in the Northern District. The report stated that Osborn commanded the 3rd Dragoon Guards
, the 8th Foot, and the Durham militia at Whitburn
. The 8th Foot was praised as the best line regiment in the district though its officers were not in regulation uniforms. Only 100 troopers of the 3rd Dragoon Guards were present since two squadrons had been sent to the continent. The Durham militia were well-drilled but their uniforms and equipment were in bad condition. Osborn died on 29 June 1818.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
as a British officer. He served as a Member of Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
before, during, and after that conflict. In 1777 he led a detachment of the Guards Brigade at the battles of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
and Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
. Besides his combat duties, he served as the inspector of the Hessian
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
mercenary soldiers. After returning from America in 1777 he was promoted in rank to general officer. In 1787 he received advancement to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. He is remembered in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
history for a clever but harsh comment that he made concerning the dead body of an American officer.
Early career
Born on 10 May 1742, Osborn was the oldest son of Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd Baronet. He succeeded to the baronetcy when his father died in 1753 while governor of the Province of New YorkProvince of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
. Osborn was a cousin of Frederick North, Lord North
Frederick North, Lord North
Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC , more often known by his courtesy title, Lord North, which he used from 1752 until 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence...
who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
from 1770 to 1782. He was the grandson of George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax
George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax
George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax PC was a British politician.Halifax was the son of Edward Montagu, grandson of Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester, and Elizabeth Pelham.Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, was his uncle....
and the nephew of George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, KG, PC was a British statesman of the Georgian era.-Early life:...
. He was also a nephew of general and playwright John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
. He served as Groom of His Majesty's Bedchamber
Groom of the Chamber
Groom of the Chamber and Groom of the Privy Chamber were positions in the Royal Household of the English monarchy, the latter considerably more elevated. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles...
to King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
in 1770. He was elected on 24 April 1769 to the House of Commons
House of Commons of Great Britain
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...
for the Bossiney constituency in Cornwall
Bossiney (UK Parliament constituency)
Bossiney was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall, one of a number of Cornish rotten boroughs, and returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1552 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
. On 12 October 1774 he was elected for the Penryn constituency in Cornwall
Penryn (UK Parliament constituency)
Penryn was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1553 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to until 1832...
. Like his relative Lord North, Osborn held Tory political beliefs.
American Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
he was captain of the grenadier company of the Guards Brigade with the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the army. In addition to his other duties, he filled the post of Mustermaster-General and Inspector of the Foreign Troops. The latter responsibility required him to keep track of the strength and condition of the Hessian and other German mercenaries. The information was sent to Lord George Germain
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville PC , known as the Hon. George Sackville to 1720, as Lord George Sackville from 1720 to 1770, and as Lord George Germain from 1770 to 1782, was a British soldier and politician who was Secretary of State for America in Lord North's cabinet during the American...
, the Secretary of State for America. For the American war, the British military establishment assembled the 1,000-man Guards Brigade by choosing the men by lottery from the 1st, 2nd
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
, and 3rd Foot Guards. Brigadier General
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...
Edward Mathew
Edward Mathew (British general)
Edward Mathew began his military career in the British army as a commissioned officer. By the time of the American Revolutionary War he had risen to the rank of colonel. Promoted to brigadier general, he was assigned to command the elite Brigade of Guards in the American campaign...
commanded the unit which was split into two battalions of 500 troops each. Unlike the other regiments of foot, the light and grenadier companies of the Guards fought with their parent unit rather than being converged into elite battalions. 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...
Charles O'Hara
Charles O'Hara
General Charles O'Hara was a British military officer who served in the Seven Years War, American War of Independence, and French Revolutionary War, and later served as Governor of Gibraltar...
, who later held important commands in the British army, belonged to the Guards Brigade. Among his friends, Osborn counted Lieutenant Colonel William Harcourt
William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt
Field Marshal William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, GCB was a British nobleman and soldier. He was the younger son of Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt.-Seven Years War:...
of the 16th Light Dragoons, Captain-lieutenant Richard FitzPatrick
Richard FitzPatrick
General Richard FitzPatrick , styled The Honourable from birth, was an Anglo-Irish soldier, wit, poet, Whig politician and ‘sworn brother’ of the illustrious statesman of Charles James Fox...
of the 1st Foot Guards, Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Wrottesley
Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet
Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet , of Wrottesley Hall in Staffordshire, was a British army officer and Member of Parliament....
of the 2nd Foot Guards, and Colonel Henry Monckton of the 2nd Grenadier Battalion.
Near Raritan Landing, New Jersey on May 31, 1777, Lieutenant William Martin of Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment and a 20 man patrol were ambushed by 60 Hessian mounted and foot Jägers
Jäger (military)
Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
under Captains Richard Lorey and Carl Wreden. In the first fire, three mounted Jägers were wounded, two seriously. This infuriated the others and they set upon the Americans, killing Martin and six of his men while capturing seven more. When the Americans recovered Martin's body, it was found to be hideously mangled with seventeen sword wounds, "most of them mortal". The corpse was displayed to the American soldiers as proof of their enemies' brutality. Already irritated by incidents such as the bayoneting to death of Brigadier General Hugh Mercer
Hugh Mercer
Hugh Mercer was a soldier and physician. He initially served with British forces during the Seven Years War but later became a brigadier general in the Continental Army and a close friend to George Washington...
at Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
, Major General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
sent Martin's remains into the British lines under a flag of truce with a letter of protest. When the wagon bearing the corpse arrived at Osborn's picket post, he accepted the letter but refused the dead body. His witty but heartless reply that he, "was no coroner", was received among British officers with great amusement and even made the rounds in London.
At the Battle of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
on September 11, 1777, Mathew's brigade was part of Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis'
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
division which had reached a position on the American right rear before being detected. At 4:00 PM, the Guards Brigade took position on the right flank of the first line. Osborn commanded both the grenadier company on the right and the light company which deployed as skirmishers in front. They were opposed by the Maryland Division which was commanded by Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
. Since Sullivan was responsible for supervising the American right wing, he left the division under the leadership of Brigadier General Philippe Hubert Preudhomme de Borre
Philippe Hubert Preudhomme de Borre
Philippe Hubert, Chevalier de Preudhomme de Borre joined the French royal army in 1740 and served in the War of the Austrian Succession. During the American Revolutionary War he traveled to America where he was presented as a military expert. Promoted to general officer, his career as a...
. The Frenchman mishandled the Marylanders, throwing the division into confusion. With the Americans in disarray, the attack of the Guards easily swept them aside. At the end of the day, the entire brigade reported only one killed, five wounded, and two missing. Of these, one casualty was from Osborn's grenadiers and three from the light company. A few days after the battle Osborn and FitzPatrick caught two Guard grenadiers out plundering. The unfortunate soldiers were both sentenced to 500 lashes as punishment.
The night before the Battle of Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
on 4 October 1777, Howe warned Osborn to expect trouble and the detached Guard grenadier and light companies took post on the far right flank next to the Queen's Rangers
Queen's Rangers
The Queen's Rangers was a military unit who fought on the Loyalist side during the American War of Independence. After the war they moved to Nova Scotia and disbanded, but were reformed again in Upper Canada before disbanding again, in 1802, a decade prior to the War of 1812.-French and Indian...
, a loyalist American unit. In the morning they were attacked by Brigadier General William Smallwood
William Smallwood
William Smallwood was an American planter, soldier and politician from Charles County, Maryland. He served in the American Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of major general...
's Maryland 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...
and Brigadier General David Forman's New Jersey militia. The militia captured a few outworks but their organization soon unraveled in the face of opposition by professional soldiers. After driving back the American amateurs, the British swung to their left to flank Brigadier General Alexander McDougall
Alexander McDougall
Alexander McDougall was an American seaman, merchant, a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution, and a military leader during the Revolutionary War. He served as a major general in the Continental Army, and as a delegate to the Continental Congress...
's Connecticut Brigade.
On 10 November during the final part of the Siege of Fort Mifflin
Siege of Fort Mifflin
The Siege of Fort Mifflin or Siege of Mud Island Fort from September 26 to November 16, 1777 saw British land batteries commanded by Captain John Montresor and a British naval squadron under Vice Admiral Lord Richard Howe attempt to capture an American fort in the Delaware River commanded by...
, Howe directed Osborn to lead an amphibious assault on the fort on Mud Island. Accordingly, he assembled his grenadier company plus an additional four officers, eight NCOs, two drummers, and 150 enlisted men from the Guards Brigade and marched to Province Island on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. They were joined there by a detachment of light infantry, the 27th Foot and the 29th Foot. Osborn planned to load eight flatboats with 35 soldiers each for the initial assault. In the event, the American garrison evacuated the fort on the night of November 15 and Osborn's detachment occupied the place without opposition.
On 16 December 1777, Osborn and Lord Cornwallis left Philadelphia aboard the frigate HMS Brilliant (36)
HMS Brilliant (1757)
HMS Brilliant was one of the three 36-gun Venus-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1757 and served until sold in 1776.- References :...
. During his tenure as Inspector of the Foreign Troops, he cultivated excellent relations with the Hessian officer corps. Upon his arrival in England, King George promoted Osborn to brigadier general. Having obtained leave from his regiment, he then traveled in Europe.One source says the old HMS Brilliant was laid up in 1776 and the new HMS Brilliant was not commissioned until 1779. See the Michael Phillips website.
Later career
On 30 November 1780, Osborn was elected to Parliament in a by-election, this time to the Horsham constituency in SussexHorsham (UK Parliament constituency)
Horsham is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
. Osborn was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1787. On 1 September 1795, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
wrote a report to King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
after inspecting military units in the Northern District. The report stated that Osborn commanded the 3rd Dragoon Guards
3rd Dragoon Guards
The 3rd Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 3rd/6th Dragoon Guards in 1922....
, the 8th Foot, and the Durham militia at Whitburn
Whitburn, South Tyneside
Whitburn is a village in South Tyneside, on the coast of North East England. It lies just to the north of the City of Sunderland in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear. Until 1974, when the Local Government Act 1972 came into being, it was part of County Durham...
. The 8th Foot was praised as the best line regiment in the district though its officers were not in regulation uniforms. Only 100 troopers of the 3rd Dragoon Guards were present since two squadrons had been sent to the continent. The Durham militia were well-drilled but their uniforms and equipment were in bad condition. Osborn died on 29 June 1818.