Sir John Slade, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
General
Sir John "Black Jack" Slade, 1st Baronet, GCH
(31 December 1762 – 13 August 1859) served as a general officer in the British Army
during the Peninsular War
. He lacked talent as a combat leader. Though Slade was praised in official reports, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
criticized his actions privately and finally replaced him with a more efficient officer. Despite this, he attained high rank after the war. His descendents include two admirals.
, a Victualling Commissioner
, and his wife, Charlotte née Portal. He obtained a commission as cornet
in the 10th Dragoons on 11 May 1780, and became a lieutenant
on 28 April 1783, captain
on 24 October 1787, major
on 1 March 1794, and lieutenant colonel
on 29 April 1795. On 18 October 1798, he exchanged to the 1st Dragoons (the Royals). He was appointed equerry
to the Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
in 1800, and became a colonel
in the army on 29 April 1802. In June 1804, he was made brigadier
, and gave up command of the Royals.
He is said to "have danced with Marie Antoinette
who gave him a snuff box
".
in command of a hussar
brigade
. He led the 10th Hussars in the successful cavalry
action at Sahagún
on 20 December. The 10th arrived too late to play an active role in the action, primarily because Slade insisted on making a stirring, and apparently long, speech ending in the words: "blood and slaughter, march!" Slade shared in the arduous work of the cavalry during John Moore's retreat, and served as a volunteer at the Battle of Corunna
, when the cavalry had embarked.
He was employed on the staff in England
for six months, but returned to the Peninsula
in August 1809 with a brigade of dragoons, and served there for four years. He participated in the battles of Busaco and Fuentes de Oñoro
. He commanded the cavalry
division, in Stapleton Cotton's absence, during André Masséna
's retreat from Portugal
in the spring of 1811. He was said to have missed opportunities, but Wellington
mentioned him favourably in his dispatch of 14 March.
On 11 June 1812, when he was under Rowland Hill
in Estremadura
, Slade was beaten by Charles Lallemand
in a cavalry action at Maguilla
. Each side deployed 700 dragoons in two regiments. The British had the advantage in the first encounter, and followed headlong in pursuit through a defile
, beyond which they found the French reserve drawn up. Their own reserve had joined in the pursuit and lost its formation. The brigade panicked, was pursued by the French for several miles, and lost more than 100 prisoners.
Slade rode with the leading squadrons, instead of attending to the supports, and Wellington and others blamed him. Wellington was furious; he wrote:
, and he went home, and was employed for a year in Ireland
. The official reason for Slade losing his command was that Major General Henry Clinton
had been given the local rank of lieutenant general, and John Slade was senior to him. In reality, this seems to have been a useful method by which Wellington divested himself of a general who he had become convinced was less than competent. Slade received a Army Gold Medal
and one clasp for Corunna and Fuentes d'Oñoro. He had been promoted to major general
on 25 October 1809, became a lieutenant general
on 4 June 1814, and a general
on 10 January 1837. In 1831, he was given the colonelcy of the 5th Dragoon Guards
; on 30 September 1831 he was made a baronet
, and in 1835 he was appointed a GCH
. He was honoured three times with the thanks of Parliament
. He died on 13 August 1859 at his home, Montys Court, and was buried at Norton Fitzwarren
, near Taunton
, Somerset, 'the oldest living member of the army save one'.
He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his third son, Sir Frederic Slade, 2nd Baronet (1801–63), queen's counsel
and bencher of the Middle Temple
. Admiral Sir Adolphus Slade
(1804–77) was his fifth son.
Other notable descendants include:
's earlier novels in the Matthew Hervey series.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir John "Black Jack" Slade, 1st Baronet, GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(31 December 1762 – 13 August 1859) served as a general 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...
during the 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...
. He lacked talent as a combat leader. Though Slade was praised in official reports, Arthur Wellesley, 1st 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...
criticized his actions privately and finally replaced him with a more efficient officer. Despite this, he attained high rank after the war. His descendents include two admirals.
Background and early military life
Slade was the son of John Slade (d. 1801) of Maunsel Grange, SomersetSomerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, a Victualling Commissioner
Victualling Commissioners
The Commissioners for the victualling of the Navy, often called Victualling Commissioners, were the body responsible under the Navy Board for victualling ships of the British Royal Navy.-Creation:...
, and his wife, Charlotte née Portal. He obtained a commission as cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
in the 10th Dragoons on 11 May 1780, and became a 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...
on 28 April 1783, captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 24 October 1787, major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on 1 March 1794, and 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...
on 29 April 1795. On 18 October 1798, he exchanged to the 1st Dragoons (the Royals). He was appointed equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to the Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Ernest Augustus I of Hanover
Ernest Augustus I was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death. He was the fifth son and eighth child of George III, who reigned in both the United Kingdom and Hanover...
in 1800, and became a 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...
in the army on 29 April 1802. In June 1804, he was made brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
, and gave up command of the Royals.
He is said to "have danced with Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
who gave him a snuff box
Snuff Box
Snuff Box is a BBC Three British dark comedy starring and written by Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher with additional material by Nick Gargano. It first aired on Monday 27 February 2006....
".
Peninsular War cavalry general
Slade saw no active service until, in October 1808, he was sent to CorunnaA 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 command of a hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
. He led the 10th Hussars in the successful cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
action at Sahagún
Battle of Sahagún
The Battle of Sahagún was a cavalry clash in which the 15th Light Dragoons defeated two regiments of French cavalry during the Corunna Campaign of the Peninsular War. One of the French regiments lost so heavily that it was subsequently disbanded...
on 20 December. The 10th arrived too late to play an active role in the action, primarily because Slade insisted on making a stirring, and apparently long, speech ending in the words: "blood and slaughter, march!" Slade shared in the arduous work of the cavalry during John Moore's retreat, and served as a volunteer at the Battle of Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
, when the cavalry had embarked.
He was employed on the staff in 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...
for six months, but returned to the Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
in August 1809 with a brigade of dragoons, and served there for four years. He participated in the battles of Busaco and Fuentes de Oñoro
Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
In the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro , the British-Portuguese Army under Viscount Wellington checked an attempt by the French Army of Portugal under Marshal André Masséna to relieve the besieged city of Almeida.-Background:...
. He commanded the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
division, in Stapleton Cotton's absence, during André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
's retreat from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in the spring of 1811. He was said to have missed opportunities, but 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...
mentioned him favourably in his dispatch of 14 March.
On 11 June 1812, when he was under Rowland Hill
Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill
General Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill of Almaraz GCB, GCH served in the Napoleonic Wars as a trusted brigade, division and corps commander under the command of the Duke of Wellington. He became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1829.-Early career:Educated at a school in Chester, Hill was...
in Estremadura
Estremadura Province (historical)
Estremadura Province is one of the six historical provinces of Portugal....
, Slade was beaten by Charles Lallemand
Charles Lallemand
François Antoine "Charles" Lallemand was a French general who served Napoleon I of France, tried to found a colony in what is now Texas, and finally returned to France to serve as governor of Corsica.-Early years:...
in a cavalry action at Maguilla
Battle of Maguilla
In the Battle of Maguilla on June 11, 1812, a French cavalry brigade commanded by General of Brigade Charles Lallemand routed a similar-sized British cavalry brigade led by Brigadier General John Slade. This action took place during the Peninsular War....
. Each side deployed 700 dragoons in two regiments. The British had the advantage in the first encounter, and followed headlong in pursuit through a defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
, beyond which they found the French reserve drawn up. Their own reserve had joined in the pursuit and lost its formation. The brigade panicked, was pursued by the French for several miles, and lost more than 100 prisoners.
Slade rode with the leading squadrons, instead of attending to the supports, and Wellington and others blamed him. Wellington was furious; he wrote:
"I have never been more annoyed than by Slade's affair. Our officers of cavalry have acquired a trick of galloping at every thing. They never consider the situation, never think of manouevring before an enemy, and never keep back or provide for a reserve."If 'Black Jack' was not held in very high regard by his commander-in-chief, some of his subordinates were equally damning; one officer wrote: "As a leader of cavalry he was deplorable. He was a byword for inefficiency throughout the army." He was "generally regarded as incompetent" Major-General John Slade, was also known as 'God-damn-you-Jack', a commander of breath-taking stupidity.
Later career and honours
In May 1813, Slade's brigade was transferred to Henry FaneHenry Fane (general)
General Sir Henry Fane GCB commanded brigades under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington during several battles during the Peninsular War, and served both as a member of Parliament and Commander-in-Chief of India....
, and he went home, and was employed for a year in Ireland
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...
. The official reason for Slade losing his command was that Major General Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (Napoleonic Wars)
Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, GCB, GCH was a British Army officer and a general officer during the Napoleonic Wars.He came from a family of soldiers...
had been given the local rank of lieutenant general, and John Slade was senior to him. In reality, this seems to have been a useful method by which Wellington divested himself of a general who he had become convinced was less than competent. Slade received a 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 one clasp for Corunna and Fuentes d'Oñoro. He had been promoted to 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...
on 25 October 1809, became a 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....
on 4 June 1814, and a general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
on 10 January 1837. In 1831, he was given the colonelcy of the 5th Dragoon Guards
5th Dragoon Guards
The 5th 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 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in 1922....
; on 30 September 1831 he was made a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, and in 1835 he was appointed a GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
. He was honoured three times with the thanks of Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. He died on 13 August 1859 at his home, Montys Court, and was buried at Norton Fitzwarren
Norton Fitzwarren
Norton Fitzwarren is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated north west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 2,325.-History:...
, near Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset, 'the oldest living member of the army save one'.
Family
He married, first on 20 September 1792, Anna Eliza Dawson (d. 24 December 1819), and second on 17 June 1822, Matilda Ellen Dawson (d. 12 September 1868). He had 11 sons and 4 daughters.He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his third son, Sir Frederic Slade, 2nd Baronet (1801–63), queen's counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
and bencher of the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. Admiral Sir Adolphus Slade
Adolphus Slade
Sir Adolphus Slade C.B. was a British Admiral who became Admiral of the Fleet in the Navy of the Sultan of Turkey.He was the fifth son of General Sir John Slade.-Career:* 1815 Entered Navy* 1827 Lieutenant* 1841 Commander...
(1804–77) was his fifth son.
Other notable descendants include:
- Madelene SladeMirabehnMadeleine Slade , daughter of the British Rear-Admiral Sir Edmond Slade, was a British woman who left her home in England to live and work with Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement. She devoted her life to human development, the advancement of Gandhi's principles and...
aka Mirabehn the close friend of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who was the daughter of Admiral Sir Edmond SladeEdmond SladeAdmiral Sir Edmond John Warre Slade KCVO, KCIE was a British rear-admiral and a director of the Naval Intelligence Division...
(1859–1928), son of Sir John's 11th son Rev George Fitzclarence Slade. - Martin BealeMartin BealeEvelyn Martin Lansdowne Beale FRS was an applied mathematician and statistician who was one of the pioneers of mathematical programming.-Career:...
FRS (father of Nicholas Beale), who was the son of Muriel Rebecca Beale OBE, the granddaughter of Rev G F Slade.
In fiction
He features as a notoriously bad general in Allan MallinsonAllan Mallinson
Brigadier Allan Lawrence Mallinson is an English author and was an officer in the British Army.Mallinson is best known for writing a series of novels chronicling the life of Matthew Hervey, an officer serving in the British 6th Light Dragoons from the late Napoleonic Wars through subsequent...
's earlier novels in the Matthew Hervey series.