Sir Robert Thomas Wilson (17 August 1777 – 9 May 1849) was a British general and politician who served in Egypt, Prussia, and was seconded to the Imperial Russian Army in 1812. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 1777 ( MDCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state The Russian Ground Forces (Сухопутные войска Российской Федерации tr Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year He sat as the Liberal MP for Southwark from 1818 to 1831. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Southwark was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Southwark district of South London. Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1831 ( MDCCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a He served as the Lieutenant Governor of Ceylon and later as the Governor of Gibraltar from 1842 until his death in 1849. A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom 's overseas territory of Gibraltar. Year 1842 ( MDCCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
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Early career
Born in London, he was the grandson of a Leeds wool merchant, and the fourth child of painter and portraitist Benjamin Wilson. Orphaned at the age of twelve he was raised and educated by his uncle and guardian, William Bosville.
He eloped in his twenties with Jemima, the daughter of Colonel William Belford. She bore him thirteen children in the following 15 years.
Military life
He had a distinguished career in the Army and the diplomatic service. In 1794, as an ensign in the 15th Light Dragoons, Wilson fought in the celebrated Battle of Villers-en-Cauchies where a handful of cavalry smashed a much larger French force. In the Battle of Villers-en-Cauchies, fought on 24 April 1794, a small Anglo-Austrian cavalry force routed a vastly more numerous French division during the French In 1804 he became a lieutenant-colonel in the 19th Light Dragoons. He was expelled from Russia as a spy after the Treaty of Tilsit. The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland in the town of Tilsit During the Peninsular War he organized Portuguese soldiers into the Loyal Lusitanian Legion. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France [1] On 12 August 1809, Wilson with 4,000 men, including two battalions of the Legion, was defeated by French forces under Marshal Michel Ney at Puerto de Baños. Michel Ney, 1st Duc d' Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa ( January 10 1769 &ndash December 7 1815 He lost nearly 400 men while inflicting 185 casualties on the French. [2] Wilson returned to Russia in 1812 as a liaison officer. He was a sharp observer during the events of Napoleon's disastrous retreat from Moscow and was present at the Battle of Krasnoye. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Battle of Krasnoi ( Krasny) ( November 15 to 18, 1812) was a series of skirmishes fought in the final stage of Napoleon 's
Parliament
In 1818, Wilson became an MP for Southwark. In 1821, now a Radical MP he attended the funeral of Queen Caroline (the wife of George IV), a very controversial figure whose treatment by her husband had led her to be celebrated by the 'loud' section of the general populace. Her supporters, considering that they were not being allowed by the authorities to celebrate this occasion as they wished, began to become unruly. Soldiers escorting the cortege but also on duty because of the Establishment's fear of the mob, upon being stoned, fired over the heads of the crowd. Wilson strode up and stated that, "It is quite disgraceful to continue firing in this manner, for the people are unarmed. Remember you are soldiers of Waterloo; do not lose your honours gained on that occasion. You have had cannon shot at your head, never mind a few stones. " The firing ceased as the officer in charge recognised Wilson, and the troops, although maintaining their cohesion 'retired'. A few weeks later Wilson was dismissed from the Army by the Duke of York. He was, however, to again serve his country. See Jasper Ridley 'Lord Palmerstone' Panther Books 1972 (pb)
Later career
Wilson was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1830 and full general in 1841. He was appointed Governor of Gibraltar in 1842. He wrote a great deal about history and politics. [3]
References
- Chandler, David. Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. New York: Macmillan, 1979. ISBN 0-02-523670-9
- Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
Other reading
Two biographies exist: Giovanni Costigan, Sir Robert Wilson: A Soldier of Fortune in the Napoleonic Wars, Madison, Wisconsin, 1932 and Herbert Randolph, ed. , Life of General Sir Robert Wilson, 2 vols. , London, 1862.
Footnotes
Sources
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This biographical article related to the British Army is a stub. A biography (from the Greek words bíos (βίος meaning "life" and gráphein (γράφειν meaning "to write" is an account The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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