Samuel Auchmuty

Sir Samuel Auchmuty (1756-1822) was a British general.

He was born at New York City in 1756, and served as a loyalist in the American War of Independence, being given an ensigncy in the loyal army in 1777, and in 1778 a lieutenancy in the 45th Foot, without purchase. When his regiment returned to England after the war, having neither private means nor influence, he exchanged into the 52nd, in order to proceed to India.

He took part in the last war against Hyder Ali; he was given a staff appointment by Lord Cornwallis in 1790, served in the operations against Tippoo Sahib, and continued in various staff appointments up to 1797, when he returned to England a brevet lieutenant colonel.

In 1800 he was made lieut.-colonel and brevet colonel; and in the following year, as adjutant-general to Sir David ?? in Egypt, took a distinguished share in the march across in e desert and the capture of Alexandria. On his return to England in 1803 he was knighted, and three years later he went out to the River Plate as a brigadier-general. Auchmuty was on e of the few officers who came out of the disastrous Buenos Aires expedition of 1806–7 with enhanced reputation. While General Whitelocke, the commander, was cashiered, Auchmuty th is at once re-employed and promoted major-general, and was an ?? to command at Madras.

In the following year mi commanded the expedition organized for the conquest of ??, which the governor-general, Lord Minto, himself accompanied. The storming of the strongly fortified position of ?? Cornelis (28th August 1811), stubbornly defended by rd e Dutch garrison under General Janssens, practically achieved fir e conquest of the island, and after the action of Samarang on eptember 8th) Janssens surrendered. Auchmuty received the thanks of parliament and the order of K.C.B. (G.C.B. in. 1815), R Ld in 1813, on his return home, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In 1822 he became commander-in-chief in Ireland, and a member of the Irish privy council. He died suddenly on ?? of August 1822.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.