Charles Napier, continued from the previous page....
Like General Sir Eyre Coote sixty years earlier in India, Napier broke with tradition and in his despatches mentioned by name NCOs and other rank heroes, both Indian and British. His final victory against the Baluchis was at Dubba near Hyderabad on the 24th March 1843 and Sind was annexed. Napier despatched to headquarters a short famous message, " Peccavi " - Latin for " I have sinned " - a pun on Sindh. The pun later appeared in a cartoon in Punch magazine in 1844 under a caricature of Sir Charles. Later proponents of British rule over the East Indians justified the conquest thus: " If this was a piece of rascality, it was a noble piece of rascality! "
On the 4th July 1843 Charles was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the military division of the Order of the Bath in recognition of the victories at Miani and Hyderabad.
He was appointed govenor of the Bombay Preseidency by Lord Ellenborough, His administration did not please the directors of the British East India Company, and he accordingly returned hom in disgust, but was sent out again by the acclamatory voice of the nation, in the spring of 1849, to reduce the Sikhs to submission. On arriving once more in India, he found that the object of his mission had already been accomplished by Lord Gough.
A story for which Napier is famous involves a delegation of Hindu locals approaching him and complaining about prohibition of the Sati, often referred to at the time as ' suttee ' by British authorities. This was the custom of burning widows alive on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands. The exact wording of his response varies somewhat in different reports, but the following version captures its essence:
On the 4th July 1843 Charles was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the military division of the Order of the Bath in recognition of the victories at Miani and Hyderabad.
He was appointed govenor of the Bombay Preseidency by Lord Ellenborough, His administration did not please the directors of the British East India Company, and he accordingly returned hom in disgust, but was sent out again by the acclamatory voice of the nation, in the spring of 1849, to reduce the Sikhs to submission. On arriving once more in India, he found that the object of his mission had already been accomplished by Lord Gough.
A story for which Napier is famous involves a delegation of Hindu locals approaching him and complaining about prohibition of the Sati, often referred to at the time as ' suttee ' by British authorities. This was the custom of burning widows alive on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands. The exact wording of his response varies somewhat in different reports, but the following version captures its essence:
You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.
Napier remained for a time as Commander-in-Chief; quarrelled with Lord Dalhousie, the Govenor- General; then, throwing up his post, he returned home for the last time. Broken down with infirmities, the result of his former wounds in the Peninsular campaign, he died about two years later at his seat of Oaklands, near Portsmouth, in August 1853, at the age of 71. He is buried in the Royal garrison Church in Portsmouth.
Charles Napier put down several insurgencies in India during his reign as Commander-in-Chief, and once said of his philosophy about how to do so effectively: " The best way to quiet a country is a good thrashing, followed by great kindness afterwards. Even the wildest chaps are thus tamed " An implimentation of this theory would be after the Battle of Miani, where most of the Mirs surrendered. One leader held back and was told by Napier:
Charles Napier put down several insurgencies in India during his reign as Commander-in-Chief, and once said of his philosophy about how to do so effectively: " The best way to quiet a country is a good thrashing, followed by great kindness afterwards. Even the wildest chaps are thus tamed " An implimentation of this theory would be after the Battle of Miani, where most of the Mirs surrendered. One leader held back and was told by Napier:
Come here instantly. Come here at once and make your submission, or i will in a week tear you from the midst of your village and hang you.
The reason he felt brutality was necessary for the proper conquest of rebellions may have been his opinion that
" so perverse is mankind that every nationality prefers to be misgoverened by its own people than to be well ruled by another " Whatever the reason for his views on fighting insurgencies, the fact remains that he was one of Great Britain's most effective generals at doing this in India, often facing well-armed fighters.
" so perverse is mankind that every nationality prefers to be misgoverened by its own people than to be well ruled by another " Whatever the reason for his views on fighting insurgencies, the fact remains that he was one of Great Britain's most effective generals at doing this in India, often facing well-armed fighters.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Lysacht Pennefather CGB ( 9th September 1798 - 9th May 1872 ) was the third son of Rev. John Pennefather of County Tipperary and nephew of Richard Pennefather, Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland.
John entered the army on the 14th January 1818 as cornet in the 7th Dragoon Guards, became a Lieutenat on the 20th February 1823, and a Captain on half pay on the 5th November 1825. On the 8th April 1826 he was appointed to the 22nd Foot ( the Cheshire Regiment ) in which he bacme a Major on the 22nd March 1831, and a Lieutenat-Colonel on the 18th October 1839. He rose by the regular grades of promotion without having purchased any of his grades. Up to this time he had seen no active service, but in 1843 his was the one European regiment in the small force with
John entered the army on the 14th January 1818 as cornet in the 7th Dragoon Guards, became a Lieutenat on the 20th February 1823, and a Captain on half pay on the 5th November 1825. On the 8th April 1826 he was appointed to the 22nd Foot ( the Cheshire Regiment ) in which he bacme a Major on the 22nd March 1831, and a Lieutenat-Colonel on the 18th October 1839. He rose by the regular grades of promotion without having purchased any of his grades. Up to this time he had seen no active service, but in 1843 his was the one European regiment in the small force with
Charles Napier won the Battle of Miani ( Meanee ) The regiment bore the brunt of the action, in which two thousand men defeated thirty-five thousand. The battalion was about five hundred strong, nearly all Irishmen, like their Colonel and their General. ' The noble soldier, Penneyfather ' ( as Napier described him ) fell wounded mortally, it was thought, on the top of the bank which bordered the river-bed and formed the crest of the Baluchis'
position. He was made a C.B and received the thanks of Parliament. In 1848 he gave up command of the 22nd regiment and was placed on half-pay, and in the following year was appointed assistant Quartermaster-General in the Cork district. In 1854 he was given command of the first brigade of the second ( Sir De Lacy Evans's ) division in the army sent to the East, and on the 20th June he was made a Major-General.
His Brigade consisted of the 30th, 55th and 95th regiments. He commanded it with credit at the battle of the Alma during the Crimean War and in the affair of 26th October, when a sortie in force was made from Sebastopol against the heights held by the second division on the extreme right of the Allies. But he had more opportunity of distinguishing himself ten days later, when the attack, for which this sortie was only preparatory, was made by the Russians, and the Battle of Inkerman was fought.
position. He was made a C.B and received the thanks of Parliament. In 1848 he gave up command of the 22nd regiment and was placed on half-pay, and in the following year was appointed assistant Quartermaster-General in the Cork district. In 1854 he was given command of the first brigade of the second ( Sir De Lacy Evans's ) division in the army sent to the East, and on the 20th June he was made a Major-General.
His Brigade consisted of the 30th, 55th and 95th regiments. He commanded it with credit at the battle of the Alma during the Crimean War and in the affair of 26th October, when a sortie in force was made from Sebastopol against the heights held by the second division on the extreme right of the Allies. But he had more opportunity of distinguishing himself ten days later, when the attack, for which this sortie was only preparatory, was made by the Russians, and the Battle of Inkerman was fought.
British troops cross the Alma River in order to attack the Alma heights
Owing to the illness of Evans, Pennyfather was in command of the Division that day. He had less than 3,000 men under him, while thirty-five thousand Russian Infantry advanced against. Pennefather is remembered as the ' soldier's soldier ' known to swear tremendous oaths in the heart of battle, he was both famous and loved in the British Army for his fearless and inspiring leadership. At the Battle of Inkerman on the 5th November 1854 Pennefather, as Commander of the 2nd Division, was in the centre of the Fray in what was described as a soldiers battle, fought without much direction from Raglan and his staff. When it looked as if the Russian infantry might be retreating Pennefather stoutly maintained that he could follow up and ' lick them to the devil ' if reinforced. his words were translated by a pleased Lord Raglan for General Canrobert, a French Divisional Commander, who exclaimed ' Ah! quel brave garcon! quel brave homme! quel bon general!. Pennefather summed up this battle in his rich and expressive vocabulary " I tell you, we gave 'em a hell of a towelling " Pennefather was left to direct much of the battle, so far as one person could direct it. Always undaunted , always kindling with his warlike animation, he was very powerful in himself. Even when his radiant countenance could not be seen there was comfort in the sound of his voice, and the " grand old boy's " favourite oaths roaring cheerily down through the smoke. The battle lasted about six hours from daybreak to 1 p.m, then the Russians began their retreat, having lost nearly 12, 000 men. Pennefather's admirable behaviour was mentioned in Lord Raglan's despatch. A fortnight afterwards he was given the Colonelcy of the 46th Regiment, and he succeeded to the command of the second division, when Evans returned to England in the latter part of November.
John was invalided from the Crimea in July 1855, and on the 25th September he was appointed to command the troops in Malta, with the local rank of Lieutenat-General. He remained there nearly five years, and after a short term of service in the northern district he commanded the troops at Aldershot from 1860 to 1865.
he exchanged the colonelcy of the 46th for that of his old regiment, the 22nd on the 13th February 1860. On the 12th November of that year he became Lieutenat-General on the establishment, and on 9th May 1868 he became General. He had been made a K.C.B on the 5th July 1855 and received a G.C.B on the 13th May 1867. he was also a commander of the Sardinian order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, a grand officer of the Legion of Honour, and in the second class of the Order of the Medjidie. On the 27th August 1870 he was made govenor of Chelsea Hospital. He died on the 9th of May and was bueried in Brompton Cemetary. In 1834 he had married Katherine, eldest daughter of John Carr Esq..of Mountrath, Queens County.
John was invalided from the Crimea in July 1855, and on the 25th September he was appointed to command the troops in Malta, with the local rank of Lieutenat-General. He remained there nearly five years, and after a short term of service in the northern district he commanded the troops at Aldershot from 1860 to 1865.
he exchanged the colonelcy of the 46th for that of his old regiment, the 22nd on the 13th February 1860. On the 12th November of that year he became Lieutenat-General on the establishment, and on 9th May 1868 he became General. He had been made a K.C.B on the 5th July 1855 and received a G.C.B on the 13th May 1867. he was also a commander of the Sardinian order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, a grand officer of the Legion of Honour, and in the second class of the Order of the Medjidie. On the 27th August 1870 he was made govenor of Chelsea Hospital. He died on the 9th of May and was bueried in Brompton Cemetary. In 1834 he had married Katherine, eldest daughter of John Carr Esq..of Mountrath, Queens County.
