Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood (23 December 1729 – 29 August 1780) was a British army officer during the 18th century, most noted for his command during the

Battle of Princeton The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the comman ...

Military career

His military service began with purchase of a cornetcy in 1st Dragoon Guards (1 August 1752). He served in the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), initially as a Captain in the 15th Light Dragoons, then transferred to

18th Light Dragoons The 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first formed in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, including the First World War before being amalgamated with the 13th Hussars to form the 13th/18th Royal H ...

. He subsequently saw action in Germany as aide-de-camp to Lord Granby. He continued to rise in rank during the peace, first to major in the

3rd Foot The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...

on 17 May 1763, then to lieutenant colonel of the

19th Foot 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

on 17 June 1767. He transferred to the

17th Foot The Leicestershire Regiment (Royal Leicestershire Regiment after 1946) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. The regiment saw service for three centuries, in numerous wars and conflicts such as both ...

on 26 October 1775 and served with this regiment during General Howe's early campaigns of the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

Battle of Princeton

Mawhood was left in command of a force at Princeton, New Jersey by Lord Cornwallis in January 1777 while Cornwallis chased after

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

's army after the

Battle of Trenton The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American m ...

. After Cornwallis's attack in Trenton was stopped, Washington sneaked his army around that of Cornwallis and attacked the Princeton garrison. Mawhood acquitted himself well in the battle, but much of the garrison was lost, and the British were driven out of most of New Jersey. Mawhood continued to serve in North America, seeing further action during the 1777–1778 Philadelphia campaign leading a mixed force of regulars, loyalists and rangers in a series of raids through New Jersey.

Gibraltar

Highly esteemed in England following the

, he was chosen to raise a new regiment, the Royal Manchester Volunteers (72nd Foot), for service at the besieged garrison of

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. Mawhood died during the siege on 29 August 1780 after suffering from a gall-stone.

References

Bibliography

* 1729 births 1780 deaths Gentlemen Ushers 1st King's Dragoon Guards officers 15th The King's Hussars officers 18th Royal Hussars officers Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) officers Green Howards officers Royal Leicestershire Regiment officers British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War British Army personnel of the Seven Years' War {{UK-army-bio-stub