Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Sir Herbert Stewart (30 June 1843 – 16 February 1885) was a British soldier.

Early life

Stewart, the eldest son of the Rev. Edward Stewart, was born at

Sparsholt, Hampshire Sparsholt (/ˈspɑːʃəʊlt/) is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, west of Winchester. In 1908 its area was . The 2011 Census recorded its population as 982. The parish also includes the hamlet of Dean, Farley Mount Country ...

. He was the grandson of

Edward Richard Stewart Edward Richard Stewart (5 May 1782 – 27 August 1851) was a Scottish Member of Parliament (MP) in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and a Commissioner of the Victualling Board from 1809 to 1813. and Paymaster and Inspector-General of the Marin ...

and great-grandson of

John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway, (13 March 1736 – 13 November 1806), styled Viscount Garlies from 1747 until 1773, was a British peer who became the 7th Earl of Galloway in 1773 and served as a Member of Parliament from 1761 to 1773. Early ...

. He played

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

for

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

.Chisholm, 1911

Military career

He was educated at

Brighton College Brighton College is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 in Brighton, England. The school has three sites: Brighton College (the senior school, ages 11 to 18); Brighton College Preparatory Sc ...

and then

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

before entering the army in 1863. After serving in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

with his regiment (

37th Foot The 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in Ireland in February 1702. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot to become the Hampshire R ...

) he returned to England in 1873, having exchanged into the

3rd Dragoon Guards The 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 3rd Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1751 and the 3rd (Prince of Wales's) ...

. In the year of 1877 he entered the

staff college Staff colleges (also command and staff colleges and War colleges) train military officers in the administrative, military staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career. For ex ...

and also the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

. In 1878 he was sent to South Africa, served in both the

Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, coup ...

and against

Sikukuni Sekhukhune I (Matsebe; circa 1814 – 13 August 1882) was the paramount King of the Marota, more commonly known as the Bapedi, from 21 September 1861 until his assassination on 13 August 1882 by his rival and half-brother, Mampuru II. As the Pedi ...

. As the chief staff-officer under

Sir George Pomeroy Colley Major General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, (1 November 1835 – 27 February 1881) was a British Army officer who became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and High Commissioner for South Eastern Africa. Colley was killed in action, at the ...

, he was present at Majuba (27 February 1881), where he was made prisoner by a

Boer Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape Colony, Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controll ...

patrol and detained until the end of that March. In August 1882, he was placed on the staff of the

cavalry division Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating a ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. After

Tel-el-Kebir Tell El Kebir ( ar, التل الكبير lit."the great mound") is 110 km north-north-east of Cairo and 75 kilometres south of Port Said on the edge of the Egyptian desert at the altitude of 29 m. Administratively, it is a part of the Isma ...

(13 September 1882), he headed a brilliant advance upon

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

, taking possession of both the town and citadel. He was three times mentioned in despatches, and made a brevet-colonel, CB, and '' aide-de-camp'' to

the Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...

. In January 1884, he was sent to

Suakin Suakin or Sawakin ( ar, سواكن, Sawákin, Beja: ''Oosook'') is a port city in northeastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about north. Suakin used to b ...

in command of the cavalry under Sir Gerald Graham, and took part as brigadier in the actions from

El Teb El Teb, a halting-place in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan near Suakin on the west coast of the Red Sea, 9 m. southwest of the port of Trinkitat on the road to Tokar. In mid-December 1883, the British Prime Minister William Gladstone ordered an eva ...

to the advance on

Tamai The Battle of Tamai (or Tamanieh) took place on 13 March 1884 between a British force under Sir Gerald Graham and a Mahdist Sudanese army led by Osman Digna. Despite his earlier victory at El Teb, Graham realised that Osman Digna's force was ...

. His services were recognized by him being knighted as a

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

, and he was made assistant adjutant and QMG in the south-eastern district of England from April to September 1884. Memorial To Sir Herbert Stewart-Detail

He then joined the expedition for the relief of Khartoum, and in that December, when news from

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

decided Lord Wolseley to send a column across the desert of Metemma, Stewart was entrusted with the command. On 16 January 1885, he found the enemy in force near the wells of

Abu Klea The Battle of Abu Klea, or the Battle of Abu Tulayh took place between the dates of 16 and 18 January 1885, at Abu Klea, Sudan, between the British Desert Column and Mahdist forces encamped near Abu Klea. The Desert Column, a force of approxi ...

, and brilliantly repulsed their fierce charge on the following morning. Leaving the wounded under guard, the column moved forward on the 18th through bushy country towards Metemma, 23 miles off. Meanwhile, the enemy continued their attacks, and on the morning of the 19th, Stewart was wounded in the

Battle of Abu Kru The Battle of Abu Kru (also known as the Battle of Gubat) was part of the British Sudan campaign. It was fought on 19 January 1885, two days after the Battle of Abu Klea, between the British and the Mahdists. The British force under General Si ...

and obliged to hand over the command to Sir Charles Wilson. He lingered for nearly a month, living long enough to hear of his promotion to the rank of

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

"for distinguished service in the field." He died on the way back from

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

Korti Korti or Kurti is a town in northern-central Sudan. In the Meroitic period the city appeared as Cadetum, Cadata or Coetum in Roman sources. The town lies about from Khartoum, on the south side of the Nile at the terminus of the Wadi Muqaddam. ...

on 16 February, and was buried near the wells of Jakdul. In the

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

reporting his death, Lord Wolseley summed up both Stewart's character and career with the words: "No braver soldier or more brilliant leader of men ever wore the Queen's uniform." A similar sentiment was felt by the Chief: "A finer soldier never existed in HM Service. He was a young officer, who by his own merits and his personal bravery had brought himself into a prominent position in the Army much earlier than usually happened in the ordinary course of events." Stewart seemed to epitomize the selfless spirit of the age, embodying the heroic sacrifice for Queen and Country that was supposed to symbolize a civilized Empire. A

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

was erected in

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

, London."Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral" Sinclair, W. p. 460: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909 ----

References

Bibliography

* George, HRH Duke of Cambridge, "George, A Memoir of his Private life: based on the journals and correspondence of His Highness" ed. edgar Sheppard, vol.1 (1819-1871), vol.2 (1871-1904), Longmans & Co, 1906.

External links

CricinfoGordon of Khartoum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Herbert 1843 births 1885 deaths 3rd Dragoon Guards officers 37th Regiment of Foot officers British Army generals British Army personnel of the Anglo-Egyptian War British military personnel killed in the Mahdist War British Army personnel of the Mahdist War British Army personnel of the Anglo-Zulu War Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Order of St. Sava People educated at Brighton College People from the City of Winchester English cricketers Hampshire cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers People educated at Winchester College