General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
Sir James Fergusson, (17 March 1787 – 4 September 1865) was a
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
officer during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
and the
Governor of Gibraltar
The governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the ...
from 1855 to 1859.
Military career
Born on 17 March 1787 to Charles and Ann Fergusson, Fergusson was commissioned as ensign in 1801, in the
18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot, before transferring to the
43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot
The 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) to form the 1st and 2nd battalions of th ...
, training as
light infantry
Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often foug ...
under
Sir John Moore at
Shorncliffe. Promoted lieutenant in 1804, and captain in 1806, he served in the
Light Division
The Light Division was a light infantry division of the British Army. Its origins lay in "Light Companies" formed during the late 18th century, to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect a main force with skirmishing tactics. Thes ...
throughout the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spai ...
. Fergusson was present at the battles of
Roliça,
Vimeiro, (where he sustained wounds), and
Corunna, where his regiment formed part of the reserve. Fergusson accompanied the 43rd on the 1809
Walcheren Expedition
The Walcheren Campaign ( ) was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Sir John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chath ...
before returning to the Peninsula, experiencing action at
River Côa,
Bussaco,
Sabugal,
Fuentes de Onoro, as well as
Ciudad Rodrigo and
Badajoz
Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The populati ...
, where he formed part of the 43rd's storming parties, receiving wounds both times.
He received a gold medal for his action at Badajoz. Following fine action at
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Herit ...
in 1812 he was promoted to Major without purchase, taking a post in the
79th Foot. He exchanged into the
85th Foot, seeing action at
Bidassoa
__NOTOC__
The Bidasoa (, ; french: Bidassoa, ) is a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France that runs largely south to north. Named as such downstream of the village of Oronoz-Mugairi (municipality of Baztan) in the p ...
,
Nivelle,
Nive
The Nive (; eu, Errobi; oc, Niva) is a French river that flows through the French Basque Country. It is a left tributary of the river Adour. It is long. The river's source in the Pyrenees in Lower Navarre. The river Nive was made famous by ...
and
Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...
.
[H. M. Stephens]
‘Fergusson, Sir James (1787–1865)’
rev. James Lunt, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 3 August 2009
On 16 May 1814 Fergusson was again promoted without purchase, becoming lieutenant-colonel of the
3rd (Buffs) Regiment's 2nd battalion. Following the Buffs' reduction in 1816, Fergusson studied at the
Royal Military College, before taking an appointment as lieutenant-colonel of the
88th Regiment of Foot. In 1825, Fergusson exchanged into the
52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India du ...
, commanding it in England, Ireland,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
, Gibraltar, and the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
, until 1839, receiving his promotion to full colonel in 1830. In 1841, Fergusson was made major-general, and served as colonel of the
62nd Regiment of Foot
The 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which was raised in 1756 and saw service through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 99th (Lanarkshire) R ...
(March 1850), of his old regiment the 43rd Foot (1850–1853); then made lieutenant-general, he commanded the troops at Malta, and in 1855 the governor and commander-in-chief at Gibraltar. He resigned from the post in 1859, retiring to
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
.
He was promoted to full general on 21 February 1860.
Fergusson was invested as a Companion 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 ...
in 1831, Knight Commander in 1855 and Knight Grand Cross in 1860.
He was also awarded the
Military General Service Medal
__NOTOC__
The Military General Service Medal (MGSM) was a campaign medal approved in 1847 and issued to officers and men of the British Army in 1848.Including officers and men of the King's German Legion, Brunswick Oels and Chasseurs Britanniques ...
with eight clasps.
[Moorsom, W.S. ''Historical Record of the Fifty-Second Regiment (Oxfordshire Light Infantry)'', London: Richard Bentley, 1860, p. 315]
Fergusson died in 1865.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fergusson, James
1787 births
1865 deaths
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
British Army generals
52nd Regiment of Foot officers
88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) officers
43rd Regiment of Foot officers
Governors of Gibraltar