Sir James Wallace Sleigh CB (1775–1865) was an officer of the

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 Gurk ...

. He rose to be a general, and fought with

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

Family background

Sleigh was the son of William Sleigh and Frances Wallace. His mother was the illegitimate daughter of Admiral Sir James Wallace. He also had a brother called Francis Wallace Sleigh who went to live in South Africa. In 1783 his father is mentioned in the events surrounding the court case involving Charles Bourne and Sir James Wallace. Along with his mother and siblings he is mentioned as a beneficiary in the will of Sir James Wallace (who died in 1803). Sleigh married Eliza Fagan, the daughter of Major-General Christopher Sullivan Fagan and Agnes Baldock in 1831.

Military record

Sleigh was appointed a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

with the 11th Dragoons in 1795. He was made a captain in 1798 and a major in 1805. In 1809 he became a

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

and as such fought in the

against

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. In 1819 he became a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

by brevet. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath. In 1826 he is referred to as formerly a

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

and as a British general who was leading the Cavalry in a battle in India at Bhurtpore. He became a

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 ...

in 1830 and was made the Colonel of the

9th Lancers The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, but w ...

in 1839.THE NEW ARMY LIST, FOR JANUARY, 1841.By H. G. HART

References

1775 births 1865 deaths British Army major generals Companions of the Order of the Bath 11th Hussars officers 9th Queen's Royal Lancers officers British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars People of the Battle of Waterloo {{UK-army-bio-stub