Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

William Smelt, CB (c.1788 – 10 January 1858) was the 18th

General Officer Commanding, Ceylon General Officer Commanding, Ceylon (also known as ''Commander of Troops'' or ''Officer Commanding His/Her Majesties Troops, Ceylon'') was the designation of the General Officer appointed to command all British Army units stationed in the island of ...

. He was a member of the Smelt family. He joined the British Army as a Cornet in 1798. In 1814, as a Major of the 103rd Foot, he participated in the battles of

Plattsburg Plattsburg may refer to: * Plattsburg, Indiana, U.S. *Plattsburg, Missouri Plattsburg is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area in the western part of the state, within the U ...

, Oswego and

Lundy's Lane King's Highway 20, commonly referred to as Highway 20, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Presently, it is a short stub between Highway 58 and Niagara Regional Road 70 in the City of Thorold, b ...

in North America and was badly wounded at the

Siege of Fort Erie The siege of Fort Erie, also known as the Battle of Erie, from 4 August to 21 September 1814, was one of the last engagements of the War of 1812, between British and American forces. It took place during the Niagara campaign, and the Americans su ...

. He was awarded CB in 1826, when a Lieutenant-Colonel of the 41st Foot. He was appointed General Officer Commanding, Ceylon on 28 January 1847 and succeeded by P. Bainbrigge in 1852. He was awarded the Army of India Medal. In 1850 he was given the colonelcy of the

62nd (Wiltshire) 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 ...

but transferred in 1851 to the

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 ...

, a position he held until his death. He was promoted Lieutenant-General on 11 November 1851.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Smelt, William General Officers Commanding, Ceylon British Army generals 1858 deaths British Army personnel of the War of 1812 41st Regiment of Foot officers