General Sir James Dawes Douglas
General Sir James Dawes Douglas KCB (14 January 1785 – 6 March 1862)
was a British army officer, who had a long and illustrious military
career, which included commanding Portuguese troops in the
Peninsular War.
Douglas was the elder son of Major James
Sholto Douglas, who was first cousin of the fifth and sixth
Marquises of Queensberry, by Sarah, daughter of James Dawes. He
entered the army as an ensign in the 42nd regiment, or Black Watch,
and was at once taken on the staff of Major-general Sir James Duff,
commanding at Limerick, where he became an intimate friend of his
fellow aide-de-camp, William Napier.
In 1801 he was promoted
lieutenant and joined the Royal Military College at Great Marlow. He
was promoted captain in 1804, and, being pronounced fit for a staff
situation, was appointed deputy-assistant quartermaster-general with
the force sent to South America in 1806. His conduct was praised in
despatches, and in 1807 he was nominated in the same capacity to the
corps proceeding to Portugal under Sir Arthur Wellesley. He was
present at the battle of Roliça and battle of Vimeiro. He advanced
into Spain with Sir John Moore, and served with the 2nd division
through the retreat from Salamanca and at the Battle of Corunna.
When William Carr Beresford was sent to Portugal in 1809 to organise
the Portuguese army, Douglas was one of the officers selected to
accompany him, and he was in February 1809 promoted major in the
English army and appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 8th Portuguese
regiment. He got his regiment fit for service, and was present at
the passage of the Douro River in May 1809, and at the close of the
year his regiment was attached to Thomas Picton's, the 3rd division,
and brigaded with the 88th and 45th regiments. At the battle of
Busaco this brigade had to bear the brunt of the French attack, and
Douglas's Portuguese received praise for its conduct, mentioned in
Lord Wellington's despatch.
He commanded this regiment all
through the campaign of 1811, and in 1812, when the Portuguese were
brigaded alone, it formed part of Sir Denis Pack's Portuguese
brigade. This was the brigade which distinguished itself at the
battle of Salamanca by its attempt to carry the hill of the
Arapiles, and Douglas's name was again mentioned in despatches. At
the beginning of 1813 Major-general Pack was removed to the command
of an English brigade, and Douglas, who had been promoted
lieutenant-colonel in May 1811, succeeded him in the 7th Portuguese
brigade, which formed part of Sir John Hamilton's Portuguese
division. At the head of this brigade he distinguished himself at
the battles of the Pyrenees, where he was wounded, of the Nivelle,
the Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse, where he was again twice severely
wounded and lost a leg. At the conclusion of the war he received a
gold cross and three clasps for the battles in which he had been
engaged with a regiment or brigade, was made K.T.S. and K.C.B. on
the extension of the order of the Bath.
He was deputy
quartermaster-general in Scotland (1815–22) and in Ireland
(1825–30). Douglas was promoted colonel in 1819 and major-general in
1830, when he received the command of the south-western district of
Ireland. From 1837 to 1842 he was Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.
He was promoted lieutenant-general in 1838, and was made a G.C.B. in
1860. He had been made colonel of the 93rd foot in 1840 and of the
42nd highlanders in 1850, and was promoted general in 1854. After
leaving Guernsey he retired to Clifton, where he died on 6 March
1862, aged 77.
He married Marianne, daughter of William Bullock, in 1815. They had
eleven children, including John,
who was briefly Governor of Ceylon.
Extracted from a history of the 42nd Regiment:
Sir James Douglas accompanied the Expedition to South America under Gen. Craufurd on the Quarter-Master-Generals Staff, and was engaged in the attack on Buenos Ayres. Subsequently in the same capacity he proceeded to Portugal with the Expedition under Sir Arthur Wellesley : was senior officer of the Quarter-Master-Generals Department on the landing of the army ; and was present at the battles of Roieia, Vimiera, and Corunna. Joined the Portuguese army with the command of a Regiment in 1800 : was present at the passage of the Douro, and battles of Busaco. Fuentes d’Onor, Salamanca, and the Pyrenees (wounded); after which he obtained command of the 7th Portuguese Brigade, and commanded it in the battles of the Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse (twice wounded, occasioning the loss of a leg). Sir James
has received the Gold Cross and three Clasps for Busaco, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse.
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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