Lt General Charles Douglas
Charles Douglas (21 March 1814 - 28 July, 1885) was born in
Westminster, London. His parents having died, Charles was raised by
his paternal grandmother. He received the customary mathematical
education, attending Thomas Murray's Military Academy in Edinburgh
from 1829 to 1831. Nominated a Cadet for the East India Company's
Military Seminary, Charles entered Addiscombe on the 3rd of
February, 1832.
Having passed his public examination at
Addiscombe on the 13th of December, 1833, Charles was allocated to
the Bengal Artillery. He embarked for India on the 'Dungevan Castle'
on the 11th of February, 1834, having been commissioned a Second
Lieutenant in the Bengal Army.
Charles arrived at Calcutta
on the 7th of July, 1834, and was appointed to do duty with a
detachment of Artillery drafts proceeding by water from Dum Dum to
Cawnpore. He was then posted to the 4th Company, 4th Battalion,
Bengal Artillery at Agra.
In November of 1838 Charles was
ordered to take charge of a detachment of invalids and time-expired
men proceeding to Chunar and Calcutta. Thereafter order to do duty
at Dum Dum, during his progress to Joudpore he had occasion to enter
a village on the line of march when he was assaulted by the
zumeendar (a headman or large landowner), sword in hand, and
wounded. Charles returned the attack “by passing his sword through
the body of his outrageous assailant, and killing him on the spot."
Charles was appointed to command the 4th Company, 4th
Battalion, Bengal Artillery in 1840 and was promoted Lieutenant in
January of 1841. He transferred to the 2nd Company, 4th Battalion,
Bengal Artillery in October of 1841 and appointed to command the
Battalion in March of 1842.
In September of 1842 with the
First Afghan War just starting, Charles was appointed to do duty
with the No. 6 Light Field Battery as part of the Field Force under
the command of Major-General Pollock. Charles was to participate in
all of the actions in the advance upon Cabul. Charles was engaged
with the enemy at the battle of Tezeen (or Tazeane) Pass on the 13th
of September, 1842, which was effectively a rear-guard action. The
complete defeat of Akbar Khan in this battle opened the way to
Kabul, which was reached by the Major-General Pollock’s Force on the
15th of September, 1842. For his part in the battle of Tezeen,
Charles Douglas received a mention in Lieutenant-Colonel Richmond’s
Despatches of the 11th of December, 1842:
“Having made the
necessary disposition of my force to protect the baggage of the
pass, the different picquets were gradually withdrawn to strengthen
the latter. Soon after I observed a large body of the enemy
collecting near the Fort of Tezeen, South East of my position, and
directed Lieutenant Douglas, whose guns had been previously posted
on a commanding point, to open on them, but the distance proving too
great for shells, the fire was discontinued.
…
As the
enemy showed no disposition to molest us further, and the whole of
the baggage having entered the pass, the horse artillery and
Dragoons were permitted to commence their march. But before the
latter had filed off the enemy brought two guns to bear upon our
position, which obliged me to place the remainder of the Cavalry
under cover of the rough ground in the vicinity. These guns,
fortunately, did no harm and were soon after either withdrawn by the
enemy or silenced by a fire of round shot from Lieutenant Douglas's
9-pounder, ably directed by that officer and by Captain Laurence.”
In November Charles was appointed Adjutant and
Quarter-Master to the Foot Artillery detachment serving with
Major-General Pollock's force. For his services during the Afghan
campaign, Charles received the First Afghan War medal with Kabul
reverse.
Subsequent to the First Afghan War, Lieutenant
Douglas received various appointments with the Ordnance Department.
He was promoted Captain in May of 1851 and Commissary of Ordnance,
1st Class in April of 1853.
Charles was returning to India
from a sick furlough in England when the Indian Mutiny erupted at
Meerut in May of 1857. Landing in Bombay in August of 1857, Charles
was ordered to transfer to the Delhi Magazine. However, in October
he was ordered to instead assume temporary charge of the Ordnance
Department at Mhow until the state of the country permitted him to
travel to Delhi to take up his appointment there.
Subsequently ordered to do duty with the Central India Field Force
under the command of Major-General Sir Hugh Rose, K.C.B., and in
March of 1858 Charles joined Major-General Rose’s forces then
besieging the fort and city of Jhansi. Charles was present at the
assault, taking a gun down to the gate near which the right-side
assaulting party was attempting an escalade. For his services at
Jhansi, Charles was mentioned in Major-General Rose’s despatch of 30
April 1858.
Charles was subsequently appointed to command
the Artillery Field Force, Hyderabad Contingent, which formed part
of the Hyderabad Contingent Field Force under the command of Major
Orr. In that capacity Charles commanded the artillery at the battle
against the rebel forces of Tantia Topee at Koonch on the 7th of
May, 1858, for which he was mentioned in Major Orr’s dispatch of 14
May 1858 which was attached to, and made part of, Major-General
Rose’s despatch of 24 May 1858:
4. Having received the
Major-General’s orders to take ground to the left, I moved in that
direction to the front of the village of Oomree, from which I
advanced direct upon Koonch. In my immediate front were some gardens
and walled enclosures, held in force by the Enemy, and from which a
heavy fire was directed upon our line. The artillery under Captain
Douglas advanced, and it fire having silenced that of the Rebels, I
ordered the gardens and enclosures to be seized by the Infantry…
5.The Artillery had meanwhile advanced so far as to bring it
completely within the range of the Enemy’s Guns from two Batteries,
and they were thus enabled to open fire upon it a double fire of
round shot, shell and shrapnel from the effects of which several
Casualties occurred…
6. My best thanks are due to the
undermentioned officers for the gallant, zealous, and efficient aid
they afforded me throughout the day, and at all other times, and I
beg to bring their names to the favorable notice of the
Major-General.
Captain Douglas, Bengal Artillery, commanding Artillery Field
Force, Hyderabad Contingent…
In mid-May, Charles commanded
the Hyderabad Contingent Artillery at the battle for Calpee (or
Culpee). This was a hard fought battle as the large opposing rebel
force included the Gwalior Contingent and the forces of the Nawab of
Banda. Calpee was also the best fortified stronghold in central and
western India and contained a huge arsenal of power, shot and
weapons. For his services at Calpee, Charles was mentioned in
Major-General Rose’s despatch of 22 June 1858, which stated:
I directed Captain Douglas, Bengal Artillery, Commanding Artillery
Hyderabad Contingent, to post four 6-pounders on the right of Mutha,
and burst shrapnel just over the heads of the Rebels in the ravines;
this he did with his usual skill and devotion, under a heavy fire of
the enemy’s Riflemen so effectually, that the Rebels who were
suffering from the admirable fire of Her Majesty’s 71st, who still
had some of the better sort of ammunition, retired from their
ambuscades, the main body down the ravines, a few across the country
to Culpee, the 71st making killing practice at the latter, at 700
and 800 yards…
Major-General Rose also included Charles in
his “List of Officers and men of the Central India Field Force
specially mentioned for important or good service in the operations
before Culpee, from 17th to 23rd May, 1858”:
"Captain
Douglas, Bengal Artillery. Gallantly and skillfully placing his guns
at Muttra, under a heavy musketry fire, and clearing the ravines of
Rebels, on the 17th May.”
For his serves commanding the
Hyderabad Contingent Artillery in the operations before Calpee,
Charles was mentioned in Major Orr’s dispatch dated 28 May 1858 and
his name brought to the favorable notice of Major-General Rose.
For his service during the Mutiny, Captain Charles Douglas was
mentioned four times in despatches, received a no bar Indian Mutiny
medal, and on the 20th of July, 1858, was made a Brevet Major.
Following the transfer of the East India Company's European
units and artillery to the Crown in 1860, Major Douglas transferred
to the Royal Artillery. In the same year, while still on the
strength of the Royal Artillery, Charles transferred to the Electric
Telegraph Department. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on the 11th
of February, 1861, and became Director General of the Electric
Telegraph Department in December of that year. In September of 1865,
he was promoted to Colonel which necessitated him leaving the
Electric Telegraph Department and returning to service with the 19th
Brigade, Royal Artillery.
He was promoted Major-General on the 26th of March, 1870, and
Lieutenant-General on the 1st of October, 1877. Charles was placed
on the Retired List and granted the rank of General on the 1st of
July, 1881.
General Douglas died on the 28th of July, 1885,
at Calcutta, India. He left an estate with a value of £4,578.
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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