Edward Somerset
Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset ( December 19, 1776 - September 1, 1842 ) was a British cavalry general .
Life
Somerset was the third son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort . His youngest brother was Fitzroy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan , the British commander in chief in the Crimean War . He joined the 15th Light Dragoons in 1793 and became a captain the following year (it was common at the time to buy officer's patents ). He took part in the Dutch expedition in 1799 as adjutant to the Duke of York and then became a major. At the end of 1800 he became a lieutenant colonel and in 1801 was given command of the 4th Light Dragoons (4th light dragoon regiment).
He sat in Parliament from 1799 to 1802 for Monmouth and from 1803 to 1823 for Gloucestershire . He led his regiment in the battles of Talavera and Busaco and in 1810 received his patent as a colonel and the appointment of adjutant to the king . In 1811 the 4th Dragoons, along with the 3rd Dragoon Guards , carried out a remarkable cavalry attack at Usagre and in 1812 Edward Somerset took part in the great attack on Salamanca with Le Marchant's heavy cavalry . On this occasion he captured five guns at the head of a single squadron. He was then promoted to major general and led a hussar brigade in subsequent campaigns, consisting of the 7th, 10th. and 15th hussars. At Orthez he distinguished himself by pursuing the enemy, was appointed Knight of the Order of Bath (KCB) and received thanks from Parliament.
At Waterloo he commanded the Household Cavalry Brigade , which was no less distinguished by its perseverance in enemy fire than by its famous attack on Milhaud's cuirassiers .
Somerset was featured in Wellington's reports, again receiving thanks from Parliament, the Maria Theresa Order, and other high-ranking foreign orders.
He died in 1842 as General and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Bath (GCB).
literature
- Somerset, Lord Robert Edward Henry . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 25 : Shuválov - Subliminal Self . London 1911, p. 388 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jaromir Hirtenfeld : The Military Maria Theresa Order and its members . Imperial Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1857, pp. 1748–1750.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Somerset, Edward |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Somerset, Robert Edward Henry (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British cavalry general |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 19, 1776 |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 1, 1842 |