William Francis Patrick Napier

Sir William Francis Patrick Napier (born December 17, 1785 in Celbridge near Dublin , † February 12, 1860 in Clapham ) was a British lieutenant general and military writer.

Life

origin

Napier was born the third son of Colonel George Napier (1751-1804) and his wife Lady Sarah Lennox (1745-1826) to a daughter of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond. His older brother Charles James Napier (1782-1853) later became Commander-in-Chief in India, the middle brother Sir George Thomas Napier (1784-1855) later became governor of the Cape Colony . The younger brother Henry Edward Napier (1789-1853) was a naval officer and historian.

Early military career

William Napier joined the Royal Irish Artillery in 1800 as an ensign . After the intervention of his uncle, the Duke of Richmond, he became a cornet with the Royal Horse Guards and entered real military service. Under General Sir John Moore he soon gained command of a company in the 43rd Regiment in Shorncliffe and was actively supported by these in his career. He served in Denmark in 1807 and took part in the Køge campaign. Napier fought with distinction in the Spanish-French campaigns on the Spanish Peninsula from 1808 to 1813 . At the end of 1808 his regiment was sent to Spain and participated in the difficult retreat to Coruna , where his health was bad. In 1809 he became the adjutant of his cousin, the Duke of Richmond , then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and joined the 43rd Foot Regiment, which was relocated to Spain. In 1814 he took part in the battle of Orthez and Toulouse . Like his brother Charles, he entered the military school in Farnham, commanded a regiment at Waterloo in 1815 and remained with his troops in France as a security until 1819.

Military writer and governor

In 1823 the publisher Henry Bickersteth suggested that he write a story about the War on Peninsular War. Napier at first kindly declined the proposal, but eventually decided to become a writer to cherish the memory of General Sir John Moore. The Duke of Wellington provided him with valuable help and handed over all of the correspondence from Joseph Bonaparte , which had been captured in the Battle of Vittoria . The first volume of its history was published in 1828. The publisher John Murray was so disappointed because of the low demand that Napier published the rest himself. The story of Southey and Lord Londonderry was not yet written, and Sir George Murray , Wellington's quartermaster, determined to publish a historical work, soon gave up the attempt. When the last volume in history was published in 1840, Napier's fame was well established not only in England, but also in France and Germany. He was promoted to colonel in 1830, rose to the rank of major general in 1841, and was appointed lieutenant governor of Guernsey in 1842 .

In 1847 he resigned from his post as Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey and was knighted as Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1848 and settled in Clapham Park. He was promoted to colonel in 1830, rose to the rank of major general in 1841, and was appointed lieutenant governor of Guernsey in 1842. In 1848 he became the owner of the 27th foot regiment, was promoted to lieutenant general in 1851 and, in 1853, succeeded his brother Charles in command of the 22nd foot regiment in Cheshire.

literature

• HA Bruce: Life of General Sir William Napier , J. Murray, London 1864.
• William Francis Patrick Napier: History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France from the Year 1807 to the Year 1814 . 6 volumes. London and New York, Frederick Warne and Co. 1892. With numerous maps and plans.

Individual evidence

1. ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 1, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 238.