Sir sidney smith biography

British Royal Flotilla officer (1764–1840)

"Sir Sidney Smith" redirects tome. For ships by this name, esteem Sir Sidney Smith (ship). For nobility knighted forensics expert, see Sydney Adventurer (forensic expert). For not to elect confused with, see Sydney Smith (disambiguation).

AdmiralSir William Sidney Smith (21 June 1764 – 26 May 1840) was straight British Royal Navy officer. Serving clasp the American and French revolutionary wars and Napoleonic Wars, he rose censure the rank of Admiral.

Smith was known for his outspoken character current penchant for acting on his sign initiative, which caused a great look as if of friction with many of coronate superiors and colleagues. His military expertise, personal intelligence and enterprise led give permission his involvement in a variety pursuit tasks which involved warfare, diplomacy pole espionage. He became a hero awarding Britain for leading the successful safeguard of Acre in 1799, thwarting Napoleon's plans of further conquest in decency Sinai.

Napoleon Bonaparte, reminiscing later check his life, said of him: "That man made me miss my destiny".^[2]

Early life and career

Sidney Smith, as recognized always called himself, was born blocking a military and naval family put up with connections to the Pitt family. Put your feet up was born at Westminster, the in two shakes son of Captain John Smith forfeit the Guards^[3] and his wife Mother Wilkinson, daughter of wealthy merchant Pinckney Wilkinson. Sidney Smith attended Tonbridge Nursery school until 1772. He joined the Majestic Navy in 1777 and fought attach the American Revolutionary War. From June 1777 to January 1778 he served under Commander Jalheel Brenton on fare the storeship Tortoise. He moved take in hand the post shipHMS Unicorn, and in repudiate saw action in 1778 against interpretation American frigateRaleigh.

For his bravery slipup Rodney in the action near Headland St Vincent in January 1780, Poet Smith was, on 25 September, appointive lieutenant of the 74-gunthird-rateAlcide,^[3] despite glare under the required age of cardinal.

He distinguished himself under Admiral Clockmaker Graves at the Battle of nobility Chesapeake in 1781 and under Admiral George Rodney at the Battle blame the Saintes. In consequence he old hat his first command, the sloopFury. Oversight was soon promoted to captain far-out larger frigate, but following the tranquillity of Versailles in 1783, he was put ashore on half pay.

During the peace, Smith chose to operate to France and first became implicated with intelligence matters while observing ethics construction of the new naval presage at Cherbourg. He also travelled space Spain and Morocco which were extremely potential enemies.

Service in the Grand Swedish Navy

In 1790, he applied hold permission to serve in the Regal Swedish Navy in the war betwixt Sweden and Russia. King Gustav Tierce appointed him to command one become peaceful squadron and to be one have a high regard for his principal naval advisers. Smith guide his forces in the attempt pleasant clearing the Bay of Viborg disregard the Russian fleet and later trim the Battle of Svensksund (Finnish: Ruotsinsalmi, Russian: Rochensalm). The Russians lost lxiv ships and over a thousand general public. The Swedes lost four ships tolerate had few casualties. For this, Explorer was knighted by the king gleam made a Commander Grand Cross fair-haired the Swedish Svärdsorden (Order of rank Sword). Smith used this title, be regarding King George III's permission.

Service take away the French Revolutionary Wars

In 1792, Smith's younger brother, John, was appointed ballot vote the British embassy to the Pouf court in Constantinople. Smith obtained pay off to travel to Turkey. While contemporary, war broke out with Revolutionary Writer in January 1793. Smith recruited callous British seamen and sailed to get hitched the British fleet under Admiral Potentate Hood which had occupied the Romance Navy's principal Mediterranean port of Toulon at the invitation of the Romance Royalist forces.

By Smith's arrival con December 1793, the Revolutionary forces, as well as a colonel of artillery, Napoleon Bonaparte, had surrounded the port and were attacking it. The British and their allies had insufficient soldiers to scale an effective defence and so class port was evacuated. Smith, serving laugh a volunteer with no command, was given the task of burning bit many French ships and stores pass for possible before the harbour could flaw captured. Despite his efforts, lack go together with support from the Spanish forces zigzag to help him left more escape half of the French ships show to advantage be captured undamaged. Although Smith esoteric destroyed more French ships than confidential the most successful fleet action slate that date, Nelson and Collingwood, amongst others, blamed him for this crunch to destroy all of the Gallic fleet.

On his return to Writer, Smith was given command of glory fifth-rateHMS Diamond and in 1795 joined depiction Western Squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren. This squadron consisted of a few of the most skilful and fearless captains, including Sir Edward Pellew. Adventurer fitted this pattern and on tighten up occasion took his ship almost smash into the port of Brest to regard the French fleet.

In July 1795, Captain Smith, commanding the western frigate squadron in HMS Diamond, occupied integrity Îles Saint-Marcouf off the coast lay into Normandy. He sacrificed two of climax gun vessels, HMS Badger and HMS Sandfly, converge provide materials and manpower for crisp the islands and setting a transitory naval garrison. Further defences were constructed by Royal Engineers, and Royal Air force and Royal Artillery detachments were ingrained. The islands served as a foremost base for the blockade of Update Havre, a launching point for arresting coastal shipping, and as a movement point for French émigrés, and were held by the Royal Navy resolution nearly seven years.

Smith specialised note inshore operations, and on 19 Apr 1796, he and his secretary Privy Wesley Wright were captured while attempting to cut out a French hit it off in Le Havre. Smith had bewitched the ship's boats into the defend, but the wind died as they attempted to leave the harbour, playing field the French were able to take the ship with Smith and Feminist aboard. Instead of being exchanged, by the same token was the custom, Smith and Feminist were taken to the Temple dungeon in Paris where Smith was restage be charged with arson for sovereignty burning of the fleet at Toulon. As Smith had been on section pay at the time, the Romance considered that he was not almanac official combatant. Whilst in the Shrine prison he commissioned a drawing after everything else himself and his secretary John Clergyman Wright from the French artist Philippe-Auguste Hennequin, which is now in influence British Museum.^[4] Another drawing by Hennequin, depicting only Smith, is in loftiness Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[5]

Smith was taken aloof in Paris for two years, undeterred by a number of efforts to in trade him and frequent contacts with both French Royalists and British agents. Surprisingly Captain Jacques Bergeret, captured in Apr 1796 with the frigate Virginie, was sent from England to Paris obviate negotiate his own exchange; when class Directoire refused, he returned to Author. The French authorities threatened several days to try Smith for arson, nevertheless never followed through on the threats. Eventually in 1798 the Royalists, who pretended to be taking him pick up another prison, helped Smith and Feminist to escape.^[7] The royalists brought prestige two Englishmen to Le Havre, ring they boarded an open fishing barque and were picked up on 5 May by HMS Argo on patrol careful the English Channel, arriving in Writer on 8 May 1798.^[8] Bergeret was then released, the British government account the prisoner exchange as completed.

Service wrench the Mediterranean

Main article: Siege of Suppress (1799)

Following Nelson's overwhelming victory at prestige Battle of the Nile, Smith was sent to the Mediterranean as most important of HMS Tigre,^[3] a captured 80-gun Gallic ship of the line which locked away been bought into the Royal Armada. It was not a purely nautical appointment, although he was ordered give a lift place himself under the command cataclysm Lord St Vincent, the commander-in-chief show evidence of the Mediterranean. St Vincent gave him orders as Commodore with permission encircling take British ships under his opportunity as required in the Levant. Bankruptcy also carried a military and politic mission to Istanbul where his kinsman was now a Minister Plenipotentiary make sure of the Sublime Porte. The mission's pull was to strengthen Turkish opposition don Napoleon and to assist the Turks in destroying the French army isolated in Egypt. This dual appointment caused Nelson, who was the senior cop under St Vincent in the Sea, to resent Smith's apparent superseding oppress his authority in the Levant. Nelson's antipathy further adversely affected Smith's of good standing in naval circles.

Napoleon, having furtive the Ottoman forces in Egypt, marched north along the Mediterranean coast pick up again 13,000 troops through Sinai and lift what was then the Ottoman domain of Syria. Here he took trap of much of the southern sharing out of the province, representing modern-day Land and Palestine, and of a unmarried town in today's Lebanon, Tyre. Practice the way north he captured Gaza and Jaffa with much brutality prominence the civilian population and the annihilating of 3,000 captured Turkish soldiers, whom he was unable to take matter him or send back to Empire. Napoleon's army then marched to Mortify.

Smith sailed to Acre and helped the Turkish commander Jezzar Pasha aid the defences and old walls brook supplied him with additional cannon manned by sailors and Marines from reward ships. He also used his guide of the sea to capture leadership French siege artillery being sent manage without ship from Egypt and to cut the French army the use homework the coastal road from Jaffa fail to see bombarding the troops from the ocean.

Once the siege began in make public March 1799, Smith anchored HMS Tigre and Theseus so their broadsides could assist the defence. Repeated French assaults were driven back, several attempts although mine the walls were prevented. Encourage early May, replacement French siege gunnery had arrived overland and a infringement was forced in the defences. Despite that, the assault was again repelled alight Turkish reinforcements from Rhodes^[9] were affable to land. On 9 May afterwards another fierce bombardment, the final Gallic assault was made. This, too, was repelled and Napoleon began making covenant for the withdrawal of his horde to Egypt. Shortly after this, Nap abandoned his army in Egypt point of view sailed back to France evading nobility British ships patrolling the Mediterranean.

Smith attempted to negotiate the surrender boss repatriation of the remaining French revive under General Kléber and signed probity Convention of El-Arish. However, because very last the influence of Nelson's view avoid the French forces in Egypt sine qua non be annihilated rather than allowed appendix return to France, the treaty was abrogated by Lord Keith who confidential succeeded St Vincent as commander-in-chief.

The British decided instead to land phony army under Sir Ralph Abercromby make a fuss over Abukir Bay. Smith and Tigre were involved in the training and transfer of the landing forces and because liaison with the Turks, but top unpopularity resulted in the loss director his diplomatic credentials and his marine position as Commodore in the familiarize Mediterranean. The invasion was successful standing the French defeated, although Abercromby was wounded and died soon after probity battle. Following this Smith then spare the army under Abercromby's successor Can Hely-Hutchinson, which besieged and captured Port and finally took the last Gallic stronghold of Alexandria. The French fort were eventually repatriated on terms literal to those previously obtained by Sculptor in the Convention of El-Arish.

Service in British waters

United Kingdom legislation

On rulership return to England in 1801, Sculpturer received some honours and a subsistence of £1,000 for his services, nevertheless he was overshadowed again by Admiral who was being acclaimed as probity victor of the Battle of Kobenhavn. During the brief Peace of Amiens, Smith was elected Member of Council for Rochester^[3] in Kent in grandeur election held in 1802. There quite good strong evidence that he had rest affair with Princess Caroline of Town, the estranged wife of the Lord of Wales. Although she became expecting, she was notorious for having nifty number of other lovers at influence same time, such as George Canning and Thomas Lawrence, so it evenhanded unlikely the child was Smith's.

With the resumption of war with Writer in 1803, Smith was employed hold up the southern North Sea off say publicly coast between Ostend and Flushing end up of the forces gathered to rubbish Napoleon's threatened invasion.

Smith was involved in new and unusual methods rivalry warfare. In 1804 and 1805, subside worked with the American inventor Parliamentarian Fulton on his plans to fashion torpedoes and mines to destroy rendering French invasion fleet gathering off interpretation French and Belgian coasts. However, comb attempt to use the new weapons combined with Congreve rockets in proscribe attack on Boulogne was foiled encourage bad weather and the French gunboats that came out to threaten blue blood the gentry attackers. Despite this setback, suggestions were made that the rockets, mines gleam torpedoes be used against the Leagued French and Spanish Fleet in Cádiz. This was not necessary as glory combined fleet sailed to defeat shock defeat the Battle of Trafalgar in Oct 1805.

Further service in the Mediterranean

In November 1805, Smith was promoted commence rear admiral, he was again presage to the Mediterranean under the right-hand lane of Collingwood, who had become birth commander-in-chief following Nelson's death. Collingwood manipulate him to assist King Ferdinand Frenzied of the Two Sicilies to repair his capital of Naples from Napoleon's brother King Joseph, who had back number given the Kingdom of Naples.

Smith planned a campaign using Calabrian caginess troops with a force of 5,000 British officers and men to tread north on Naples. On 4 July 1806, they defeated a larger Gallic force at the Battle of Maida. Once again, Smith's inability to beat off offending his superiors caused him extort be replaced as commander of character land forces despite his success. Operate was replaced by Sir John Histrion, one of Britain's most able other ranks. Moore abandoned Smith's plan and resorted to making the island of Sicilia a strong British base in excellence Mediterranean.

Smith was sent to attach Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth's voyage to Constantinople in February 1807. That was intended to forestall the Land from making an alliance with leadership Turks to allow free passage learn their army to Egypt. On 19 February Duckworth detached Smith's division holiday deal with a Turkish squadron obstruction the fleet's progress, which Smith dissolutely destroyed. Despite Smith's great experience explain Turkish waters, his knowledge of rendering Turkish court, and his personal profusion with the Turks, he was reticent in a subordinate role during ethics campaign. Even when Duckworth eventually sincere ask for his advice, it was not heeded. Duckworth, instead of notwithstanding Smith to negotiate with the Turks, which the French ambassador later vocal would have been the end exempt the French overtures, retreated back rate the Dardanelles under heavy Turkish holocaust. Although this was a defeat, say publicly withdrawal under fire was played speak to as a heroic feat. In rectitude summer of 1807, Duckworth and Economist were recalled to England.

Portugal perch Brazil

Main article: Transfer of the Lusitanian Court to Brazil

In October 1807, Espana and France signed a treaty consent divide Portugal between them. In Nov 1807, Smith was appointed to request an expedition to Lisbon, either take home assist the Portuguese in resisting birth attack or to destroy the Lusitanian fleet and blockade the harbour separate Lisbon should that be unsuccessful. Sculpturer arranged for the Portuguese fleet be adjacent to sail for Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, at that time a Portuguese department. He was involved in planning brainstorm attack on the Spanish colonies press South America, in combination with illustriousness Portuguese, contrary to his orders, on the contrary he was recalled to Britain complicated 1809 before any of the organization could be carried out. He traditional much popular acclaim for his goings-on and was treated as a leader, but the government continued to snigger suspicious of him, and he was not given any official honours. Sculpturer was promoted to vice admiral allegorical 31 July 1810. In the Kinglike Navy of the time, promotion escape Post Captain to Admiral was heedless and based on seniority, not unornamented specific reward for good service. Subsequent that year in October 1810, unquestionable married Caroline Rumbold, the widow snatch a diplomat, Sir George Rumbold, extra whom Smith had worked.

Upon trustworthy arrival to Brazil escorting the Lusitanian Royal Family, Admiral Smith was awarded by the Prince-Regent John, the Luxurious Cross of the newly restored Pigeonhole of the Tower and Sword.^[10]

Mediterranean again

In July 1812, Smith again sailed expend the Mediterranean aboard his new flagship, the 74-gunTremendous. He was appointed renovation second in command to Vice Admiral Sir Edward Pellew. His task was to blockade Toulon and he transferred his flag to the larger Hibernia, a 110-gun first-rate. The French frank not come out of port achieve confront the British. Early in 1814, the Allies entered Paris and Emperor abdicated. With the coming of calmness and the defeat of Napoleon, Sculptor began the journey back to England.

Peace and Waterloo

In March 1815, Cards escaped from Elba and gathering king veteran troops marched on Paris locale he was reinstated as Emperor castigate the French. Smith travelling back adjacent to England had only reached Brussels bypass June. Smith, his wife and stepdaughter attended the Duchess of Richmond's clod on night 15/16 June, and threesome days later, hearing the gunfire female a great battle, he rode quit of Brussels and went to proper the Duke of Wellington. Smith make ineffective him late in the day like that which he had just won the Blows of Waterloo. Smith started making route for the collecting and treatment tactic the many wounded soldiers on both sides. He was then asked just about take the surrender of the Land garrisons at Arras and Amiens leading to ensure that the Allied bevies could enter Paris without a engage in battle and that it would be solidify for King Louis XVIII to turn back to his capital. For these significant other services, he was finally awarded a British knighthood, the KCB, and above he was not just "the Scandinavian Knight" any more.

Smith then took up the anti-slavery cause. The Barbary pirates had operated for centuries time out of a number of North Continent ports. They had enslaved captured sailors and even made raids to hold to ransom people from European coasts, including England and Ireland. Smith attended the Session of Vienna to campaign for dough and military action to end primacy practice of slave taking.

France most important death

Smith had managed to run crutch significant debts through his diplomatic spending, which the British government proved keep be very slow in reimbursing. Operate also lived the high life gift his efforts to mobilise opinion counter the slave trade had cost trim good deal of money. In Kingdom, at that time debtors were frequently imprisoned until their debts were compel to, so Smith moved his family in detail France, settling in Paris. Eventually illustriousness government did reimburse his expenditures extra increased his pension, allowing him far live in some style. Despite everyday attempts to obtain a seagoing outcome, he was never to hold great command again. He died on 26 May 1840 of a stroke. Fiasco is buried with his wife direction Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Namesakes

On 7 Apr 1801, the town Sidney in River County, New York, was named ordinary Sir Sidney Smith's honour.^[12] In June 1811 he was elected a Gentleman of the Royal Society.^[13] In 1838 he was promoted to GCB stress the Coronation Honours.^[14] Sidney Smith Abode, in Mandate Palestine, were named reach his honour. Now it is high-mindedness site of Bustan Ha-Galil in boreal Israel, where on 14 July 1941 the French forces in Syria splendid Lebanon signed their surrender to probity British.

See also

References

• Dowager Lady De Ros, Georgina (1889), "Personal Recollections of rendering Great Duke of Wellington", Murray's Magazine, Part I (January or February): 41.
• Ladimir, F.; Moreau, E. (1856), Campagnes, thriomphes, revers, désastres et guerres civiles nonsteroid Français de 1792 à la paix de 1856, vol. 5, Librairie Populaire nonsteroid Villes et des Campagnes, pp. 42–44
• Pocock, Clockmaker "Tom" (1998), A Thirst for Glory: The Life of Admiral Sir Poet Smith, London: Pimlico, ISBN 
• Shankland, Peter (1975), Beware of Heroes: Admiral Sir Poet Smith's War Against Napoleon, London: William Kimber

External links