Christopher Charles Teesdale
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir Christopher Charles Teesdale, VC
, KCMG
, CB
(1 June 1833 - 1 December 1893) was the first South African-born Recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
He was born in Grahamstown
, Cape of Good Hope
, to Lieutenant-General Henry George Teesdale of the Royal Artillery who was stationed there. He joined the Royal Artillery as a gentleman cadet on 29 April 1848. His first posting was to Corfu
and he was promoted to second lieutenant
on 22 March 1853 and left Corfu in April 1853.
in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army
during the Crimean War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 September 1855 at Kars
, Turkey
, Lieutenant Teesdale volunteered to take command of the force engaged in the defence of the most advanced part of the works. He threw himself into the midst of the enemy and encouraged the garrison to make an attack so vigorous that the Russians were driven out. During the hottest part of the action he induced the Turkish artillerymen to return to their post from which they had been driven by enemy fire and after the final victorious charge he saved from the fury of the Turks a considerable number of the enemy wounded - an action gratefully acknowledged by the Russian Staff.
Teesdale was wounded at the battle of Kars
, taken prisoner and held in Russia until he was released in 1856. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur
and made an Honorary CB in the same year. A talented water colourist, he was responsible for illustrations in book on Battle of Kars by Humphry Sandwith, MD, the Regiments doctor at Kars. The illustrations were possibly done whilst Teesdale was in captivity.
He was decorated with the VC by Queen Victoria in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle
on 21 November 1857 along with James Craig
, George Symons
and Joseph Malone.
to Queen Victoria on 1 October 1877. Promoted to Major-General in March 1887, he was made Knight Commander of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the Queen's Jubilee honours on 8 July 1887. He retired on 22 March 1892 and was buried in his family tomb in South Bersted
, Sussex
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1 June 1833 - 1 December 1893) was the first South African-born Recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
He was born in Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
, Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, to Lieutenant-General Henry George Teesdale of the Royal Artillery who was stationed there. He joined the Royal Artillery as a gentleman cadet on 29 April 1848. His first posting was to Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
and he was promoted to second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 22 March 1853 and left Corfu in April 1853.
Crimea
Teesdale was 22 years old, and a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 September 1855 at Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Lieutenant Teesdale volunteered to take command of the force engaged in the defence of the most advanced part of the works. He threw himself into the midst of the enemy and encouraged the garrison to make an attack so vigorous that the Russians were driven out. During the hottest part of the action he induced the Turkish artillerymen to return to their post from which they had been driven by enemy fire and after the final victorious charge he saved from the fury of the Turks a considerable number of the enemy wounded - an action gratefully acknowledged by the Russian Staff.
Teesdale was wounded at the battle of Kars
Battle of Kars
The Battle of Kars was a decisive Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War .In June, 1877 Russian forces attempted a siege of Kars but were driven off by an Ottoman army at the Battle of Kizil-Tepe. In November Russian commander in the Caucasus, Grand Duke Michael,...
, taken prisoner and held in Russia until he was released in 1856. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and made an Honorary CB in the same year. A talented water colourist, he was responsible for illustrations in book on Battle of Kars by Humphry Sandwith, MD, the Regiments doctor at Kars. The illustrations were possibly done whilst Teesdale was in captivity.
He was decorated with the VC by Queen Victoria in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
on 21 November 1857 along with James Craig
James Craig (VC)
James Craig VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, George Symons
George Symons
George Symons VC DCM was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
and Joseph Malone.
Later life
He was appointed as Master of The Ceremonies and Extra Equerry to The Prince of Wales on 9 November 1858, positions he held until his death and was also made aide-de-campAide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Queen Victoria on 1 October 1877. Promoted to Major-General in March 1887, he was made Knight Commander of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the Queen's Jubilee honours on 8 July 1887. He retired on 22 March 1892 and was buried in his family tomb in South Bersted
South Bersted
South Bersted is a village in the Arun district of West Sussex, England. It forms part of the built up area of Bognor Regis and lies on the A259 and A29 roads one mile north of the town centre....
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (West Sussex)