Hugh Halkett
Encyclopedia
General Baron Hugh Halkett, GCH
, CB
, (30 August 1783 – 26 July 1863 in Hanover
, Germany
) was a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars
and later a general of infantry in the Hanoverian
service.
, Scotland
. He was second son of Major-General F. G. Halkett and brother of Lieutenant General Colin Halkett
.
From 1798 to 1801, Halkett served in India in the Scottish Brigade, which his father had been instrumental in raising. In 1803 as senior captain, he joined the 2nd Light Infantry Battalion of the newly formed King's German Legion
(KGL), which was under the command of his brother Colin. The 2nd Light were involved in the Cathcart's expeditions to Hanover, Rügen
and Copenhagen. During this time he was promoted to major and his bold initiative on outpost duty won a commendation.
From 1808 until 1813 Halkett fought in the Peninsular War
, except in 1809 when he took part in the Walcheren Expedition. He fought at the Battle of Albuera
in Charles Alten
's independent KGL brigade. When his brother was promoted to lead the brigade, Halkett took over command of the 2nd Light Infantry Battalion, KGL. At the Battle of Salamanca
, his battalion fought in John Hope
's 7th Division. In the Siege of Burgos
campaign, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Venta del Pozo
. In 1813 he joined the new Hanoverian army. At the Battle of Göhrde
he led a brigade of Hanoverian troops in Count Wallmoden
's army. He captured a Danish standard at the action of Sehestedt
.
, Halkett commanded four battalions of Hanoverian landwehr (militia), which were sent to the front with the regulars. These units were organised into the 3rd Hanoverian Brigade of Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton
's 2nd Division. Halkett's brigade was held in reserve on the right flank for most of the battle. After the defeat of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, the Duke of Wellington
sent Halkett to pursue the disintegrating French forces. He is remembered for capturing General Cambronne while his Osnabrück Battalion engaged the French Imperial Guard.
After Waterloo, Halkett stayed in the Hanoverian service. He rose to be a general and inspector-general of infantry. He led a Federal Army Corps in the First War of Schleswig
(also known as the Prussian-Danish War of 1848), and defeated the Danes at the Battle of Oeversee
, a rear-guard action at Sankelmark
.
Halkett held many foreign orders, including the Prussia
n Order of the Black Eagle
, the Pour le Mérite
and the Russian St. Anne. In 1862, he was ennobled (heritable) to a Freiherr
(Baron) by King George V of Hanover
.
----
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
, 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...
, (30 August 1783 – 26 July 1863 in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) was a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and later a general of infantry in the Hanoverian
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
service.
Early career
Halkett was born in MusselburghMusselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was second son of Major-General F. G. Halkett and brother of Lieutenant General Colin Halkett
Colin Halkett
General Sir Colin Halkett GCB GCH GCTE was a British Army officer who became Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.-Family:Halkett came from a military family...
.
From 1798 to 1801, Halkett served in India in the Scottish Brigade, which his father had been instrumental in raising. In 1803 as senior captain, he joined the 2nd Light Infantry Battalion of the newly formed King's German Legion
King's German Legion
The King's German Legion was a British Army unit of expatriate German personnel, 1803–16. The Legion achieved the distinction of being the only German force to fight without interruption against the French during the Napoleonic Wars....
(KGL), which was under the command of his brother Colin. The 2nd Light were involved in the Cathcart's expeditions to Hanover, Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
and Copenhagen. During this time he was promoted to major and his bold initiative on outpost duty won a commendation.
From 1808 until 1813 Halkett fought in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, except in 1809 when he took part in the Walcheren Expedition. He fought at the Battle of Albuera
Battle of Albuera
The Battle of Albuera was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.From...
in Charles Alten
Charles Alten
Sir Charles Alten , Hanoverian and British soldier, son of Baron Alten, a member of an old Hanoverian family, entered the service of the elector as a page at the age of twelve. He led a famous Anglo-Portuguese division during the Peninsular War. At the Battle of Waterloo, he commanded a division...
's independent KGL brigade. When his brother was promoted to lead the brigade, Halkett took over command of the 2nd Light Infantry Battalion, KGL. At the Battle of Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
, his battalion fought in John Hope
John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun
Lieutenant General John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun PC KB , known as the Honourable John Hope from 1781 to 1814 and as the Lord Niddry from 1809 to 1816, was a Scottish soldier and politician.-Military career:...
's 7th Division. In the Siege of Burgos
Siege of Burgos
At the Siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General of Brigade Jean-Louis Dubreton. The French repulsed every...
campaign, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Venta del Pozo
Battle of Venta del Pozo
In the Battle of Venta del Pozo on October 23, 1812, an Anglo-German force led by Major-General Stapleton Cotton fought a rear-guard action against French cavalry under Major-Generals Jean-Baptiste Curto and Pierre Boyer.-Background:...
. In 1813 he joined the new Hanoverian army. At the Battle of Göhrde
Battle of the Göhrde
The battle of the Göhrde was a battle of the War of the Sixth Coalition on 18 September 1813 between Napoleonic and Coalition troops at Göhrde in Germany. The Napoleonic troops were defeated and withdrew to Hamburg.-Site:...
he led a brigade of Hanoverian troops in Count Wallmoden
Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn
Ludwig Georg Thedel, Graf von Wallmoden was an Austrian "General of the Cavalry", best known for his training of light infantry and the refinement of the Tirailleur system.-Life:...
's army. He captured a Danish standard at the action of Sehestedt
Sehestedt
Sehestedt is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.Sehestedt is south of the municipality of Groß Wittensee, Haby or Holtsee, but north of Bovenau, and west of Lindau.-History:...
.
Waterloo and later career
At the Battle of WaterlooBattle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Halkett commanded four battalions of Hanoverian landwehr (militia), which were sent to the front with the regulars. These units were organised into the 3rd Hanoverian Brigade of Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (Napoleonic Wars)
Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, GCB, GCH was a British Army officer and a general officer during the Napoleonic Wars.He came from a family of soldiers...
's 2nd Division. Halkett's brigade was held in reserve on the right flank for most of the battle. After the defeat of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
sent Halkett to pursue the disintegrating French forces. He is remembered for capturing General Cambronne while his Osnabrück Battalion engaged the French Imperial Guard.
After Waterloo, Halkett stayed in the Hanoverian service. He rose to be a general and inspector-general of infantry. He led a Federal Army Corps in the First War of Schleswig
First War of Schleswig
The First Schleswig War or Three Years' War was the first round of military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The war, which lasted from 1848–1851,...
(also known as the Prussian-Danish War of 1848), and defeated the Danes at the Battle of Oeversee
Oeversee
Oeversee is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 10 km south of Flensburg. The Oeversee municipality was merged with Sankelmark on March 1, 2008. The new municipality is, however, still called Oeversee.Oeversee is part of the...
, a rear-guard action at Sankelmark
Sankelmark
Sankelmark is a former municipality in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It is about 5 miles south of Flensburg. There was a battle there in the Second War of Schleswig . On March 1, 2008 Sankelmark was incorporated into Oeversee.-External links:*...
.
Halkett held many foreign orders, including the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Order of the Black Eagle
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
, the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
and the Russian St. Anne. In 1862, he was ennobled (heritable) to a Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
(Baron) by King George V of Hanover
George V of Hanover
George V was King of Hanover, the only child of Ernest Augustus I, and a grandchild of King George III of the United Kingdom. In the peerage of Great Britain, he was 2nd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, 2nd Earl of Armagh...
.
----
| Unit | Commander | Number of Men | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Hanoverian Brigade | Colonel Hugh Halkett | 2,541 | 240 |
| Landwehr Battalion "Bremervörde Bremervörde Bremervörde is a town in the north of the district Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Oste river near the mid of the triangle, which is formed of the rivers Weser and Elbe respectively the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Cuxhaven.... " |
Lieutenant Colonel von Schulenberg | 655 | 49 |
| Landwehr Battalion "Salzgitter Salzgitter Salzgitter is an independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitter is one of the seven Oberzentren of Lower Saxony... " |
Major von Hammerstein | 644 | 83 |
| Landwehr Battalion "Osnabrück Osnabrück Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest... " |
Major Count Münster | 633 | 94 |
| Landwehr Battalion "Quakenbrück Quakenbrück Quakenbrück is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hase. It is part of the Samtgemeinde of Artland.... " |
Major Baron C. W. von Hünefeld | 609 | 14 |
External links
- http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/c_hanlight.html
- The Guard dies, it does not surrender. Cambronne surrenders, he does not die