James Hope Grant
Encyclopedia
General
Sir James Hope Grant GCB
(July 22, 1808 – March 7, 1875), British
general, was the fifth and youngest son of Francis Grant of Kilgraston, Perthshire
, and brother of Sir Francis Grant
, President of the Royal Academy
.
in 1826 as cornet in the 9th Lancers, and became lieutenant in 1828 and captain in 1835. In 1842 he was brigade-major to Lord Saltoun
in the First Opium War
, and specially distinguished himself at the capture of Chinkiang
, after which he received the rank of major and the CB
. In the First Anglo-Sikh War
of 1845–1846 he took part in the battle of Sobraon
; and in the Punjab
campaign of 1848–1849 he commanded the 9th Lancers, and won high reputation in the battles of Chillianwalla and Guzerat (Gujarat).
He was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel and shortly afterwards to the same substantive rank. In 1854 he became brevet-colonel, and in 1856 brigadier of cavalry. He took a leading part in the suppression of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
of 1857, holding for some time the command of the cavalry division, and afterwards of a movable column of horse and foot.
After rendering valuable service in the operations before Delhi
and in the final assault on the city, he directed the victorious march of the cavalry and horse artillery dispatched in the direction of Cawnpore to open up communication with the commander-in-chief Sir Colin Campbell
, whom he met near the Alambagh
, and who raised him to the rank of brigadier-general, and placed the whole force under his command during what remained of the perilous march to Lucknow
for the relief of the residency. After the retirement towards Cawnpore he greatly aided in effecting there the total rout of the rebel troops, by making a detour which threatened their rear; and following in pursuit with a flying column
, he defeated them with the loss of nearly all their guns at Serai Ghat.
He also took part in the operations connected with the recapture of Lucknow, shortly after which he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and appointed to the command of the force employed for the final pacification of India, a position in which his unwearied energy, and his vigilance and caution united to high personal daring, rendered very valuable service. Before the work of pacification was quite completed he was created KCB. In 1859 he was appointed, with the local rank of lieutenant-general, to be Commander of British Troops in China and Hong Kong
and to lead the British land forces in the united French and British expedition against China
. The object of the campaign was accomplished within three months of the landing of the forces at Pei-tang (August 1, 1860). The Taku Forts
had been carried by assault, the Chinese defeated three times in the open and Peking occupied.
For his conduct in this, which has been called the most successful and the best carried out of England's little wars, he received the thanks of parliament and was gazetted GCB
. In 1861 he was made lieutenant-general and appointed commander-in-chief of the army of Madras; on his return to England in 1865 he was made Quartermaster-General to the Forces
at headquarters; and in 1870 he was transferred to the command of Aldershot Division
, where he took a leading part in the reform of the educational and training systems of the forces, which followed the Franco-German War. The introduction of annual army manoeuvres was largely due to Sir James Hope Grant. In 1872 he was gazetted general. He died in London on the 7th of March 1875.
On appointment as Commander-in-chief of the Madras Army
, Grant was automatically made a member of the Madras Legislative Council
and held a seat from 1861 to 1864.
In the novels Flashman describes Grant as being one of the most formidable soldiers of his day and the deadliest fighter alive as well as being an eccentric and 'unnerving' character. He speaks in barked one-word sentences.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir James Hope Grant GCB
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...
(July 22, 1808 – March 7, 1875), 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...
general, was the fifth and youngest son of Francis Grant of Kilgraston, Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, and brother of Sir Francis Grant
Francis Grant (artist)
Sir Francis Grant, RA , was a Scottish portrait painter, who painted Queen Victoria and many distinguished British aristocratic and political figures of the day...
, President of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
.
Military career
He entered the British ArmyBritish 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...
in 1826 as cornet in the 9th Lancers, and became lieutenant in 1828 and captain in 1835. In 1842 he was brigade-major to Lord Saltoun
Alexander Fraser, 17th Lord Saltoun
Lieutenant-General Alexander George Fraser, 17th Lord Saltoun KT GCH, KCB, was a Scottish representative peer and a British Army general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and the First Anglo-Chinese War....
in the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
, and specially distinguished himself at the capture of Chinkiang
Battle of Chinkiang
The Battle of Chinkiang was fought between British and Chinese forces in Chinkiang, China, on 21 July 1842 during the First Opium War. It was the last major battle of the war. The British capture of this stronghold allowed them to proceed forward to Nanking....
, after which he received the rank of major and 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...
. In the First Anglo-Sikh War
First Anglo-Sikh War
The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846. It resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom.-Background and causes of the war:...
of 1845–1846 he took part in the battle of Sobraon
Battle of Sobraon
The Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1846, between the forces of the British East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab...
; and in the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
campaign of 1848–1849 he commanded the 9th Lancers, and won high reputation in the battles of Chillianwalla and Guzerat (Gujarat).
He was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel and shortly afterwards to the same substantive rank. In 1854 he became brevet-colonel, and in 1856 brigadier of cavalry. He took a leading part in the suppression of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
of 1857, holding for some time the command of the cavalry division, and afterwards of a movable column of horse and foot.
After rendering valuable service in the operations before Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and in the final assault on the city, he directed the victorious march of the cavalry and horse artillery dispatched in the direction of Cawnpore to open up communication with the commander-in-chief Sir Colin Campbell
Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde
Field Marshal Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde GCB, KSI was a British Army officer from Scotland who led the Highland Brigade in the Crimea and was in command of the ‘Thin red line’ at the battle of Balaclava...
, whom he met near the Alambagh
Alambagh
Alambagh is a large walled enclosure situated at about 4 miles from Lucknow, near Kanpur road in India. It contains a palace, a mosque and other buildings, as well as a beautiful garden. Alambagh was converted into a fort by Indian freedom fighters in 1857...
, and who raised him to the rank of brigadier-general, and placed the whole force under his command during what remained of the perilous march to Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
for the relief of the residency. After the retirement towards Cawnpore he greatly aided in effecting there the total rout of the rebel troops, by making a detour which threatened their rear; and following in pursuit with a flying column
Flying column
A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ad hoc unit, formed during the course of operations....
, he defeated them with the loss of nearly all their guns at Serai Ghat.
He also took part in the operations connected with the recapture of Lucknow, shortly after which he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and appointed to the command of the force employed for the final pacification of India, a position in which his unwearied energy, and his vigilance and caution united to high personal daring, rendered very valuable service. Before the work of pacification was quite completed he was created KCB. In 1859 he was appointed, with the local rank of lieutenant-general, to be Commander of British Troops in China and Hong Kong
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
and to lead the British land forces in the united French and British expedition against China
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
. The object of the campaign was accomplished within three months of the landing of the forces at Pei-tang (August 1, 1860). The Taku Forts
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
had been carried by assault, the Chinese defeated three times in the open and Peking occupied.
For his conduct in this, which has been called the most successful and the best carried out of England's little wars, he received the thanks of parliament and was gazetted GCB
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...
. In 1861 he was made lieutenant-general and appointed commander-in-chief of the army of Madras; on his return to England in 1865 he was made Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
at headquarters; and in 1870 he was transferred to the command of Aldershot Division
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
, where he took a leading part in the reform of the educational and training systems of the forces, which followed the Franco-German War. The introduction of annual army manoeuvres was largely due to Sir James Hope Grant. In 1872 he was gazetted general. He died in London on the 7th of March 1875.
On appointment as Commander-in-chief of the Madras Army
Madras Army
The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three...
, Grant was automatically made a member of the Madras Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
and held a seat from 1861 to 1864.
In fiction
Hope Grant is featured in George McDonald Fraser's Flashman series of novels.In the novels Flashman describes Grant as being one of the most formidable soldiers of his day and the deadliest fighter alive as well as being an eccentric and 'unnerving' character. He speaks in barked one-word sentences.