Richard Dacres (British Army officer)

Sir Richard James Dacres
Sir Richard Dacres
Born	1799
Died	6 December 1886 (aged 86 or 87) Brighton
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1817–1884
Rank	Field Marshal
Battles/wars	Battle of Alma Battle of Balaclava Battle of Inkerman Siege of Sevastopol
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of Savoy Commander of the Légion d'honneur Second Class of the Order of Medjidie
Relations	Richard Dacres (father) Sydney Dacres (brother) James Richard Dacres (uncle) Barrington Dacres (cousin) James Richard Dacres (cousin)

Field Marshal Sir Richard James Dacres, GCB (1799 – 6 December 1886) was a British Army officer during the nineteenth century. Born into a substantial naval dynasty, he would achieve similar status in the military, commanding three troops of Royal Horse Artillery at the Battles of Alma in September 1854, Balaclava in October 1854 and Inkerman in November 1854, and throughout the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War and eventually rising to the rank of field marshal.

Richard James was born in 1799, the son of Richard Dacres, who became a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy, and his wife Martha Phillips Milligan. The Dacres had a long history of naval service, Sydney's uncle, James Richard Dacres, was a vice-admiral, while his cousins Barrington Dacres and James Richard Dacres would both serve in the navy, the former becoming a post-captain, the latter a vice-admiral. His younger brother, Sydney Dacres, also had a naval career, eventually reaching the rank of Admiral, and serving as a First Naval Lord. Richard James attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1815, and embarked on a career with the army when he joined the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant on 15 December 1817.