Sidney Smith (Royal Navy officer)

Sir Sidney Smith
Miniature portrait by Louis-Marie Autissier, watercolour on ivory, 1823.
Born	21 June 1764 (1764-06-21) Westminster, London
Died	26 May 1840(1840-05-26) (aged 75) Paris, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1777–1814
Rank	Royal Navy Admiral
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Cape St. Vincent, 1780 Battle of the Chesapeake, 1781 Battle of the Saintes, 1782 Russo-Swedish War Battle of Vyborg Bay, 1790 Battle of Svensksund, 1790 Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign Siege of Acre, 1799
Awards	Order of the Sword Order of the Tower and Sword Knight Commander of the Bath

American Revolutionary War

Russo-Swedish War

Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign

Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, GCB, GCTE, KmstkSO, FRS (21 June 1764 – 26 May 1840) was a British naval officer. Serving in the American and French revolutionary wars, he later rose to the rank of admiral. Napoleon Bonaparte, reminiscing later in his life, said of him: "That man made me miss my destiny".

Sidney Smith, as he always called himself, was born into a military and naval family with connections to the Pitt family. He was the second son of Captain John Smith of the Guards, and was born at Westminster. Sidney Smith attended Tonbridge School until 1772. He joined the Royal Navy in 1777 and fought in the American Revolutionary War, where he saw action in 1778 against the American frigate Raleigh.

For his bravery under Rodney in the action near Cape St Vincent in January 1780, Sidney Smith was, on 25 September, appointed lieutenant of the 74-gun third-rate Alcide, despite being under the required age of nineteen.