Sir Harry Calvert | |
---|---|
Born | March 1763 |
Died | 3 September 1826 (aged 57) |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | British Army |
Rank | Lieutenant-General |
Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Royal Guelphic Order |
Lieutenant General Sir Harry Calvert, 1st Baronet GCB GCH (March 1763 – 3 September 1826) was a British general.
Calvert was born in 1763 at Hampton, near London. He was educated at Harrow, and at the age of fifteen, was commissioned into the 23rd Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers). The following year he served with his regiment in America during the American Revolutionary War. He was at the siege of Charleston, and served through the campaign of Lord Cornwallis which ended with the surrender of Yorktown. From 1781 to 1783 he was a prisoner of war.
Returning to England in 1784, he was promoted Captain 1785, then next saw active service in 1793 in the Campaign in the Low Countries, where he was aide-de-camp to the Duke of York. Sent to discuss surrender terms with the garrison of Valenciennes, he was present at the Siege of Dunkirk 25 Aug-10 September, and the relief of Menin on the 15th. Detached to the Austrian staff of Coburg, he was present at the Battle of Wattignies 15/16 Oct. Promoted Lieutenant Colonel, he remained on York’s staff 1794 and saw action at Beaumont (Troisvilles) 26 April. At the Battle of Tourcoing 17/18 May, he narrowly escaped capture with York and was forced to swim the Espierre’s brook with him. He again saw action at Tournai (Pont-à-Chin) 22nd, the retreat to Antwerp, June–July, and in the Defence of Holland. In 1795 he was engaged on a confidential mission to Brunswick and Berlin. One of York's “most trusted staff officers” his Journals & Correspondence remains a vital source of information on the Flanders Campaign of 1793–95.