Sir Robert Sale

Robert Sale
Sir Robert Henry Sale, engraved by F. Holl, from 'The National Portrait Gallery, Volume III', published c.1820
Birth name	Robert Henry Sale
Nickname(s)	Fighting Bob
Born	19 September 1782
Died	21 December 1845 (1845-12-22) (aged 63)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Major-General
Unit	36th Regiment of Foot 12th Regiment of Foot 13th Regiment of Foot
Battles/wars	Fourth Anglo-Mysore War First Anglo-Burmese War First Anglo-Afghan War First Anglo-Sikh War
Spouse(s)	Florentia Sale (1809–1845; his death)

Major-General Sir Robert Henry Sale GCB (19 September 1782 – 21 December 1845) was a British Army officer who commanded the garrison of Jalalabad during the First Afghan War and was killed in action during the First Anglo-Sikh War.

He entered the 36th Regiment of Foot in 1795, and went to India in 1798, as a lieutenant of the 12th Foot. His regiment formed part of Baird's brigade of Harris's army operating against Tippoo Sahib, and Sale was present at Malavalli and the Battle of Seringapatam, subsequently serving under Colonel Arthur Wellesley in the campaign against Dhundia. A little later the 12th was employed in the difficult and laborious attack on Paichi Raja. Promoted captain in 1806, Sale was engaged in 1808–1809 against the Raja of Travancore, and was at the two actions of Quilon, the storm of Travancore lines and the battle of Killianore. In 1810 he accompanied the expedition to Mauritius, and in 1813 obtained his majority. After some years he became major in the 13th Regiment of Foot, with which regiment he was associated for the rest of his life.

In the First Burmese War he led the 13th in all the actions up to the capture of Rangoon, in one of which he killed the enemy's leader in single combat. In the concluding operations of the war, being now lieutenant-colonel, he commanded a brigade, and at Malown (1826) he was severely wounded. For these services he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Bath (CB). In 1838, on the outbreak of the First Anglo-Afghan War, Brevet-Colonel Sale was assigned to the command of the 1st Bengal brigade of the army assembling on the Indus. His column arrived at Kandahar in April 1839, and in May it occupied the Herat plain. The Kandahar force next set out on its march to Kabul, and a month later Ghazni was stormed, Sale in person leading the storming column and distinguishing himself in single combat. The place was well provisioned, and on its supplies the army finished its march to Kabul easily. For his services Sale was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) and received the local rank of major-general, as well as the Shah's order of the Durrani Empire. He was left, as second-in-command, with the army of occupation, and in the interval between the two wars conducted several small campaigns ending with the action of Parwan which led directly to the surrender of Dost Mohammad Khan.