Sir James Carmichael-Smyth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1779-02-22)22 February 1779 London, England |
| Died | 4 March 1838(1838-03-04) (aged 59) Georgetown, British Guiana |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Rank | Major-general |
| Battles/wars | War of the Sixth Coalition Peninsular War Waterloo Campaign |
Major-General Sir James Carmichael-Smyth, 1st Baronet, KCH, CB (22 February 1779 – 4 March 1838) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator.
Carmichael-Smyth was born in London the eldest son of Scottish physician and medical writer, James Carmichael Smyth and Mary Holyland.[1] His younger brother Henry Carmichael-Smyth, would achieve distinction as an officer serving the East India Company and for being the step-father of William Makepeace Thackeray.
Carmichael Smyth married Harriet Morse, daughter of Robert Morse, on 28 May 1816 and they had one son.[2]
He was educated at Charterhouse School and the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich, London[1] before joining the Royal Engineers in March 1795 as a second lieutenant. One of the chief engineering officers of the British Army in Southern Africa between 1795 and 1808, he then went to Spain under Lieutenant-general Sir John Moore in 1808–9. From 1813 to 1815 he was stationed in the Low Countries and was present at the ill-fated Siege of Bergen op Zoom in 1814 before going on to command the Royal Corps of Engineers & Sappers at Waterloo.[2] Prior to the battle, Smyth had created a plan of the ground that allowed Wellington to place his troops rapidly and advantageously.[3]
In 1818, he was on Wellington's staff at the Board of Ordnance. He was made a baronet in August 1821 on Wellington's recommendation.[1] He was sent by Wellington in 1823 to survey the defences in the Low Countries and the British West Indies and in 1825 to repeat the operation in British North America.[2] He was promoted major-general in May 1825 and, after carrying out some engineering works in Ireland, was made Governor of the Bahamas in May 1829.[1] In June 1833, he was transferred to be Governor of British Guiana, where he had to deal with issues related to the emancipation of slaves.[2]
Between 1815 and 1831, he had published eight volumes on the subjects of military engineering, defence, and slavery.
He died of an illness on 4 March 1838 in Georgetown, Guiana and his son James Robert Carmichael became the second baronet.[1]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of the Bahamas 1829–1833 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of British Guiana 1833–1838 |
Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Nutwood) 1821–1838 |
Succeeded by James Robert Carmichael |
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