439:. After the French relief army was turned back, the French garrison slipped out of the fortress in the night and marched straight through the blockading force to freedom. On this occasion, an exasperated Wellington said, "I have never been so distressed by any military event as by the escape of even a man of them." This time Erskine was only one of several officers who blundered. Aware that he could not dismiss Erskine because of the man's political influence, Wellington tried to place Erskine in positions where he could do little damage.
41:
428:'s isolated French corps from destruction. Wellington assigned Erskine with the Light Division and some cavalry to cut in behind Reynier's open left flank while four divisions attacked in front. The hapless Erskine, who was very nearsighted, issued a set of foolish orders then promptly got lost in the fog with the cavalry, allowing the French to escape from Wellington's trap.
385:
responded that, "No doubt he is sometimes a little mad, but in his lucid intervals he is an uncommonly clever fellow; and I trust he will have no fit during the campaign, though he looked a little wild as he embarked."
868:
376:
in
Parliament in 1796 and 1802–1805. Despite being "blind as a beetle", according to a fellow officer, in 1808, Erskine received promotion to major general. When he heard Erskine was being shipped to Portugal,
858:
413:'s rearguard. At Casal Novo on 14 March 1811, Erskine advanced his men along the main road in fog without proper scouts. When the fog suddenly cleared, his leading elements found themselves facing elements of
838:
201:
883:
843:
560:
H. M. Stephens, 'Erskine, Sir
William, second baronet (1770–1813)', rev. Roger T. Stearn, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
235:
828:
417:'s division deployed in line with artillery support. This carelessness cost the Light Division 155 killed and wounded, while Marchand lost only 55 men.
409:'s retreating French army, several sharp actions were fought at Pombal, Redinha, Casal Novo and Foz do Arouce between the Light Division and Marshal
893:
853:
848:
209:
888:
402:. He soon developed a reputation for rashness. Wellington wrote, "It is impossible to trust to his judgment in any critical case."
378:
331:
205:
46:
823:
734:
694:
506:
217:
833:
747:
743:
707:
82:
863:
446:'s corps. He soon relinquished command, but reassumed his post on 8 April 1812. Soon after, he was declared insane and
738:
698:
538:
524:
486:
472:
373:
65:
771:
720:
338:
132:
443:
176:
878:
873:
703:
369:, where a handful of English and Austrian cavalry routed a much larger force of French infantry and cavalry.
366:
240:
78:
284:
294:
357:(the unit his father had served in with distinction) on 23 February 1791. His first active service was in
818:
678:
365:, when he acted as aide-de-camp to his father. In 1794 he was made lieutenant-colonel. and fought at the
669:
762:
432:
354:
186:
442:
From 19 June 1811, Erskine led four mounted regiments in the newly organized 2nd
Cavalry Division in
362:
230:
754:
436:
382:
350:
50:
381:
complained that he "generally understood him to be a madman." The administrators of the army at
454:
in 1813 by jumping out of a window, reportedly with the last words, "Now why did I do that?"
414:
341:
and his second wife, Frances. He succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death in 1795.
813:
808:
8:
289:
254:
196:
534:
520:
502:
482:
468:
421:
299:
279:
274:
264:
191:
778:
269:
40:
31:
394:
During the 1811 campaign in
Portugal, Erskine took over the command of the famous
496:
399:
327:
249:
687:
395:
259:
213:
148:
561:
802:
406:
492:
425:
326:, served as a member of Parliament, and achieved important commands in the
323:
158:
349:
Erskine was commissioned into the 23rd foot 1785, and transferred to the
869:
Members of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies
410:
859:
Members of the
Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies
372:
On his father's death in 1795, Erskine became baronet. He represented
447:
435:, Erskine's 5th and Alexander Campbell's 6th Divisions covered the
358:
664:
121:
451:
111:
353:
as a lieutenant in 1787, and in 1791 became captain of the
839:
578:
670:contributions in Parliament by Sir William Erskine
571:
569:
334:, but ended his service in insanity and suicide.
800:
424:, the fog and Erskine's bungling saved General
884:British military personnel who died by suicide
844:British Army commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
566:
322:(30 March 1770 – 1813) was an officer in the
337:He was the eldest son of Lieutenant-General
829:Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain
39:
584:
491:
894:British politicians who died by suicide
801:
556:
554:
498:The Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes
13:
551:
465:Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars.
14:
905:
657:
389:
854:15th The King's Hussars officers
849:5th Royal Irish Lancers officers
721:Parliament of the United Kingdom
714:Parliament of the United Kingdom
519:London: Greenhill, (1913) 1993.
339:Sir William Erskine, 1st Baronet
320:Sir William Erskine, 2nd Baronet
133:Sir William Erskine, 1st Baronet
889:Suicides by jumping in Portugal
644:
344:
635:
626:
617:
608:
599:
590:
531:The Napoleonic Wars Data Book.
1:
517:Wellington's Army, 1809-1814.
481:London: Penguin Books, 2001.
479:The Peninsular War 1807-1814.
457:
367:Battle of Villers-en-Cauchies
241:Battle of Villers-en-Cauchies
824:Military personnel from Fife
544:
295:Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos
7:
834:British Army major generals
763:Baronetage of Great Britain
729:Parliament of Great Britain
679:Parliament of Great Britain
501:. Oxford University Press.
467:New York: Macmillan, 1979.
10:
910:
450:. He took his own life in
433:Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
355:15th King's Light Dragoons
285:Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro
789:
776:
768:
761:
751:
732:
726:
719:
711:
692:
684:
677:
533:London: Greenhill, 1998.
363:French Revolutionary Wars
312:
231:French Revolutionary Wars
223:
182:
172:
164:
154:
144:
139:
128:
117:
105:
97:
92:
88:
71:
61:
57:
38:
23:
118:Cause of death
405:While pursuing Marshal
864:British MPs 1796–1800
562:Retrieved 30 May 2008
165:Years of service
735:Member of Parliament
695:Member of Parliament
361:1793–95, during the
218:2nd Cavalry Division
62:Member of Parliament
16:British Army general
290:Blockade of Almeida
187:15th Light Dragoons
819:Nobility from Fife
398:in the absence of
332:Duke of Wellington
265:Retreat to Corunna
255:Walcheren campaign
797:
796:
790:Succeeded by
752:Succeeded by
712:Succeeded by
508:978-0-19-520528-2
477:Glover, Michael,
463:Chandler, David,
422:Battle of Sabugal
316:
315:
300:Battle of Almaraz
280:Battle of Sabugal
275:Battle of Redinha
236:Flanders campaign
901:
879:UK MPs 1802–1806
874:UK MPs 1801–1802
769:Preceded by
727:Preceded by
685:Preceded by
675:
674:
651:
650:Oman, p 352, 359
648:
642:
639:
633:
630:
624:
621:
615:
612:
606:
603:
597:
594:
588:
582:
576:
573:
564:
558:
512:
437:Siege of Almeida
270:Battle of Pombal
210:Cavalry Division
140:Military service
93:Personal details
76:
43:
21:
20:
909:
908:
904:
903:
902:
900:
899:
898:
799:
798:
793:
786:
781:
774:
772:William Erskine
757:
755:Robert Ferguson
742:
730:
715:
702:
690:
660:
655:
654:
649:
645:
640:
636:
631:
627:
623:Glover, p 146–7
622:
618:
613:
609:
604:
600:
595:
591:
583:
579:
575:Chandler, p 142
574:
567:
559:
552:
547:
515:Oman, Charles,
509:
460:
400:Robert Craufurd
392:
347:
328:Napoleonic Wars
308:
250:Napoleonic Wars
216:
212:
208:
204:
199:
194:
189:
110:
77:
72:
63:
53:
34:
29:
28:William Erskine
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
907:
897:
896:
891:
886:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
831:
826:
821:
816:
811:
795:
794:
791:
788:
775:
770:
766:
765:
759:
758:
753:
750:
731:
728:
724:
723:
717:
716:
713:
710:
691:
688:William Wemyss
686:
682:
681:
673:
672:
659:
658:External links
656:
653:
652:
643:
634:
625:
616:
607:
598:
589:
587:, p. 205.
577:
565:
549:
548:
546:
543:
542:
541:
529:Smith, Digby,
527:
513:
507:
489:
475:
459:
456:
396:Light Division
391:
390:Peninsular War
388:
346:
343:
318:Major-General
314:
313:
310:
309:
307:
306:
305:
304:
303:
302:
297:
292:
287:
282:
277:
272:
267:
260:Peninsular War
257:
247:
246:
245:
244:
243:
227:
225:
221:
220:
214:Light Division
184:
180:
179:
174:
170:
169:
166:
162:
161:
156:
155:Branch/service
152:
151:
149:United Kingdom
146:
142:
141:
137:
136:
130:
126:
125:
119:
115:
114:
107:
103:
102:
99:
95:
94:
90:
89:
86:
85:
69:
68:
59:
58:
55:
54:
44:
36:
35:
30:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
906:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
825:
822:
820:
817:
815:
812:
810:
807:
806:
804:
792:James Erskine
785:
782:
780:
773:
767:
764:
760:
756:
749:
745:
741:
740:
736:
725:
722:
718:
709:
705:
701:
700:
696:
689:
683:
680:
676:
671:
667:
666:
662:
661:
647:
638:
632:Glover, p 156
629:
620:
611:
605:Glover, p 347
602:
596:Glover, p 146
593:
586:
585:Hastings 1986
581:
572:
570:
563:
557:
555:
550:
540:
539:1-85367-276-9
536:
532:
528:
526:
525:0-947898-41-7
522:
518:
514:
510:
504:
500:
499:
494:
493:Hastings, Max
490:
488:
487:0-14-139041-7
484:
480:
476:
474:
473:0-02-523670-9
470:
466:
462:
461:
455:
453:
449:
445:
440:
438:
434:
429:
427:
423:
418:
416:
415:Jean Marchand
412:
408:
407:Andre Massena
403:
401:
397:
387:
384:
380:
375:
370:
368:
364:
360:
356:
352:
342:
340:
335:
333:
329:
325:
321:
311:
301:
298:
296:
293:
291:
288:
286:
283:
281:
278:
276:
273:
271:
268:
266:
263:
262:
261:
258:
256:
253:
252:
251:
248:
242:
239:
238:
237:
234:
233:
232:
229:
228:
226:
222:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
198:
193:
188:
185:
181:
178:
177:Major-General
175:
171:
167:
163:
160:
157:
153:
150:
147:
143:
138:
134:
131:
127:
123:
120:
116:
113:
108:
104:
101:30 March 1770
100:
96:
91:
87:
84:
80:
75:
70:
67:
60:
56:
52:
51:George Romney
48:
45:Erskine as a
42:
37:
33:
22:
19:
784:
777:
733:
693:
663:
646:
637:
628:
619:
614:Smith, p 356
610:
601:
592:
580:
530:
516:
497:
478:
464:
444:Rowland Hill
441:
430:
426:Jean Reynier
419:
404:
393:
383:Horse Guards
371:
351:5th Dragoons
348:
345:Early career
336:
324:British Army
319:
317:
224:Battles/wars
206:5th Division
202:1st Division
159:British Army
73:
18:
814:1813 deaths
809:1770 births
783:(of Torrie)
668:1803–2005:
641:Oman, p 151
431:During the
109:15 May 1813
803:Categories
787:1795–1813
458:References
411:Michel Ney
379:Wellington
330:under the
145:Allegiance
124:by jumping
545:Footnotes
448:cashiered
200:Brigade,
197:Walcheren
195:Brigade,
190:Brigade,
168:1785–1813
129:Relations
74:In office
495:(1986).
359:Flanders
183:Commands
135:(father)
779:Baronet
665:Hansard
420:At the
192:Corunna
122:Suicide
537:
523:
505:
485:
471:
452:Lisbon
112:Lisbon
49:, by
47:major
748:1806
744:1801
739:Fife
737:for
708:1800
704:1796
699:Fife
697:for
535:ISBN
521:ISBN
503:ISBN
483:ISBN
469:ISBN
374:Fife
173:Rank
106:Died
98:Born
83:1806
79:1796
66:Fife
64:for
25:Sir
805::
746:–
706:–
568:^
553:^
32:Bt
511:.
81:–
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
