William Henry Carmichael-Smyth facts for kids

William Henry Carmichael-Smyth (born 30 July 1780 – died 9 September 1861) was a British army officer. He worked for the East India Company, which was a very powerful British trading company that also had its own army.

Early Life and Education

William Henry Carmichael-Smyth was born in England in 1780. His father, James Carmichael Smyth, was a doctor from Scotland. William went to a school called Charterhouse School when he was young.

Starting His Military Career

In 1797, when he was just 17 years old, William joined the Bengal Artillery. This was a part of the East India Company's army in India.

• First Missions:
  • He was sent to Bengal in India.
  • Soon after, he went on a military trip to the Philippines.
  • When that trip was stopped, he came back and served in a place called Allahabad in India.

Fighting in India

William Carmichael-Smyth was involved in several important battles and events in India.

The Second Anglo-Maratha War

In 1803, a big war started called the Second Anglo-Maratha War. This was a conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.

• Key Battles:
  • William was present at the Battle of Aligarh.
  • He also fought in the Battle of Delhi in 1803.
  • He was part of the Battle of Laswari.
• More Campaigns:
  • In 1804, he joined a force against Rampoora.
  • He served at the Battle of Deeg and the Siege of Deeg. He was even praised for his actions there.
  • In 1805, he was at the Siege of Bharatpur.
  • After this, he became a garrison engineer in Agra. A garrison engineer helps build and maintain military forts.
• Directing Attacks:
  • In 1806, he led an attack on Gohud.
  • He returned to England in 1807 because he was not well.

Return to India and New Campaigns

William Carmichael-Smyth came back to India in 1810 as a captain.

• Invasion of Java:
  • In 1811, he took part in the Invasion of Java. Java is an island in Indonesia.
• Valour at Callinger:
  • He returned to Bengal and went to Callinger as a field engineer.
  • In 1812, he was again praised for being very brave.
• Surveys and Campaigns:
  • He worked on surveys before helping in a campaign against Alwar.
  • After this, he went back to his job as a garrison engineer in Agra and stayed there until 1819.
• Anglo-Nepalese War:
  • Between 1814 and 1816, he served in the Anglo-Nepalese War. This was a conflict between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Nepal. He worked under a famous officer named Sir David Ochterlony.
• Hathras and Third Anglo-Maratha War:
  • In February 1817, he helped in the capture of Hathras.
  • Later that year, he joined the army of Lord Hastings in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

Family Life and Later Years

On 13 March 1817, William Carmichael-Smyth married Anne Thackeray in Cawnpore, India. Anne was a widow, and her son was a young boy named William Makepeace Thackeray. William Makepeace Thackeray later became a very famous writer.

• Promotion and Retirement:
  • William Carmichael-Smyth returned to England in 1820.
  • In 1821, he was promoted to the rank of Major.
• Addiscombe Military Seminary:
  • In 1822, he was given a job as the Resident Superintendent at the East India Company Military Seminary in Addiscombe, England. This was a school where young men were trained to become officers for the East India Company.
  • He stayed in this role until 1824, when Robert Houston took over.
• Death:
  • William Henry Carmichael-Smyth passed away in Ayr, Scotland, on 9 September 1861.