# Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Browne, Samuel James

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​BROWNE, Sir SAMUEL JAMES (1824–1901), general, born on 3 Oct. 1842 in India, ​ was son of John Browne of the East India Company's medical service, by his wife Charlotte Isabella, daughter of Captain S. Swinton, R.N. After education in England he returned to India in 1840, on receiving a commission as ensign in the 46th Bengal native infantry. He spent the early years of his career in Lower Bengal, where he first showed an aptitude for sport. During the second Sikh war Browne was present at the cavalry skirmish at Ramnagar on 22 Nov. 1848, at the passage of the river Chenab on 1 Dec. by Sir Joseph Thackwell (q. v.], and at the battle of Sadulapur on 3 Dec., subsequently taking part in the victories of Sir Hugh (afterwards first viscount) Gough [q. v.] at Chillianwallah on 13 Jan. 1849 and at Gujarat on 21 Feb. He received the medal and clasp for his services, and after the campaign was selected by Sir Henry Lawrence [q. v.] for employment in the newly raised Punjab force. He was promoted captain on 10 Feb. 1855, and from 1851 to 1863 he acted as adjutant and commanding officer of the 2nd Punjab cavalry. During this period he served mainly on the Derajat and Peshawar frontier, and was engaged in the operations against the Umarzai Waziris in 1851-2, in the expedition to the Bozdar hills in March 1857, and in the attacks on Narinji in July and August of the same year. He received the medal with clasp.
During the Indian Mutiny Browne commanded the 2nd Punjab cavalry at the siege of Lucknow in 1858, and after the capture of the city formed part of the movable column, under Sir James Hope Grant [q. v.], which inflicted a severe blow on the rebels near Kursi on 22 March 1858. He was in the actions at Ruyah, Aligunge, and at the capture of Bareli on 6 May ; and he was in command of a field force which defeated the mutineers at Mohunpur. With 230 sabres of his regiment and 350 native infantry Browne made a surprise attack on the rebels at Sirpura at day-break on 31 Aug. 1858. Pushing forward to the rear of the enemy's position, he charged the gunners almost single-handed and prevented them from reloading and firing on the advancing infantry. In this desperate hand to hand fight his left arm was severed, and he was also twice wounded in the knee. A tourniquet promptly applied to the injured limb by Dr. Maxwell prevented him from bleeding to death. For this act of gallantry he was awarded the V.C. in 1861. Browne, who was thrice mentioned in despatches, received the thanks of the commander-in-chief and the government of India as well as the war medal with two clasps. He had already been given the brevet rank of major on 20 July 1858, and on 26 April 1859 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel. On 17 Nov. j 1864 Browne attained the rank of colonel, and was given the command of the Guides. On 6 Feb. 1870 he was promoted major-general, and in 1875 was chosen to represent the Anglo-Indian army during the Indian tour of Edward VII when Prince of Wales. At the close of the tour in 1876 he was nominated K.C.S.I., and became lieut.-general on 1 Oct. 1877.
From 9 Aug. to 5 Nov. 1878 Browne was military member of the governor-general's council, and in this capacity was actively concerned with the preparations for the Afghan war in 1878-9. He knew well from his experience of the north-west frontier the independent character of the Afghans, and he pointed out to the viceroy, Lord Lytton [q.v.], the immense difficulties which a British invasion of Afghanistan involved. His advice, however, was disregarded, and it was only with reluctance that the viceroy acceded to the insistent demands of Browne and Sir Frederick Haines [q. v. Suppl. II], the commander-in-chief in India, for additional reinforcements for the Kandahar field force. Browne himself received the command of the 1st division of the Peshawar field force, and had orders to force the Khyber pass, which was strongly held by the Afghans. His progress was much retarded by the inefficiency of the commissariat, transport and hospital arrangements ; but on 21 Nov. 1878, by a skilful turning movement, he captured with trifling loss the fortress of Ali Masjid, together with thirty-two guns. Little opposition was offered to his subsequent advance, and Jellalabad was occupied on 20 Dec. Browne however met with considerable difficulty in keeping his communications open, and was compelled to send for further reinforcements. The magnitude of his task was increased by his ignorance of Lord Lytton's policy; nor was he allowed to exercise, in fact, the political power with which he had been invested. Further advance was hindered by the threatening attitude of the Khyber tribes. After consultation with Sir Frederick Haines, Browne was ordered to prepare a scheme for an advance on Kabul. This report, which was sent to the viceroy in April 1879, amounted to a demonstration of the impossibility of the undertaking, but did not shake Lord Lytton's determination to bring the war to an end by the ​capture of Kabul. Meanwhile the victory of general Sir Charles Gough at Fatehabad on 2 April 1879 enabled Browne to occupy Gandamak. In the subsequent political negotiations which led to the signature of the treaty of Gandamak on 26 May with Yakub Khan, the son of the dispossessed Ameer Shere Ali, Browne had no share. On the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan Lord Lytton, despite the protests of Sir Frederick Haines, visited on Browne the discredit of the failure of his transport service, a result which was mainly due to the dilatory preparations of the government. Browne was not reappointed military member of the council, and was relegated to the command of the Lahore district. Nevertheless his services did not pass altogether unrewarded. He was created a K.C.B. in 1879, and received the thanks of the government of India and both houses of parliament. Shortly after he retired from active service, and when the massacre of the Cavagnari mission at Kabul on 3 Sept. 1879 reopened the Afghan war he was no longer eligible for a command.
Browne was promoted general on 1 Dec. 1888, and made a G.C.B. in 1891. He was well known in military circles as the inventor of the sword-belt which was universally adopted in the army. After his retirement he resided at The Wood, Ryde, Isle of Wight, where he died on 14 March 1901. After cremation his remains were buried at Ryde. In 1860 he married Lucy, daughter of R. C. Sherwood, M.D., of the East India Company's medical service. A portrait by Consley Vivian is at the East India United Service Club, St. James's Square, London, S.W. A memorial tablet has been erected in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral.
[The Times, 15 and 19 March 1901; Army and Navy Gazette, 16 March 1901; W. H. Paget, A Record of the Expeditions against the North-West Frontier Tribes, 1884, p. 86; Kaye and Malleson, History of the Indian Mutiny, 1889, vols. iv. and v.; Lord Roberts, Forty-one Years in India, 1898; W. H. Russell, The Prince of Wales's Tour, 1877; G. J. Younghusband, The Story of the Guides, 1908; H. B. Hanna, The Second Afghan War, 1899–1910, 3 vols.; The Official History of the Second Afghan War, 1908; Lady Betty Balfour, History of Lord Lytton's Indian Administration, 1899; R. S. Rait, Life of Field-marshal Sir Frederick Haines, 1911.]