The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-21 00:00:00

SIR ROBERT NAPIER, G.C.B.

Sir Robert Napier was born in Ceylon in 1810. He is
only very distantly, if at all, related to the Sir Charles
Napier whom the late Duke of Wellington delighted to
honour. His father was Major C. F. Napier, of the
Royal Engineers, who, whilst on duty in India, married
the daughter of Mr. Codlington Carrington, of Black-
mans, Barbadoes. At an enly age the eldest son of
the marriage, Robert, was sent to England to be
educated at Addiscombe. On his seventeenth birth-
day he entered the Royal Engineers, and, after passing
through the ordinary routine, became captain in 1841,
when just over thirty years of age. He served through-
out the whole of the Sutlej campaign in 1845-46. At
Moodkee he was appointed chief engineer, and at the
siege his horse was killed under him ; again, at Ferozeshah,
his horse fell, mortally wounded, whilst two bullets had
pierced his own body. He soon recovered ; and, as
brigade-major of Engineers, in 1846, led the troops at
Sobraon, and in the subsequent advance on Lahore, for
which he received a medal and clasps, with the rank of
brevet-major. In the same year he was appointed chief
engineer to conduct the siege of the hill fort of
Kangra, ; for his services in this expedition he received
the special thanks of the Indian Government. At the
siege of Mooltan, in 1849, he was severely
wounded. Major Napier was next appointed corn
manding engineer of the right wing of the army of the
Punjaub at the battle of Goojerat and in Sir Walter
Gilbert's pursuit of the Sikh army, for which services he
received a medal and clasps, with the rank of brevet
lieutenant•colonel. As chief civil engineer of the Pun-
jaub, Major Napier organised and initiated an extensive
series of public works, which were honourably acknow-
ledged by the late Lord Dalhousie. In 1852 Colonel
Napier commanded a column which defeated the Hussun-
zie tribe on the Black Mountain in Hazara ; he was also
present with the expedition against the Boree Alfreedees
in 1852-53, and again received the special thanks of the
Indian Government for his services. In 1857 Colonel
Napier was appointed chief engineer of Sir James Outram's
staff, and was present in the several actions leading to the
first relief of Lucknow, Mungulwar, and Churbagh. As
chief of the staff of Engineers he took a most important
part in the operations of Alum Baugh, and, as brigadier
chief engineer, at the final siege of Lucknow in 1858, for
which services the British Government appointed him a
Knight Commander of the Bath. At the capture of Gwa-
lior Sir Robert commanded a brigade. He defeated Tantia
Topee at Joura Alipour, and captured twenty-five guns.
Whilst in command of the Gwalior division he bombarded
and reduced the fort of Powrie. After five days' pursuit
he surprised and defeated, with a squadron of the 14th
Dragoons, Ferozesbah's force at Ranode. In 1860 Sir
Robert Napier was present at Tanko, and with his divi-
sion and the whole of the artillery, in conjunction with
the French division of General Collineau, he directed the
operations ending in the storm of the North Taku Fort,
and the advance and occupation of Pekin. During the
time he was attached to the China expedition Sir Robert
Napier twice received the thanks of Parliament. In 1861
he entered the Supreme Council of India as successor of
Sir J. Outram, and retained his seat till 1865, when he
was appointed to the command of the Bombay army.