Sir William Erskine , 2nd Baronet Major - General Sir William Erskine , 2nd Baronet ( 30 March 1770 – 1813 ) was an officer in the British Army , served as a member of Parliament , and achieved important commands in the Napoleonic Wars under the Duke of Wellington , but ended his service in insanity and suicide . He was the eldest son of Lieutenant - General Sir William Erskine , 1st Baronet and his second wife , Frances . He succeeded to the baronetcy on his father ' s death in 1795 . Early career . Erskine was commissioned into the 23rd foot 1785 , and transferred to the 5th Dragoons as a lieutenant in 1787 , and in 1791 became captain of the 15th King ' s Light Dragoons ( the unit his father had served in with distinction ) on 23 February 1791 . His first active service was in Flanders 1793 – 95 , during the French Revolutionary Wars , when he acted as aide - de - camp to his father . In 1794 he was made lieutenant - colonel . and fought at the Battle of Villers - en - Cauchies , where a handful of English and Austrian cavalry routed a much larger force of French infantry and cavalry . On his father ' s death in 1795 , Erskine became baronet . He represented Fife in Parliament in 1796 and 1802 – 1805 . In 1808 , Erskine received promotion to major general . When he heard Erskine was being shipped to Portugal , Wellington complained that he " generally understood him to be a madman . " The Horse Guards breezily 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 . " Peninsular War . During the 1811 campaign in Portugal , Erskine took over the command of the famous Light Division in the absence of Robert Craufurd . He soon developed a reputation for rashness . Wellington wrote , " It is impossible to trust to his judgment in any critical case . " While pursuing Marshal Andre Massena ' s retreating French army , several sharp actions were fought at Pombal , Redinha , Casal Novo and Foz do Arouce between the Light Division and Marshal Michel Ney ' 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 Jean Marchand ' s division deployed in line with artillery support . This carelessness cost the Light Division 155 killed and wounded , while Marchand lost only 55 men . At the Battle of Sabugal , the fog and Erskine ' s bungling saved General Jean Reynier ' 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 . The leaderless Light Division covered itself with glory in the subsequent action , but the French escaped from Wellington ' s trap . During the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro , Erskine ' s 5th and Alexander Campbell ' s 6th Divisions covered the Siege of Almeida . 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 . From 19 June 1811 , Erskine led four mounted regiments in the newly organized 2nd Cavalry Division in Rowland Hill ' s corps . He soon relinquished command , but reassumed his post on 8 April 1812 . Soon after , he was declared insane and cashiered . He took his own life in Lisbon in 1813 by jumping out of a window , reportedly with the last words , " Now why did I do that ? " .