Andrew Barnard General Sir Andrew Francis Barnard , GCB , GCH ( 1773 – 17 January 1855 ) was an Irish British Army officer . He served in various capacities in the West Indies , the Cape of Good Hope , Canada , the Netherlands , Sicily , Spain and in the Napoleonic Wars including the Battle of Waterloo for which service he was highly decorated . After his retirement from active duty , he served in a number of civilian positions , being promoted to general four years before his death . Biography . Barnard was born at Fahan , County Donegal , Ireland . He was the son of the Rev . Dr . Henry Barnard , of Bovagh , County Londonderry ( second son of William Barnard , Bishop of Derry , and brother of Thomas Barnard , Bishop of Limerick ) , by his second wife , Sarah " neé " Robertson of Bannbrook , County Londonderry . Early career . He entered the army in Scotland as an ensign in the 90th Regiment of Foot in August , 1794 , became a lieutenant in the 81st Regiment of Foot in September and a captain in November of the same year . He served in St . Domingo from April till August , 1795 , and on 2 December was transferred to the 55th Regiment . He served in the expedition to the West Indies under Sir Ralph Abercromby , and was present at the reduction of Morne Fortune in May , 1796 . In 1799 he accompanied the Helder Expedition , and was present at the actions of 27 August , 10 September , and 2 and 6 October . On 19 December he was gazetted lieutenant and captain in the 1st Regiment of Footguards ( now the Grenadier Guards ) , obtained the rank of Major on 1 January 1805 , embarked with the 1st brigade of guards for Sicily in 1806 , and returned to England in September , 1807 . On 28 January 1808 he became a lieutenant - colonel in the army , and was appointed Inspecting Field Officer of Militia in North America . He embarked for Canada in July 1808 , was gazetted into the 1st Royals on 18 December , and returned to England in August 1809 . Napoleonic wars . On 29 March 1810 he exchanged into the 95th Rifles and with the glories of that distinguished regiment his name was henceforth linked . He was appointed to the command of the 3rd battalion , which had lately been raised , and on 11 July 1810 he embarked with the headquarters and two companies in the frigate HMS Mercury , and landed on the 29th at Cadiz , which was then besieged by Marshal Victor . He commanded his battalion at the Battle of Barrosa , where he was wounded twice , once severely ; was present at the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz , and at the battles of Salamanca and Vittoria . Soon after the capture of Badajos he was transferred to the 1st battalion . He obtained the rank of colonel on 4 June 1813 ; was at the storming of San Sebastián , at the passage of the Nivelle , where he was again severely wounded — shot through the lung — and at the battles of Orthez and Toulouse . In July , 1813 we find him a Knight Commander of the Bath . On 16 February 1814 Sir Andrew Barnard was appointed to the command of the 2nd brigade ( the 52nd and 1st Battalion 95th ) of the celebrated light division . For his services in Spain and Portugal he received a gold cross and four clasps . On the resumption of hostilities against Napoleon in 1815 , Sir Andrew embarked with six companies of the 1st battalion of the 95th at Dover on 25 April , landed at Ostend on the 27th , and arrived at Brussels on 12 May . He was present at battle of Quatre Bras , and was slightly wounded at Waterloo . For his services in this campaign he was awarded the Russian order of St . George and the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa . The Duke of Wellington had so high an opinion of his services that , on the capitulation of Paris , he appointed him commandant of the British division occupying the French capital . Honours . In 1821 King George IV appointed him a groom of the bedchamber , and on 13 June 1828 promoted him equerry to His Majesty . On 4 June 1830 he was gazetted one of three ‘ commissioners for affixing His Majesty ' s signature to instruments requiring the same ’ ( " London Gazette " , 4 June 1830 ) . On the accession of William IV he became clerk - marshal in the royal household , and for many years , until the death of her majesty , he was clerk - marshal to Queen Adelaide . Sir Andrew became a major - general on 12 August 1819 , and on 25 August 1822 Colonel of the Rifle Brigade . He was gazetted a lieutenant - general on 10 January 1837 . On 26 November 1849 the Duke of Wellington appointed him lieutenant - governor of Chelsea Hospital , and on 11 November 1851 he obtained the full rank of general . He had the honorary dignity of M . A . conferred on him by the university of Cambridge in 1842 , and was a governor of the Royal Academy of Music , of which institution he was one of the early promoters . He was nominated Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic order in 1819 and a grand cross in 1833 , and a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath in 1840 . Death . He died at Chelsea on 17 January 1855 . Prior to the funeral those of the pensioners who had served under him in the Peninsula obtained permission to see his remains . After they had left the room it was found that the coffin was covered with laurel leaves , for each man , unobserved , had brought in one and laid it on the body of his venerated chief .