branch death_date allegiance awards battles birth_date rank article_title name
23px british army 16 september 1855 united kingdom united kingdom knight commander of the order of the bath peninsular war 30 june 1784 lieutenant-general george thomas napier
 sir george napier
george thomas napier

lieutenant-general sir george thomas napier kcb -lrb- 30 june 1784 -- 16 september 1855 -rrb- entered the british army in 1800 , and served with distinction under sir john moore and the duke wellington in the peninsula -- and lost his right arm at the storming of ciudad rodrigo , where , as a major in the 52nd foot , he led the light division 's storming party .
he became major-general in 1837 , kcb in 1838 and lieutenant-general in 1846 .
he was governor and commander-in-chief of the army in the cape colony from 1839 to 1843 , during which time the abolition of slavery and the expulsion of the boers from natal were the chief events .
he was offered , but declined , the chief command in india after the battle of chillianwalla , and also that of the sardinian army in 1849 .
he became full general in 1854 .
he died at geneva , switzerland on 16 september 1855 , aged 71 .
his autobiography , `` passages in the early military life of general sir g.t. napier '' , was published by his surviving son , general william craig emilius napier -lrb- the author of an important work on outpost duty -rrb- in 1885 .
the town of napier , western cape , is named for sir george thomas napier as is napier house at fairbairn college , goodwood , cape town .
