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See also: British general, was a son of the painter Benjamin See also: Wilson (1721-1788), and obtained a commission in the 15th
See also: light dragoons in 1794, taking See also: part in the famous See also: charge at Villers-en-Cauchics
.
He was one of eight See also: officers who received the emperor's See also: commemoration medal (of which only nine were struck), the See also: order of Maria See also: Theresa and the dignity of Freiherr of the See also: Empire
.
In the See also: campaigns of See also: Tourcoing and Tournay and in the retreat through See also: Holland, Wilson repeatedly distinguished himself
.
In 1796 he became captain by
See also: purchase, in 1798 he served as a
brigade-major during the suppression of the Irish See also: Rebellion, and in 1799 was with the 15th in the See also: Helder.expedition
.
Having in 'Soo See also: purchased a majority in a regiment serving in the Mediterranean he was sent on a military See also: mission to Vienna in that See also: year, but returned to take part in the See also: battle of Alexandria
.
In 1802 he published an account of the expedition to See also: Egypt, which was shortly afterwards translated into French, and created a considerable impression by its strictures -upon French officers' barbarity
.
Wilson shortly afterwards produced a See also: translation of General Regnier's See also: work on the same See also: campaign, with comments
.
Shortly afterwards Wilson published a work on the defects of the British army See also: system which is remembered as the first protest against flogging
.
In 1804 he bought the colonelcy of the 19th light dragoons, in 1805 exchanged into the loth, and in 18o6 served with the loth in the Cape of See also: Good Hope expedition
.
In 1807 he was employed as military attache of a mission to the See also: king of Prussia, and so was
See also: present at See also: Eylau, See also: Heilsberg and See also: Friedland, of which battles he published an account in 181o
.
Returning to See also: England with despatches from St See also: Petersburg he reached See also: London before the See also: Russian declaration of war and so gave the See also: admiralty twenty-four See also: hours' start in the operation at See also: sea
.
In the early part of the See also: Peninsular War Wilson raised and commanded the Lusitanian See also: Legion, an irregular Portuguese corps which did good service in 18o8 and 1809 and formed the starting-point of the new Portuguese army organized by See also: Beresford in 181o
.
His services were rewarded by See also: knighthood, a colonelcy in the British army and the Portuguese order of the Tower and Sword
.
In 1811, with the See also: rank of brigadier-general, he went to See also: Turkey, and in 1812 he travelled thence to See also: Russia, where he was attached to Kutuzov's headquarters during the pursuit of the retreating French, being present at Malo-Jaroslavietz, See also: Vyazma and Krasnoye
.
His account of the campaign, published in 186o, is one of the most valuable See also: works on these events
.
He continued to serve with the Russian army during 1813 and distinguished himself at See also: Lutzen and See also: Bautzen, the emperor See also: Alexander decorating him with the knighthood of the St
See also: George order on the battlefield
.
He was promoted major-general in the British army about the same See also: time
.
He was at See also: Dresden, See also: Kulm and See also: Leipzig, and distinguished himself at the last See also: great battle so much that Schwarzenberg writing to the British ambassador at Vienna attributed to Wilson's skill a large part in the successful issue of the battle
.
But his services in the counsels of the See also: Allies were still more important on account of the confidence reposed in him personally by the allied sovereigns
.
But Castlereagh, treating Wilson as a See also: political opponent, removed him to the minor theatre of See also: Italy, in spite of the protests of the British ambassador
.
With the See also: Austrian Army of Italy he served through the campaign of 1814
.
In 1816 after See also: Waterloo he contrived the escape of one of See also: Napoleon's supporters, condemned to See also: death by the Restoration See also: government, and was imprisoned for three months with his comrade in this adventure, Captain Hely-See also: Hutchinson -(3rd See also: earl of Donoughmore), and censured by the See also: commander-in-chief in a general order
.
In 1817 he published The Military and Political Power of Russia, in 1818 he became member of parliament for See also: Southwark and in 1821 he interposed between the See also: mob and the troops on the occasion of See also: Queen See also: Caroline's funeral, for which his political opponents secured his dismissal from the army, without compensation for the price of his commissions
.
He took an active part in politics on the opposition See also: side, and also spent some time in See also: Spain during the See also: wars of 1822-23
.
On the accession ofSee also: William IV., his political services in the formation of the Canning
See also: ministry of 1827 were rewarded by reinstatement in the army with the rank of See also: lieutenant-general
.
But, disapproving of the Reform See also: bill, he resigned his place in the See also: Commons
.
He was promoted general in 184r and appointed governor of See also: Gibraltar in 1842
.
He died in London on the 9th of May 1849
.
Besides the works mentioned above, Wilson See also: left a See also: diary of his travels and experiences in 1812-1814, published in 1861, and an incomplete autobiography, published two years later
.
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