FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB, PC (30 September 1788 – 28 June 1855), known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British Army officer. When a junior officer, he served in the Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign, latterly as military secretary to the Duke of Wellington. He also took part in politics as Tory Member of Parliament for Truro, before becoming Master-General of the Ordnance.
The Right Honourable The Lord Raglan | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | FitzRoy James Henry Somerset |
| Born | 30 September 1788 Badminton, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 28 June 1855 (aged 66) Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian Empire |
| Buried | St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1804–1855 |
| Rank | Field marshal |
| Commands held | Master-General of the Ordnance British troops in the Crimea |
| Battles/wars | Napoleonic Wars
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| Awards |
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| Spouse(s) |
Lady Emily Wellesley-Pole
(m. 1814) |
| Signature | |
He became commander of the British troops sent to the Crimea in 1854: his primary objective was to defend Constantinople, and he was also ordered to besiege the Russian port of Sevastopol. After an early success at the Battle of the Alma, a failure to deliver orders with sufficient clarity caused the fateful Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava. Despite further success at the Battle of Inkerman, a poorly coordinated allied assault on Sevastopol in June 1855 was a complete failure. Raglan died later that month, after having dysentery and depression.