December 7th , 1785
General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier KCB (7 December 1785 – 12 February 1860) was a British soldier in the British Army and a military historian.
Sir William Napier, the British Army officer and military historian, was born on December 17, 1785, in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. His wife, Lady Sarah Lennox (1745–1826). He is best known for his role in the Peninsular War and his subsequent work documenting the history of that conflict.
Napier served as an officer in the British Army and participated in various campaigns, most notably during the Peninsular War (1808–1785), which was part of the Napoleonic Wars. He became an ensign in the Royal Irish Artillery in 1800, but at once exchanged into the 62nd, and was put on half-pay in 1802.
He was afterwards made a cornet in the Royal Horse Guards by the influence of his uncle the duke of Richmond, and for the first time did actual military duty in this regiment, but he soon fell in with Sir John Moore’s suggestion that he should exchange into the 52nd, which was about to be trained at Shorncliffe Army Camp. Through Sir John Moore he soon obtained a company in the 43rd, joined that regiment at Shorncliffe and became a great favourite with Moore.
Historian
His experiences during the war provided the foundation for his acclaimed multi-volume work, “History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France, from the Year 1807 to the Year 1814.”
Napier’s historical account is known for its vivid and dramatic narrative style, and it remains an important source for understanding the events of the Peninsular War. His work earned him recognition as a military historian, and he was later knighted for his contributions. Sir William Napier passed away on February 12, 1860.
