Charles Leigh (British Army officer)

Educated at Eton College, Leigh was commissioned into the 3rd Regiment of Guards on 12 March 1764.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4igBAAAAQAAJ&q=%22Charles+Leigh%22+&pg=PA63|title=Royal Military Calendar|page=63|year=1815|last1=Philippart|first1=John}} He took part in the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, the Battle of White Plains in October 1776 and the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. He went on to command the flank battalion of guards at the Siege of Valenciennes in June 1793 and the Siege of Dunkirk in August 1793 during the Flanders Campaign.

Leigh raised the 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) in September 1793.{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/082-793.htm |title=82nd (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers) Regiment of Foot |publisher=regiments.org |accessdate=30 August 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060519075725/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/082-793.htm |archivedate=19 May 2006 }} He went on to be Commander-in-Chief of Saint Kitts in 1795{{cite book|title=Antigua and the Antiguans: a Full Account of the Colony and Its Inhabitants|url=https://archive.org/details/antiguaandantig00lanagoog|quote=Charles Leigh St Kitts.|page=[https://archive.org/details/antiguaandantig00lanagoog/page/n150 124]|publisher=Saunders and Otley|year=1844|first=Mrs|last=Flannigan}} and, having been promoted to full general on 25 September 1803,Haydn's Book of Dignities (1851) [https://archive.org/details/bookdignitiesco00haydgoog/page/n343 p. 320]. he became Commander-in-Chief of Martinique in September 1805. He also served as Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Wight from 1812{{London Gazette|issue=16561|page=68|date=11 January 1812}} to 1815.{{cite web|url=http://www.churchmonumentssociety.org/Monument%20of%20the%20Month%20Archive/2015-08.html|title=The monuments to Charles Leigh and Frances Longe|publisher=Church Monuments Society|accessdate=26 February 2017}}

Leigh served as colonel of the 82nd (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers) Regiment of Foot from 1793 to 1797, colonel of the 20th (the East Devonshire) Regiment of Foot from 1797 to 1809{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/020-1.htm |title=Lancashire Fusiliers |publisher=Regiments.org |accessdate=4 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060103005840/http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/020-1.htm |archivedate=3 January 2006 }} and colonel of the 3rd (the East Kent) Regiment of Foot from 1809 to 1815.{{cite web|url=http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20reports/BUFFS%20DATES.pdf|title=The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)|publisher=Kent Fallen|accessdate=30 December 2015}}

His son, Lt-Col George Leigh, married Augusta Byron, the half-sister of the poet Lord Byron.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lord-Byron-poet|title=Lord Byron|publisher=Britannica|access-date=16 December 2024}}

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{{s-ttl | title=Colonel of the 3rd (the East Kent) Regiment of Foot | years=1809–1815}}

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Category:British Army generals

Category:People educated at Eton College

Category:1815 deaths

Category:1748 births