author
Sir Harry George Wakelyn Smith
1788–1860
A bold and controversial British soldier, he fought through the Napoleonic Wars, won fame at the Battle of Aliwal, and later governed the Cape Colony in South Africa. His life links battlefield drama, imperial politics, and the turbulent expansion of British power in the 19th century.
1 Audiobook
The Autobiography of Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith, Baronet of Aliwal on the Sutlej, G.C.B.
by Sir Harry George Wakelyn Smith
About the author
Born in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, in 1787, Sir Harry Smith entered the British Army as a young man and built his reputation in some of the era's biggest conflicts. He served in South America and then in the Peninsular War against Napoleon, becoming known for energy, bravery, and a gift for dramatic action.
Smith later went on to India, where his victory at the Battle of Aliwal in 1846 became the high point of his military career and helped earn him a baronetcy. He is also remembered for his marriage to Juana María de los Dolores de León, often known as Lady Smith, whom he met during the Peninsular War and who became a well-known figure in her own right.
As governor of the Cape Colony and high commissioner in southern Africa from 1847 to 1852, he played an important part in the region's colonial history. That period made him a significant but debated figure: admired by some as a forceful imperial officer, and criticized by others for his role in frontier expansion and British rule.