Arthur Brooke

Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Brooke, KCB (1772 – 26 July 1843) was a British Army officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812.

Early life

Arthur Brooke was the third son of Francis Brooke of Colebrooke, County Fermanagh. He was the younger brother of Sir Henry Brooke, who was created a baronet in 1822, and the nephew of Sir Arthur Brooke, who was also created a baronet in 1764.

Military career He entered the Army as an ensign in the 44th Regiment of Foot in 1792, at the commencement of the French Revolutionary Wars and served with this regiment throughout them, and the succeeding Napoleonic Wars, until the conclusion of the general peace in 1815. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1793, serving with the 44th Foot in Lord Moira's division in Flanders in 1794 and 1795. He was promoted to captain in 1795, serving with Sir Ralph Abercromby's army in the reduction of the West Indies, where his regiment remained until 1798. He was present throughout the Egyptian campaign of 1801. He was promoted to major in 1802 and lieutenant-colonel in 1804 and commanded the 44th in Malta from 1804 to 1812.

In 1813 he was promoted to colonel, and accompanied Lord William Bentinck to the east coast of Spain. Brooke, as senior colonel, took command of his regiment's brigade and distinguished himself in every action against Louis-Gabriel Suchet, and particularly at the Battle of Ordal.

War of 1812 At the conclusion of the war with Napoleon in 1814, Brooke was gazetted a Companion of the Bath and ordered to march regiments from Bentinck's army across the south of France to Bordeaux, in order to embark at that port for an expedition against the United States of America, which was still at war with Britain since June 1812, in the War of 1812. The force embarked consisted of the three battalions of the 44th, 85th and 21st Foot, commanded by Lieutenant Colonels Brooke, William Thornton and William Paterson respectively. The Chesapeake Bay campaign expedition was under the general command of Major-General Robert Ross and the naval command on the North American Station with Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn.

Sailing up the Patuxent River on the south-western shore of the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland, in August 1814, and landing at Benedict, the force proceeded overland through Prince George's County to the Eastern Branch of the Potomac River, (now known as the Anacostia River) to the small bridge crossing there. In the Battle of Bladensburg, victory was secured by the flank movement of Brooke's brigade.

The fleet sailed southward, and was joined at sea by a battalion of the 93rd, five companies of the 95th, and by Major-General John Keane, who superseded Brooke, after delivering to him a most eulogistic despatch from the commander-in-chief. Brooke's troops captured Fort Bowyer on 12 February 1815.

Later life At the close of the war, Brooke returned to England and in 1822 was rewarded by being made governor of Yarmouth.