Henry Brackenbury

General Sir Henry Brackenbury, (1 September 1837 – 20 April 1914) was a British Army officer who was assistant to Garnet Wolseley in the 1870s and became part of his 'Ring' of loyal officers. He also wrote several books of military history and memoirs.

Life and career Henry Brackenbury was born in Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire on 1 September 1837 and was a younger brother of Charles Booth Brackenbury. He was the son of William Brackenbury (1789-1844) and Maria Atkinson (1795-1870). Henry was educated at Tonbridge School and Eton, then at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

He was appointed Director-General of Ordnance in 1899, and as such was responsible for army ordnance (including the reserves of arms, ammunitions, clothing and other equipment) throughout the Second Boer War, which took place in South Africa from October 1899 to June 1902. For his service during the war, he was promoted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the April 1901 South African War honours list.

Towards the end of his career Brackenbury was a patron of Robertson and helped arrange his appointment to do intelligence work at the War Office.

Brackenbury retired in 1904 and was made a Privy Councillor. His married first in 1861 Emilia Halswell (who died in 1905, when they had long been separated), and secondly in 1905 Edith Desanges.

Order of the Star of India Knight Commander, KCSI 1896 for service as Member of Council in India

Publications The Last Campaign of Hanover, 1870 The Tactics of the Three Arms, 1873 Narrative of the Ashantee War (2 vol.) 1874 The River Column, 1885 Some Memories of My Spare Time, 1909