Allegiance United Kingdom Died April 18, 1868 Years of service 1811–1855 Service/branch British Army | Name James Simpson Rank General Role British Army officer | |
Commands held 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot
South-West District
British Troops in the Crimea Battles/wars Peninsular War
Crimean War Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France)
Knight Grand Cross of the Military Order of Savoy (Sardinia)
Order of the Medjidie, First Class (Ottoman Empire) Battles and wars Peninsular War, Crimean War Similar People FitzRoy Somerset - 1st Baron, Francois Certain Canrobert, Pavel Nakhimov, Omar Pasha, Aimable Pelissier | ||
General Sir James Simpson GCB (1792 – 18 April 1868) was a British Army officer of the 19th century. He commanded the British troops in the Crimea from June to November 1855, following the death of Field Marshal Lord Raglan.
Military career
Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Simpson was commissioned into the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards on 3 April 1811. He served with his regiment during the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign, and then commanded the 29th Regiment of Foot in Mauritius and Bengal.
In 1839 Simpson married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Dundas, 1st Baronet of Beechwood. She died in 1840. Promoted to major general on 11 November 1851, he became General Officer Commanding the South-West District that same month.
In February 1855 he was sent out to the Crimea to act as chief of staff to the army commander Lord Raglan. Raglan died on 28 June, and Simpson reluctantly took command of the army. He resigned on 10 November, and was succeeded by Sir William Codrington.