"THANK GOD! THEN I WILL BE AT THEM WITH THE BAYONET" was Field Marshal Hugh Gough's response whenever he was told the ammunition of his artillery was almost exhausted. Gough had an illustrious career that spanned 55 years, covered 4 continents and expanded the Empire.

The Anglo-Irish soldier was born in 1779 at Annacotty in Ireland to a military family. He was commissioned into the Limerick militia at 14 and would transfer to the 78th Highlanders. It was with this regiment he took part in the capture of the Cape colony in 1795

After this successful occupation he transferred to the 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers where he has then sent to the West Indies in 1797 and took part in the expedition to seize Dutch Guiana, he would not return to England till early 1801. He was quickly promoted to Captain then Major

It on his return to England that set about finding wife, which he did in 1807. He married Ms Frances Stephens who had dreamt that she would marry a man of the 87th, and upon their first meeting it was clearly a perfect match.

The couple was soon parted as Gough was to be dispatched to fight under Lord Wellington in the Peninsula war to guarantee the freedom of Portugal and liberate Spain from Napoleon's iron grip. He departed in 1808 and would experience his first taste of total war

He fought and was wounded at Talavera, and his regiment had the distinction of capturing an Imperial Eagle at Barrosa. He led from the front and as a result was heavily wounded on multiple occasions, particularly at the Battle of Nivelle.

These experiences demonstrated to him at least that in order to properly defeat an enemy you must overwhelm them with a frontal attack

Upon the end of the war he returned to Ireland and decided to take a prolonged leave of absence from active military service, instead focusing on his family and becoming heavily involved in the local community in Tipperary, he embraced Irish life.

But as with all military men he grew restless and began seeking action. He was rewarded with command of the Mysore division of the Madras army in 1837 and relocated his family to Bangalore. In 1839 war with China was imminent and he was giving the task of subjugating them

Gough masterfully commanded the complex land invasion of China delivering a quick and complete victory. However, the rapid success may have clouded his judgement to the suitability of charging the enemy down, and his obsession with the advance would undermine later on

He was instrumental in the creation of the treaty of Nanking, but even contemporary sources show the war was contentious with Gladstone being an ardent opponent of the war. Gough was more occupied with the matter of prize money, and the debate around the legality of the war

Had delayed the distribution of loot to his men. For the General it was quite simple his men had either fought a war and deserved their pay, or they hadn't and they were simply criminals.

He said "If we were not at war with China, there is not a man in Europe more richly deserving of hanging than myself. If we were at war I will fearlessly assert no army ever better merited reward". He very much believed wars should be waged with proper cause

After China he returned to India in 1842 and was made commander-in-chief where he would be most active in pushing the boundaries of Empire. After another swift victory at Gwalior in 1843 he would face the most dangerous opponent the British would fight in India, the Sikh Khalsa

Ranjit Singh had created one of the most formidable armies in the world with the Khalsa, 80,000 fanatical soldiers, tens of thousands of cavalry and an artillery arm that would rival most European states. It was all done under the watchful eye of former French Napoleonic officeds

Gough however longed to cross the Sultej fight the Sikh Empire as he wanted to succeed at the barrier that not even Alexander the Great could overcome. Many people think Rome inspired the British colonial elite, when in reality these great men sought to emulate Alexander

One classically minded officer on Gough staff composed this couplet that captures the mood perfectly

Sabres drawn and Bayonets fixed,
Fight where fought Alexander.
Old Paddy Gough's a cross betwixt,
Bulldog and Salamander

Gough waged war as he had always done ordering his men to charge the enemy front and destroy them, but he was always where the fighting was most dangerous as he put it "I never ask the soldier to expose himself where I do not personally lead".

The men of the British army rose to the occasion and always charged the enemy, no matter strength of the fortifications, no matter the odds. This was essential in the victory at Sobraon where the army had to scale 12ft ramparts lined with 200 small cannon held by 20,000 Sikhs

The way in which marched to oblivion terrified the Sikhs, Hookum Singh compared them to demons. Gough always explained his eagerness to run the enemy down by saying "fighting ignites my Irish blood".

The war was short but costly lasting only 4 months, with thousands hard to replace European troops being killed or maimed. Hostilities broke out soon again when the Sikhs rose up against the British in 1848. The Second Anglo-Sikh war would prove to be Gough undoing.

He had been heavily criticised for his almost disasterous conduct of the war, perhaps unfairly as he had merely fought the Sikhs in the same way he fought the Chinese. However, at Chillianwala he would suffer his first defeat at the hands of the Sikhs and incur London's wrath

At this battle the British army was rolled back at the cost of 2,500 casualties, with 1000 being British. Gough did not make proper use of his artillery and was beaten by a Sikh counter charge forcing a British withdrawal.

The decision was made to replace Gough with Charles Napier, but before this could happen Gough defeated the Sikhs at Goojerat ending the war. The battle was a masterful display if 19th century warfare with their being excellent integration of artillery fire and infantry maneuver

It can be assumed that wanting to save his reputation he engaged the enemy in a cautious way ensuring the horse artillery kept up constant fire on the Sikhs to cover the infantry advance

With the Sikhs defeated he returned to England and was give a peerage, but he felt embittered by the failure of Wellington and Hardinge to defend him from the press. He left the army and lived out the rest of his days in Dublin, dying at home at the 89 in 1869.

"In honour of Field Marshal Hugh Viscount Gough, an illustrious Irishman, whose achievements in the Peninsular War, in China, and in India, have added lustre to the military glory of his country"

@Peter_Nimitz @Irkutyanin1