62 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



infantry that he was promoted to be lieutenant-colonel of the 82nd 

 Eegiment. When peace was restored he spent much time in France 

 and Germany studying foreign systems of tactics and drill, and became 

 such a recognized authority on these matters that he was frequently 

 consulted by Sir David Dundas, while preparing his famous manual 

 known as the '' Eighteen Manœuvres," which was first adopted in 

 Craig's own regiment, the 16th Foot. He acted as Adjutant-General 

 of the Duke of York's army during its inglorious campaign in the 

 Netherlands in 1794. In the following year he became a major-general, 

 and commanded the small land force which invaded the Dutch Colony 

 of the Cape of Good Hope, won ^'^e battle of Muysenburg and drove the 

 enemy into their entrenched camp, which they surrendered on the 

 arrival of the British reinforcements. In recognition of these services- 

 he was knighted and placed in command of the Benares District in 

 India. WMle there, he was designated for the command of an expedi- 

 tion against the Philippine Islands, which was not carried into effect. 

 When selected as commander of the picked force destined for special 

 service in the Mediterranean in 1805, he was universally considered as 

 one of the ablest generals in the British army, and his conduct while in 

 Sicily and Naples was uniformly characterized by coolness, firmness and 

 judgment, but he was compelled to return to England by ill health 

 about a year later, and had not since been actively employed. 



In person, he was short, but so remarkably broad-shouldered and 

 muscular that a friend aptly described him as "a pocket Hercules." 

 His face was remarkably white and his regular clear-cut features seemed 

 carved in ivory, illuminated, however, by large lustrous dark eyes. 

 Habituated to command by more than forty years of military life, his 

 manner was curi, peremptory' and rather pompous. Higlily esteemed and 

 respected by those who knew him well, he lacked the faculty of winning 

 wide popularity, and his political views and acts judged by the standard 

 of to-day unquestionably seem illiberal and autocratic.^ His familiarity 

 wjith the French language and personal knowledge of Canada and its 

 people were considered additional qualifications for the post, but un- 

 happily he was then suffering from a painful disease which rendered 

 him peevish and irritable, and often incapacitated him from the transac- 

 tion of business altogether. In the conduct of public affairs, he was so 

 thoroughly conscientious and painstaking that he never affixed his signa- 

 ture to any important despatch or other document that he had not dra^vn 

 up or corrected with his own hand.^ 



1 Bunbury. Some passages in the War with France, p. 182. Boothby, 

 Under England's Flag, pages 3-8. 



2 Ryland to Lord IJverpool, 19th August, 1812. 



