XX 



its labours. Still, even in this life, lie anticipated, in great measure, 

 the reward which is given to those that follow after true knowledge, 

 and strive to guide others in the right way. 



General Sir CHARLES WILLIAM PASLEY, K.C.B., of the Royal 

 Engineers, was born at Eskdale-Muir, Dumfries, on the 8th of Sep- 

 tember 1 780. In his early years he displayed the impetuosity and 

 high courage which distinguished him in after life, as well as the 

 perseverance, ability, and liberality for which he became no less re- 

 markable. 



Having received a solid preliminary education in Scotland, he 

 joined the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in August 1796, 

 and obtained a commission in the Royal Artillery on the 1st of 

 December, 1 797. He was transferred to the Royal Engineers on the 

 1st of April 1798, and on the 2nd of August 1799 he was gazetted 

 as first Lieutenant in that corps. 



Between 1799 and 1807 he served in Minorca, Malta, Naples, 

 and Sicily, and was employed on various important services and 

 confidential missions. He was sent by General Villettes to commu- 

 nicate with Lord Nelson in 1804; and after having been promoted to 

 the rank of second captain on the 1st of March 1805, he served under 

 the Prince of Hesse-Philippsthal in the defence of Gaeta against the 

 French in 1806, and under Sir John Stuart at the battle of Maida 

 (in Calabria) in the same year. The experience of that battle con- 

 firmed the strong opinion which he had always maintained in oppo- 

 sition at that time to many in the British army that the English 

 generals would beat the French marshals as soon as they got a chance 

 of doing so. 



Captain Pasley took part in the siege of Copenhagen under Lord 

 Cathcart in 1807, and joined Major-General Leith at Oviedo in the 

 north of Spain in September 1808. He was employed to recon- 

 noitre the Asturian frontier, and then to communicate with General 

 Blake at Reynosa in November, and he left Soto on the 15th of that 

 month at night as the French entered it. After joining Colonel 

 Robert Crawford's Brigade, he was retained by Sir David Baird as his 

 extra aide-de-camp, in consequence of his general attainments and 

 knowledge of the Spanish language. He soon after joined Sir John 

 Moore's staff in a similar capacity, and was attached to it during the 



