Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 38.djvu/372

   MOORE, JOHN (1761–1809), lieutenant-general, born in Glasgow 13 Nov. 1761, was third, but eldest surviving, son of Dr. John Moore (1729–1802) [q. v.], author of 'Zeluco.' Sir Graham Moore and James Carrick Moore, both noticed separately, were his younger brothers. John was sent to the high school, Glasgow, where Thomas (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro [q. v.] was his schoolfellow. At the age of ten he was taken abroad by his father, who was medical attendant to Douglas Hamilton, eighth duke of Hamilton, a weakly youth travelling for health. He spent the next five years on the continent, partly at school at Geneva, partly travelling with his father in France, Germany, and Italy. 'He really is a pretty youth,' his father wrote from Geneva in September 1774; 'he dances, rides, and fences with unusual address; he draws tolerably, speaks and writes French admirably, and has a very good notion of geography, arithmetic, and practical geometry. He is always operating in the field, and showing me how Geneva can be taken' (Life, vol. i.) Later, he was with his father at Brunswick, learning the Prussian exercise from a drill-sergeant, who taught him 'to load and charge thirty times in the hour' (ib.) At the age of fifteen he obtained an ensigncy in the 51st foot, on 2 March 1776, and joined that corps at Minorca. On the formation of the old 82nd or Hamilton regiment (a lowland corps, wearing black facings, raised at the private cost of the Duke of Hamilton), Moore was appointed captain-lieutenant in it, 10 Jan. 1778. He served with the headquarters of the regiment in Nova Scotia, under Brigadier-general Francis Maclean, throughout the American war [see under, colonel]. Moore was with, a party of two hundred of his regiment and the old 74th highlanders, which established a post on the Penobscot river. They were attacked in August 1779 by an American force from Boston, when Moore, who was on picket, was cut off with his party and nearly taken. The American force was beaten and destroyed by Admiral Sir George Collier [q. v.]

The Hamilton regiment was disbanded at the peace of 1783, and Moore, who had succeeded to a company, was placed on half-pay. In 1784,through the Hamilton interest, he was returned to parliament for the Linlithgow, Selkirk, Lanark, and Peebles group of burghs, which he represented till the dissolution of 1790, voting quite independently of party, but generally supporting Pitt. He appears to have paid great attention to his parliamentary duties as well as his military studies. On 23 Nov. 1785 he was brought on full pay into the old 100th foot, and purchased a majority the same day in the old 102nd foot, which was disbanded immediately afterwards. In September 1787 two additional battalions were added to the 60th royal Americans (since the 60th royal rifles), and on 16 Jan. 1788 Moore was brought into the new 4th battalion at Chatham, from which he exchanged immediately afterwards to his old corps, the 51st, in Ireland. The 51st is said to have been in a very bad state. Moore was too good a soldier to set himself in opposition to the commanding officer when he found his suggestions were unwelcome, but on succeeding to the lieutenant-colonelcy, 30 Nov. 1790, at the time of the Spanish armament, he set to work hard to bring the corps into shape. He spoke with pride of the conduct of the regiment, which consisted of about four hundred young soldiers, when embarking at Cork for Gibraltar, 8 March 1792. The men were not confined to barracks, but were told to be present and sober in the morning. Most of them returned to quarters at 9 P.M., and every man was present and sober when parading for embarkation at seven the next morning (ib.} The regiment remained at Gibraltar until December 1793, when it embarked, together with the 50th, as a reinforcement for Toulon, where Major-general David Dundas [q.v.] had just succeeded to the command. On arrival they found the English army had been withdrawn, and was with Lord Hood's fleet off Hyères.

Gilbert Elliot, afterwards first Earl of Minto [q. v.], Moore, and Major George Frederick Koehler [q.v.] were despatched to Corsica to interview General Paoli and report on the practicability of reducing the French garrisons in the island. Lord Minto has left a lively account of the visit (Life and Letters} vol. ii.) A descent was decided on. Moore was engaged in the attack on Martello Bay, and commanded the troops that stormed Convention redoubt on Fornelli Heights, which he entered at the head of the grenadiers of the Royals. The garrison, old French troops of the line, fought stubbornly, and the affair is said to have been one of those rare occasions on which bayonets were fairly crossed. In May 1794 Lieutenant-general the Hon. Sir Charles Stuart, K.B., brother of the Marquis of Bute, succeeded to the command in Corsica, and placed Moore at the head of the reserve of grenadiers. Bastia capitulated 