Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 43.djvu/445

 line, the naval barracks and college for naval engineers at Keyham, the alterations of Greenwich Hospital to fit it for a naval college, and the extension of Chatham and Portsmouth dockyards. He was an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and in 1874 he was elected associate member of the council of the institution for the ensuing year.

Pasley retired from the army on 27 Aug. 1881, with the honorary rank of major-general, and from the post of director of works at the admiralty in September 1882. He died at his house at Bedford Park, Chiswick, on 11 Nov. 1890.

Pasley married at Hampton, Middlesex, on 29 March 1864, his cousin Charlotte Roberts, who survived him. There was no issue of the marriage.



PASLEY, CHARLES WILLIAM (1780–1861), general, colonel-commandant royal engineers, was born at Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire, on 8 Sept. 1780, and was educated by Andrew Little of Langholm. He progressed so rapidly with his studies that at the age of eight he could read the Greek testament. At twelve years of age he wrote a history of the wars between the boys on either side of the Esk, the Langholmers, and the Mucklemholmers, and translated it into Latin in imitation of the style of Livy. He also wrote a poem upon Langholm Common Riding, which brought some profit to the publisher. In 1794 he was sent to school at Selkirk with some of his cousins, the Malcolms—Sir James, Sir John, Sir Pulteney, and Sir Charles Malcolm, who, with another cousin, Sir James Little, and Pasley, were styled in later life the six knights of Eskdale. In August 1796 he joined the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, and on 1 Dec. 1797 obtained a commission as second lieutenant in the royal artillery. He was transferred to the royal engineers on 1 April 1798, and on 28 Aug. 1799 he was promoted 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. In 1804 he was sent by General Villettes from Malta to communicate with Lord Nelson. He was promoted second captain on 1 March 1805. In 1806 he served under the Prince of Hesse in the defence of Gaeta against the French, and under Sir John Stuart at the battle of Maida in Calabria on 4 July. Pasley took part in the siege of Copenhagen under Lord Cathcart in 1807. He was promoted first captain on 18 Nov. 1807. He joined Major-general Leith at Oviedo in the north of Spain in September 1808. He was employed to reconnoitre the Asturian frontier, and then to communicate with General Blake at Reynosa in November. He left Soto on the 15th of that month at night as the French entered it.

After joining Crawford's brigade he was retained on the 18th by Sir [q. v.] as an extra aide-de-camp in consequence of his general attainments and knowledge of the Spanish language. On the 25th he joined Sir John Moore's staff in a similar capacity, and was with him during the retreat upon and at the battle of Coruña. He lent his horse during the retreat to a lame soldier to carry him to Villafranca, and he had to perform on foot, and for part of the time with only one shoe, some fatiguing marches.

Pasley accompanied the expedition to Walcheren, and was employed in reconnoitring the coasts of Cadsand and Walcheren under the fire of the enemy's batteries. He was present at the siege of Flushing in 1809. At his own suggestion he led a storming party, consisting of the first company of the 36th regiment, the first company of the 71st regiment, the German picket, and a party of artillery under Colonel Pack, in the middle of the night of 14 Aug., to obtain possession and spike the guns of a French battery on the dyke. They succeeded in spiking the guns and taking fifty prisoners; but Pasley was wounded, first by a bayonet in the thigh, and then, after reaching the top of the dyke, by a shot through the body fired by a French soldier from below. The bullet injured his spine, and he was invalided for a year. He employed his leisure in learning German. Pasley received the silver war medal for his services, and a pension for his wounds.

In November 1810 Pasley published the first edition of his ‘Essay on the Military Policy and Institutions of the British Empire.’ It attracted great attention and ran through four editions; the second was published in March 1811, the third in October of the same year, and the fourth in November 1812. It was favourably noticed (by Canning, as was supposed) in the ‘Quarterly Review’ of May 1811, the reviewer stating that it was one of the most important political works that had fallen under his notice. While in command of the Plymouth company of the royal military artificers in 1811,