Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 51.djvu/355

Shakespear had already effected their own release, but Shakespear, meeting them on the 17th at the foot of the Kalu pass, was of assistance in escorting them through the disturbed country until, on the 20th, they met Sir Robert Sale coming up in support with a brigade. Shakespear arrived at Kabul with the captives on 22 Sept. (ib. 6 Dec. 1842). On 12 Oct. he accompanied Pollock on his return march to India. Meeting with little opposition, he reached Peshawar on 12 Nov. and crossed the Satlaj by the bridge of boats at Firozpur on 19 Dec., when the army was received by the viceroy and commander-in-chief with every demonstration of honour. Shakespear received the war medal with clasp for Kabul.

On 28 March 1843 Shakespear was appointed deputy commissioner of Sagar. He was promoted to be brevet captain on 12 June of the same year. In October he was transferred to Gwalior as assistant to Lieutenant-colonel Sleeman, political agent for affairs in Scindia's dominions, and took part in the war against the Mahratta forces, which was needed to establish the government at Gwalior on a firm foundation. He was aide-de-camp to Sir Hugh (afterwards Lord) Gough at the battle of Maharajpur on 29 Dec. 1843, and received the best thanks of the commander-in-chief of the army in his despatch of 4 Jan. 1844 (ib. 8 March 1845), as well as the war medal. After this he was employed in getting possession of Gwalior fort and in disbanding the Darbar troops. On return to civil duties he remained in political charge of Gwalior until June 1848. During this time it was not found necessary to employ the contingent on active service. On 1 May 1846 he was promoted to be regimental captain.

In 1848 sickness compelled Shakespear to go to the hills on leave; but, on the outbreak of the second Sikh war, he returned to military duty on 20 Oct. Joining at Firozpur the army of the Panjab, under Sir Hugh Gough, he was present at the action of Ramnagar on 22 Nov. On 1 Dec. he received promotion to a brevet majority for his previous services. On 3 Dec. he was in the action of Sadulapur or passage of the Chenab, and on 13 Jan. 1849 he commanded his battery of six heavy guns at the battle of Chillianwalla, and was mentioned in despatches (ib. 3 and 7 March 1849). At the battle of Gujerat on 21 Feb. 1849, Shakespear again commanded his heavy-gun battery. The battle opened with a three hours' artillery cannonade by the British at a range of 1,500 yards and at the rate of forty rounds per gun per hour. Lord Gough pronounced this cannonade to be the most magnificent he had ever witnessed and terrible in its effects. After the cannonade the artillery advanced with extraordinary celerity, taking up successive forward positions and steadily driving the enemy back. Shakespear was wounded, and was obliged to return to the hills upon sick certificate. He was thanked in despatches for his exertions (ib. 19 April 1849). He received the war medal with two clasps, one for Chillianwalla and the other for Gujerat, and on 7 June he was promoted to be brevet lieutenant-colonel for his services.

Shakespear returned to civil employment at Gwalior towards the end of 1849. In 1851 he was transferred to the political agency at Jodpur. He was gazetted to be resident at Nipal in 1853, but did not take up the appointment, as it did not actually become vacant. He was promoted to be brevet colonel in the army on 28 Nov. 1854. In 1857 he was appointed resident at Baroda, and, in February 1858, political commissioner of the district, and received acting command of the northern division of the Bombay army, in addition to his political duties, with the rank of brigadier-general. He was promoted to be regimental lieutenant-colonel on 27 Aug. 1858.

In July 1859 Shakespear became agent to the governor-general for Central India, residing at Indur. He conducted that year the negotiations with the Begums of Bhopal and installed Sikander Begum as rani of Bhopal. For his tact in extricating the government from an embarrassing position, he was highly commended by the governor-general in council in a despatch dated 31 Dec. He was made a companion of the Bath, civil division, in 1860, and later in the same year (30 Dec.) Lord Canning, in a despatch to the home government, expressed his high appreciation of Shakespear's conduct of the negotiations with Scindia. Scindia had been induced to concede territory to the maharaja of Gwalior in acknowledgment of the latter's services to the government during the mutiny. Scindia also consented to receive a subsidiary force composed of troops of the line in lieu of the contingent. Shakespear had accepted the post of chief commissioner of Maisur and Kurg, and was preparing to take up the appointment, when he died of bronchitis at Indur on 29 Oct. 1861.

In 1841, when Shakespear was knighted, the only occasion during his whole service on which he visited England, he met his cousin, William Makepeace Thackeray, who, on the announcement of Shakespear's death, paid, in ‘Roundabout Papers’ (‘Letts's Diary’), a tribute to his memory and referred to this