Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 56.djvu/112

Thackwell  Memories, &c., 1898, pp. 105-10; Bayard Taylor's Life and Letters, 1884, pp. 308, 315, 321, 333, and B. Taylor in Atlantic Monthly for March 1864; 'Theodore Taylor's' (pseudonym of J. C. Hotten) Thackeray the Humorist, 1864; Vizetelly's Glances back through Seventy Years, 1893, i. 128, 235, 249-52, 281-96, ii. 105-10; Lester Wallack's Memories of Fifty Years, 1889, pp. 162-6; Yates's Recollections, chap, ix.]

 THACKWELL, JOSEPH (1781–1859), lieutenant-general, born on 1 Feb. 1781, was fourth son of John Thackwell, J.P., of Rye Court and Moreton Court, Worcestershire, by Judith, daughter of J. Duffy. He was commissioned as cornet in the Worcester fencible cavalry on 16 June 1798, became lieutenant in September 1799, and served with it in Ireland till it was disbanded in 1800. On 23 April 1800 he obtained a commission in the 15th light dragoons, and became lieutenant on 13 June 1801. He was placed on half-pay in 1802, but was brought back to the regiment on its augmentation in April 1804, and became captain on 9 April 1807. The 15th, converted into hussars in 1806, formed part of Lord Paget's hussar brigade in 1807, and was sent to the Peninsula in 1808. It played the principal part in the brilliant cavalry affair at Sahagun, and helped to cover the retreat to Coruña. After some years at home it went back to the Peninsula in 1813. It formed part of the hussar brigade attached to Graham's corps [see ], and at the passage of the Esla, on 31 May, Thackwell commanded the leading squadron which surprised a French cavalry picket and took thirty prisoners. He took part in the battle of Vittoria and in the subsequent pursuit, in the battle of the Pyrenees at the end of July, and in the blockade of Pampeluna. He was also present at Orthes, Tarbes, and Toulouse. On 1 March 1814, after passing the Adour, he was in command of the leading squadron of his regiment, and had a creditable encounter with the French light cavalry, on account of which he was recommended for a brevet majority by Sir Stapleton Cotton. He served with the 15th in the campaign of 1815. It belonged to Grant's brigade [see ], which was on the right of the line at Waterloo. Its share in the battle has been described by Thackwell himself (, Waterloo Letters, pp. 124–128, 141–3). After several engagements with the French cavalry, it suffered severely in charging a square of infantry towards the end of the day. Thackwell had two horses shot under him and lost his left arm. He obtained his majority in the regiment on that day, and on 21 June 1817 he was made brevet lieutenant-colonel, as he had not benefited by Cotton's recommendation. He succeeded to the command of the 15th on 15 June 1820, and after holding this command for twelve years, and having served thirty-two years in the regiment, he was placed on half-pay on 16 March 1832. He was made K.H. in February 1834.

On 10 Jan. 1837 he became colonel in the army, and on 19 May he obtained, by exchange, command of the 3rd (king's own) light dragoons. He went with that regiment to India, but soon left it to assume command of the cavalry of the army of the Indus in the Afghan campaign of 1838–9. He was present at the siege and capture of Ghazni, and he commanded the second column of that part of the army which returned to India from Cabul in the autumn of 1839. He was made C.B. in July 1838, and K.C.B. on 20 Dec. 1839. He commanded the cavalry division of Sir Hugh Gough's army in the short campaign against the Marathas of Gwalior at the end of 1843, and was mentioned in Gough's despatch after the battle of Maharajpur (London Gazette, 8 March 1844). In the first Sikh war he was again in command of the cavalry at Sobraon (10 Feb. 1846), and led it in file over the intrenchments on the right, doing work (as Gough said) usually left to infantry and artillery. He was promoted major-general on 9 Nov. 1846.

When the second Sikh war began he was appointed to the command of the third division of infantry; but on the death of Brigadier Cureton in the action at Ramnagar, on 22 Nov. 1848, he was transferred to the cavalry division. After Ramnagar the Sikhs crossed to the right bank of the Chinab. To enable his own army to follow them, Gough sent a force of about eight thousand men under Thackwell to pass the river higher up, and help to dislodge the Sikhs from their position by moving on their left flank and rear. Thackwell found the nearer fords impracticable, but crossed at Vazirabad, and on the morning of 3 Dec. encamped near Sadulapur. He had orders not to attack till he was joined by an additional brigade; but he was himself attacked towards midday by about half the Sikh army. The Sikhs drove the British pickets out of three villages and some large plantations of sugar-cane, and so secured for themselves a strong position. They kept up a heavy fire of artillery till sunset, and made some feeble attempts to turn the British flanks, but there was very little fighting at close quarters. In the course of the afternoon Thackwell received authority to attack