Gen Charles Montauban Carmichael-Smyth, CB

Charles Montauban Carmichael was born on 21 Sep 1790 and educated at Charterhouse. He was the son of Dr James Carmichael Smyth and Mary Holyland. There were 10 children from James and Mary, all with the name Carmichael Smyth except for Charles who dropped the 'Smyth' legally on 17 Aug 1842. He was the 6th child (4th son). The 10th and youngest child was George who also joined the 3rd BLC and succeeded to the command of the regiment in May 1836. Charles married Mary Eliot Graham in March 1841 and they had two daughters and a son. He reached the rank of general and died on 21 Nov 1870.
Charles was commissioned into the 3rd BLC on 21 June 1806, promoted to lieutenant on12 April 1810. He was at the reduction of Kalinjar in 1812, and the battles of Rewah and Alwar in 1813-14. He was adjutant of the 3rd BLC during the 3rd Maharatta War and was at the siege of Hattras in 1817. He was promoted to captain on 27 March 1821 but was on furlough away from India from Dec 1818 to Oct 1822. He was brigade major on the Meywar Field Force against the Bhils in 1823-25 and commanded the 4th Irregular Horse from July 1824 to Oct 1838 in campaigns against the Thugees. He returned to the 3rd BLC on 1 Jan 1839 and commanded them in the First Afghan War of 1839, gaining the Ghuznee medal. He went on furlough on 1 Dec 1840 and returned to India in Nov 1843. And in 1844 furloughed again for 4 years. He was promoted to colonel on 6 Sep 1851 and transferred to the 8th BLC as Colonel of the regiment, although the army list of 1857 remarks that he was on furlough. He was then promoted to major-general on 28 Nov 1854. He was a lieutenant-general on 14 April 1862 and general on 18 Jan 1870. He wrote two books, including A Rough Sketch of the Rise and Progress of the Irregular Horse of the Bengal Army (1854). He died at the Hotel du Louvre, Boulogne on 21 November 1870. His Ghuznee medal was sold for 1,500 pounds at Spink in 2003.