Henry Watson Powell
Encyclopedia
General Henry Watson Powell (1733-14 July 1814) was a British officer during the Seven Years' War
and American Revolutionary War
.
Powell was born in England in 1733. He commissioned as a Lieutenant
on 10 March 1753, with the 46th Regiment of Foot
. He was promoted to Captain on 2 September 1756 and given command of the 2nd battalion
, 11th Regiment of Foot. That unit was renamed the 64th Regiment of Foot
and served in the Seven Years' War in the French West Indies in 1759. Captain Powell also deployed with his regiment to the Americas in 1768.
On 2 June 1770, Powell was promoted to Major
in the 38th Regiment of Foot. A year later, on 23 July 1771, Powell was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
and given command of the 53rd Regiment of Foot.
In 1776, Powell came to Canada with the 53rd Regiment of Foot
. On 10 June 1776, Sir Guy Carleton
appointed Powell as a brigadier-general and placed him in command of the 2nd Brigade. Powell participated in the 1777 Saratoga campaign
. With the 53rd Regiment and the Brunswick Prinz Friedrich Regiment, he successfully defended Fort Ticonderoga
and Mount Independence
from American attacks in 1777, declaring "The Garrison invested to my charge, I shall defend to the last." Weeks after General Burgoyne's
surrender, however, BG Powell abandoned Fort Ticonderoga and returned to Canada. He also held commands at Montreal
, Fort Niagara
, and Quebec
during the course of the war.
In 1780, while stationed at Quebec, Powell bought an estate which would later be named Spencer Wood, the Quebec Government House
He returned to England following the war. He was promoted to Lieutenant-General on 3 May 1796 and full General on 1 January 1801. He died in 1814 at Lyme
, England.
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
and American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Powell was born in England in 1733. He commissioned as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 10 March 1753, with the 46th Regiment of Foot
46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881.-History:...
. He was promoted to Captain on 2 September 1756 and given command of the 2nd battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 11th Regiment of Foot. That unit was renamed the 64th Regiment of Foot
64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 64th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was created as the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Foot in 1756, redesignated as the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1758, and took a county title as the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1782...
and served in the Seven Years' War in the French West Indies in 1759. Captain Powell also deployed with his regiment to the Americas in 1768.
On 2 June 1770, Powell was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the 38th Regiment of Foot. A year later, on 23 July 1771, Powell was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and given command of the 53rd Regiment of Foot.
In 1776, Powell came to Canada with the 53rd Regiment of Foot
53rd Regiment of Foot
The 53rd Regiment of Foot was a British Army regiment founded in 1755. In 1881, as part of the Childers Reforms, it became The King's Shropshire Light Infantry Regiment. Its traditions are currently held by the 3rd battalion of The Light Infantry....
. On 10 June 1776, Sir Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
appointed Powell as a brigadier-general and placed him in command of the 2nd Brigade. Powell participated in the 1777 Saratoga campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
. With the 53rd Regiment and the Brunswick Prinz Friedrich Regiment, he successfully defended Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
and Mount Independence
Mount Independence
Mount Independence is a high hill on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain, in the northeastern United States.It is a Vermont State Historic Site and was the site of Fort Independence, an American revolutionary war fortification built opposite Fort Ticonderoga...
from American attacks in 1777, declaring "The Garrison invested to my charge, I shall defend to the last." Weeks after General Burgoyne's
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
surrender, however, BG Powell abandoned Fort Ticonderoga and returned to Canada. He also held commands at Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
, and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
during the course of the war.
In 1780, while stationed at Quebec, Powell bought an estate which would later be named Spencer Wood, the Quebec Government House
Government House (Quebec)
Quebec's Government House, known as Spencerwood, was the Vice regal residence of Quebec. It was built in 1854. Located at the Bois-de-Coulonge park, it was purchased by the Quebec Government in 1870 and served as the residence of Quebec Lieutenant-Governors until 1966 when a major fire destroyed...
He returned to England following the war. He was promoted to Lieutenant-General on 3 May 1796 and full General on 1 January 1801. He died in 1814 at Lyme
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, England.