Military Career
As Robert Craufurd's aide-de-camp during 1809 and 1810, Shaw was on the staff of the Light Division at the Coa and the Agueda, and, with William Campbell, prepared and edited the Standing Orders of the Light Division (printed in Home's Précis of Modern Tactics, pp. 257–277). He was wounded at Almeida in 1810, but rejoined Craufurd at the end of 1811 and was with his chief at the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812. At the great assault of 19 January, Shaw carried his general, mortally wounded, from the crest of the glacis and later conveyed Wellington's summons to surrender to the French governor. At Badajoz, now once more with the 43rd, he displayed, at the lesser breach, a gallantry which furnished his brother officer William Napier with the theme of one of his most glorious descriptive passages.
At the siege and the Battle of Salamanca, in the retreat from Burgos, Shaw, still a subaltern, distinguished himself and in July 1812 was promoted to Captain. At the end of the year he had to return to England due to ill health. In April 1813, Shaw joined the senior department of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He returned to active service and at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815 he was assistant quartermaster-general with the 3rd division of Charles Alten. The 3rd division, during the late afternoon of 18 June, had to defend its position against repeated French cavalry charges and Shaw was struck in the side and out of action for a period. During the battle one of his horse's was killed and another wounded under him. Shaw, by his reconnoitring skill and tactical judgment, was of the greatest assistance to Alten and to Wellington, who promoted him Brevet Major in July, and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in January 1819.
During the occupation of France by the allied army, Shaw was commandant of Calais from 1815 to 1818, and on his return to England, was employed as a staff officer in the north. In this capacity, he was called upon to deal with the Manchester riots of 1819.
Read more about this topic: James Shaw Kennedy
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