Military Career
He was the second son of Henry Calveley Cotton of Woodcote, Oxfordshire, England, and his wife Matilda, daughter and heiress of John Lockwood of Dews Hall, Essex.
He joined the British Army in 1810 as a Cornet in the 22nd Light Dragoons. He served extensively in Australia (1835–42) and India (1810-35 & 1842-1863, including service throughout the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58).
For his frontier services Cotton was made KCB and after returning to England he was appointed Lieutenant-General in 1866 and GCB in 1872. In 1868 in London he had published "Nine Years on the North-West Frontier of India, from 1854 to 1863".
He was Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1872 until 1874.
He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.
Mount Cotton, Queensland is named after him.
Read more about this topic: Sydney Cotton
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