William Lumley - Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

Two years after the rebellion Lumley had recovered from his wounds and led his regiment in General Abercromby's invasion of Egypt in 1801 and helped force the French army there to surrender, although it is not clear which actions he participated in. In 1802 the 22nd Dragoons was disbanded and Lumley moved to the 2nd Regiment of Reserve which he commanded until its disbandment in 1804, when he persuaded over 400 of his men to reenlist. Lumley married Mary Sutherland of Ulverstone in the same year but she died less than three years later. In 1805, Lumley was made a major-general and commanded a brigade stationed in London for a year until volunteering for service in the expedition to South Africa in 1806. Lumley fought at the Battle of Blaauwberg which finalised the British capture of the colony and the following year joined General Whitelocke's force which unilaterally invaded the River Plate.

Lumley was engaged during the Battle of Montevideo when the city was captured but was forced to withdraw with the rest of the army when the assault on Buenos Aires failed. Lumley was not deemed responsible for the operation's failure and in 1808 was attached as commander of the light cavalry brigade in a small British army which landed in Sicily and then invaded Italy under Sir John Stuart. The force captured Ischia but could not hold its gains and withdrew late in 1809.