Brent Spencer (soldier)

General Sir Brent Spencer (1760-1828) served in the British army during the Wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars and was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's second-in-command twice during the Peninsular War.

French Revolution

Spencer fought with distinction in the West Indies in 1779-1782 and 1790-1794. As a brigadier-general he participated in the unsuccessful 1797 Santo Domingo campaign against Toussaint Louverture. In 1799, he led the 40th Foot in the Helder campaign at the battles of Bergen and Castricum.

In 1801, Spencer served with General Sir Ralph Abercromby's army in Egypt at the Battle of Alexandria. He fought in the Copenhagen campaign in late 1807.

The Peninsula

At the Battle of Vimeiro in 1808, Spencer was Wellesley's second-in-command. He was knighted in 1809. He commanded the 1st Division at the Battle of Bussaco and in the 1810-1811 French invasion of Portugal. At the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro in 1811, Spencer, now a lieutenant-general, temporarily led both the 1st and 3rd Divisions.

Later that year, he was replaced by Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch because of pessimistic letters which he had sent back to England. In 1825, Spencer was promoted to full general. Wellington wrote of Spencer, "He was exceedingly puzzle headed. He would talk of the Thames for the Tagus."

References

* Chandler, David. "Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars." Macmillan, 1979.
* Glover, Michael. "The Peninsular War 1807-1814." Penguin, 1974.