Moore, Sir John (1761-1809), Lieutenant-General
It is inevitable, but unjust, that the name of Sir John Moore should be popularly associated with the dismal retreat to Corunna, the disintegration of a British army, and a lonely death and burial. The tragic ending came after a career of enormous distinction; Moore was greatly admired and respected by his contemporaries, and his finest legacy was the great contribution to final victory over Napoleon (q.v) made by the British light infantry arm which he created.
Moore was born in Glasgow on 13 November 1761, and educated locally until the age of ten. His father was the personal physician of the eighth Duke of Hamilton, whose feeble health made extensive travelling in Europe necessary. The young Moore accompanied his father and his father's patient all over the Continent for five years; he benefited greatly from the experience, becoming a most accomplished young man. At the age of fifteen, in March 1776, he entered the 51st Foot as an ensign, joining his regiment on Minorca. In January 1778 he transferred to the newly-raised 82nd Foot and served with the regimental headquarters as a junior officer throughout the War of American Independence. He saw some action, in particular a fierce combat on the Penobscot river in August 1779. As a company commander he went on half pay when the regiment was disbanded in 1783, and entered Parliament as member for the Linlithgow Boroughs in 1784. Unlike many members he took a keen interest in his parliamentary duties, generally but not invariably supporting Pitt. Between 1785 and 1787 he served with the 100th Foot; and in January 1788 he served briefly with the new 4th Battalion of the 60th (Royal American) at Chatham. Soon afterwards he moved onto his old unit, the 51st, then in Ireland. They were apparently in a poor state, but he succeeded to the lieutenant-colonelcy in November 1790 and applied himself to improving the regiment. He had achieved considerable results by the time the unit was shipped to Gibraltar, where they served in 1792-3.