AMHERST, JEFFREY AMHERST, BARON British field-marshal, served in Germany and the Low Countries as aide-de-camp to Gen. (Lord) Ligonier, and was present at Dettingen, Fontenoy and Roucoux. He then served on Cumber land's staff, and took part with the duke in the later campaigns of the Austrian Succession war, in the battle of Val, and the North German campaign of 1757, including the battle of Hasten beck. In 1758 William Pitt gave Amherst command of an expedi tion to attack the French in North America.
The first victory of the expedition, the capture of Louisburg (July 26 1758), was followed by other successes, and Amherst was given the chief command of all the forces in the theatre of war. In the campaign of 17 59 Amherst's own share was the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, while Ft. Niagara fell to another column, and Quebec was taken by Wolfe. In 176o a concentric march on Montreal was carried out with complete success. Amherst was immediately appointed governor-general of British North America. His conduct of the operations against the Indians under Pontiac was, however, far from being as successful as his generalship against regular troops; and he re turned to England in 1763.
He was created a peer in 1776, was promoted to the rank of general in 1778, and aided in suppressing the Gordon Riots of 1780. For the rest of his active life, with a short interval in 1782-83, he was commander-in-chief. In 1796 Lord Amherst, who had retired from the Horse Guards in was made field marshal; and he died Aug. 31 1797 at "Montreal," his residence in Kent. Amherst college (q.v.) was named in his honour.