HAVELOCK, SIR HENRY (1795-1857), British soldier, one of the heroes of the Indian Mutiny, the second of four brothers (all of whom entered the army), was born at Ford Hall, Bishop-Wearmouth, Sunderland, on April 5, 1795, the son of a wealthy shipbuilder. Educated at Charterhouse school, he entered the Middle Temple in 1813, studying under Chitty, the eminent special pleader. But in 1815 he took a commission in the Rifle Brigade (95th), procured for him by the interest of his brother William. In 1823, having exchanged into the 21 st and thence into the 13th Light Infantry, he followed his brothers William and Charles to India, first qualifying himself in Hin dustani under Dr. Gilchrist, a celebrated Orientalist.
At the close of 23 years' service he was still a lieutenant, and it was not until 1838 that, after three years' adjutancy of his regiment, he became captain. Before this, however, he had held several staff appointments, notably that of deputy assistant ad jutant-general of the forces in Burma till the peace of Yandabu, of which he, with Lumsden and Knox, procured the ratifications at Ava from the "Golden Foot," who bestowed on him the "gold leaf" insignia of Burmese nobility. In 1828 he published at Serampore Campaigns in Ava, and in 1829 he married Hannah Shepherd, daughter of Dr. Marshman. About the same time he became a Baptist, being baptized by John Mack at Serampore. During the first Afghan war he was present as aide-de-camp to Sir Willoughby Cotton at the capture of Ghazni, on July 23, 1839, and at the occupation of Kabul. After a short absence in Bengal to secure the publication of his Memoirs of the Afghan Campaign, he returned to Kabul in charge of recruits, and became interpreter to General Elphinstone. In 184o, being attached to Sir Robert Sale's force, he took part in the Khurd-Kabul fight, in the celebrated passage of the defiles of the Ghilzais (1841) and in the fighting from Tezeen to Jalalabad. Here, after many months' siege, his column in a sortie en masse defeated Akbar Khan on April 7, 1842. He was now made deputy adjutant general of the infantry division in Kabul, and in September he assisted at Jagdalak, at Tezeen, and at the release of the British prisoners at Kabul, besides taking a prominent part at Istaliff. He also served in the Mahratta and Sikh campaigns of 1843 and 1845. After two years spent in England he became quartermaster-general, then full colonel, and lastly adjutant general of the troops in India.
In 1857 he was selected by Sir James Outram to command a division in the Persian campaign. Peace with Persia set him free just as the Mutiny broke out; and he commanded a column "to quell disturbances in Allahabad, to support Lawrence at Lucknow and Wheeler at Cawnpore, to disperse and utterly destroy all mutineers and insurgents." At this time Lady Canning wrote of him in her diary : "General Havelock is not in fashion, but all the same we believe that he will do well. No doubt he is fussy and tiresome, but his little old stiff figure looks as active and fit for use as if he were made of steel." Havelock proved himself the man for the occasion. At Fatehpur, on July 12, at Aong and Pandoobridge on the 15th, at Cawnpore on the i6th, at Unao on the 29th, at Busherutgunge on the 29th and again on Aug. 5, at Boorhya on Aug. 12, and at Bithur on the i6th he defeated overwhelming forces. Twice he advanced for the relief of Luck now, but twice prudence forbade a reckless exposure of troops wasted by battle and disease in the almost impracticable task. Reinforcements arriving at last under Outram, he crowned his successes on Sept. 25, 1857 by the capture of Lucknow. There he died on Nov. 24, 1857, of dysentery, brought on by the anxieties and fatigues connected with his victorious march and with the subsequent blockade of the British troops. He received a K.C.B. Other honours, a major-generalship and a baronetcy, he did not live to receive ; they were conferred on his heir.
See J. C. Marshman, Life of Havelock (186o) ; A. Forbes, Havelock (English Men of Action Series, 1890) ; F. M. Holmes, Four Heroes of India (1892) ; G. B. Smith, Heroes of the Nineteenth Century (1901) ; L. J. Trotter, The Bayard of India (19o3).