STRATHNAIRN, HUGH HENRY ROSE, 1ST BARON (1801-1885), British field-marshal, third son of the Right Hon. Sir George Henry Rose of Sandhills, Christchurch, Hants., min ister plenipotentiary at the Prussian court, was born at Berlin on April 6, 1801. He was educated at Berlin, and received mili tary instruction at the cadet school. He entered the army in 1820, and received rapid promotion. As a major in the 92nd High landers he was employed in maintaining order in Ireland in 1830. He then served in the Mediterranean. In 1840 Rose, now a lieutenant-colonel, was selected, with other officers and detach ments of Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, for special service in Syria under the orders of the foreign office. They were to co-operate on shore, under Brigadier-General Michell, R.A.—in conjunction with the Turkish troofs—with the British fleet on the coast, for the expulsion of Mohammed Ali's Egyptian army from Syria. Sir Stratford Canning sent Rose from Constantinople on a diplomatic mission to Ibrahim Pasha, commanding the Egyptian army in Syria, and after its execution he was attached, as deputy adjutant-general, to the staff of Omar Pasha, who landed at Jaffa with a large Turkish force from the British fleet. Rose distinguished himself in several engagements, and received many honours. Shortly after he succeeded to the command of the British detachment in Syria with the local rank of colonel, and in April 1841 he was appointed British consul-general for Syria. For seven years, amidst political complications and intrigues, Rose, by his energy and force of character, did much to arrest the horrors of civil war, to prevent the feuds between the Maronites and Druses coming to a head, and to administer justice impar tially; and he saved many Christians from massacre.
In 1848 he left Syria on leave, and did not return, as Lord Palmerston appointed him secretary of embassy at Constantinople in January 1851. In 1852 he was chargé d'affaires in the absence of Sir Stratford Canning during the crisis of the question of the "holy places." During the Crimean War Rose was the British commissioner at the headquarters of the French army, with the local rank of brigadier-general. For his services he received the medal with three clasps and the thanks of parliament, was pro moted to be major-general, and was made K.C.B. and commander of the Legion of Honour. On the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny in 1857 Rose was given command of the Poona division. He arrived in September, and took command of the Central India. force. In January 1858 he marched from Mhow, captured Rath garh after a short siege, and defeated the raja of Banpur near Barodia in the same month. He then relieved Saugor, captured
Garhakota and the fort of Barodia, and early in March defeated the rebels in the Madanpur Pass and captured Madanpur and Chanderi. He arrived before Jhansi on March 20, and during its investment defeated a relieving force under Tantia Topi at the Betwa on April first. Most of Rose's force was locked up in the investment, and to Tantia Topi's army of 20,000 he could only oppose 1,500 men; yet with this small force he routed the enemy with a loss of 1,500 men and all their stores. Jhansi was stormed and the greater part of the city taken on the 3rd, and the rest the following day, and the fort occupied on the 5th. Kunch was captured, after severe fighting in a temperature of io° in the shade, on May 7. Under the same conditions the march was made on Kalpi. The rebels attacked his small force, exhausted by hard marching and weakened by sickness, but after a severe fight (May 22) they were utterly routed and Kalpi occupied the follow ing day. Sir Robert Napier (q.v.) had been appointed to succeed him, when news came of the defection of Sindhia's troops and the occupation of Gwalior by Tantia Topi. Rose at once moved on Gwalior by forced marches, and on June 16 won the battle of Morar. Leaving Napier there, he attacked Gwalior on the i9th, when the city was captured. The fortress was stormed and won the following day, and Napier gained a signal victory over the flying enemy at Jaora-Alipur on the 22nd. Rose then made over the command to Napier and returned to Poona. It was to Rose's military genius that the suppression of the Indian Mutiny was largely due; but owing to official jealousy his merit was only tardily recognized. But in June 1860 he succeeded Lord Clyde as commander-in-chief in India. Rose improved the discipline of the army, and his powerful assistance enabled the changes consequent upon the amalgamation of the East India Company's army with the Queen's army to be carried out without friction.
Rose held the Irish command from 1865 until 1870, and by a good organization and disposition of the troops under his com mand in 1866 and 1867 he enabled the Irish government to deal successfully with the Fenian conspiracy. He was promoted general in 1867, and field marshal in 1877. He died in Paris on Oct. 16, 1885, and was buried in the graveyard of the Priory Church, Christchurch, Hants. An equestrian statue by E. Onslow Ford, was erected to his memory at Knightsbridge, London.
See Sir Owen Tudor Burne, Clyde and Strathnairn, "Rulers of India Series" (1891).