NAPIER, Sir CHARLES JAMES, G.C.B., English gen., one of several brothers distin guished for their bravery, three of whom—Charles, William, and Geo•ge—were known in the peninsular war as "Wellington's colonels." They were sons, by a second mar riage, of hon. col. George Napier, grandson of Francis, fifth lord Napier, who was fifth in descent, but through two females in succession, from the inventor of Logarithms. Charles. the eldest, was born at Whitehall, Westminster, Aug. 10. 1762. Before he had finished his twelfth year, young Napier received a commission in the 22d Foot. His first service was in Ireland, where he assisted in putting down the rebellion lie com manded the 50th Foot during the retreat on Corunna; and at the fatal battle in which sir J. Moore fell, he was wounded in five places and made prisoner. Marshal Ney dis missed him, with permission to go to England on parole. On his return. he engaged in literary works, and even wrote an historical romance. In 1811, he returned to the pen insula. At Coa, where he fought as a volunteer, he had two horses shot under him. At Busaco, he was shot in the face, having his jaw broken and his eye injured. He recov ered in time to be present at the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro and the second seige of Bada joz. After distinguishing himself in innumerable skirmishes. the daring soldier returned to England. He next took part in a fighting cruise off the Chesapeake, capturing American vessels, and making frequent descents upon the coasts. He did not return to Europe soon enough for Waterloo, but was engaged in the storming of Camoray, and accompanied the army to Paris. After the peace he was, in 1818, made governor of the island of Cephalonia, the affairs of which he administered with great energy and intelli ge?ce, Being, however, of an excessively combative disposition, he became embroiled with the authorities at home. In 1841 he was ordered to India to assume the command of the army at Bombay. This was the most splendid period of his career, resulting in the conquest of Scinde against terrible odds. His destruction of a fortification called Emann Ghia in 1843, was described by the duke of Wellington as one of the most remarkable military feats he had ever heard of. The fearful battle of Meane followed, where .Napier, with 1600 English and sepoys, defeated near 30,000 Belooebees, strongly posted, with the loss of 6,000 men. The Ameers surrendered, except Shore Mahemed. Avho brought 25,000 men into line of battle at Hydrabad. Napier had only 5,000 men. but in
three hours his little army gained a decisive victory. A few days afterwards, Napier was in the palace of the Ameers, and master of Sciatic. He was fortunate in possessing the entire confidence of lord EllenboroUgh, who made him governor .of Scinde. His civil administration was scarcely less' remarkable or less successful than his military operations. lie gained the respect and reverence of the inhabitants, but soon became engaged in an acrimonious war of dispatches with the directors. In 1847, he returned to England. After attending a series of festivals in his honor, he lived in retirement until the disasters of the last Sikh war caused the eves of his countrymen to be turned to the hero of Sciade as the deliverer of our Indian empire. He went to India, but found on his arrival that the Sikhs had routed. He now turned his attention, as commander-in-chief of the army in Irsia, to the subject of military reform. He bade a final adieu to the cast in 1851, and -eturned to his native country, where he resided until his death, which took place at hls seat, at Oaklands, near Portsmouth, Aug. 29, 1853. He had then attained the rank of lieut.gen., was G.C.B., and col. of the 22d Foot. It must be remembered to his 'senor that he was the first English gen. who ever recorded in his dispatches the names of private soldiers who had distinguished themselves, side by side with those of officers. Brave to rashness, ready alike with tongue, pen, and sword, quarrelsome with his superiors, but beloved by his soldiers, and, to crown all, of a strangely wild yet noble and striking appearance, Napier was one of the most remarkable men or ins time, and in losing him the country lost one of its brighest mili tary ornaments. His statue.was, after his death, erected in Trafalgar square. The story of his Conquest of Scinde has been written by his brother, lieut.gen. sir WILLIAM FRANCIS Pk [RICE NAPIER, K.C.B., born Dec. 17, 1785, who served iu the peninsular campaign_ and was engaged from 1824 to 1840 in preparing his History of the Peninsular War, the greatest military history in the English language. He died Feb. 12, 1860, at Stintle house, Clapliman, and was followed in a few weeks to the tomb by his wife, lady Napier, niece of the great C. J. Fox. Her extraordinary skill in translating French doc uments written in cypher, and her indefatigable labors as her husband's amanuensis, are touchingly commemorated in the preface to the edition of the History of the Peninsular War, published in 1851.