Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/245

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Rose
239
Rose

stormed it. He was killed, but Gwáliár was won. Sindia returned to his capital in triumph the following day. Napier gained a signal victory at Gáora-Álipúr over four thousand of the fugitive rebels on the 22nd. A royal salute was ordered to be fired at every principal station in India in celebration of the victory.

After the recapture of Gwáliár Rose made over the command of the Central India field force to Napier, and on 29 June 1858 proceeded to Bombay, and assumed command of the Puná division. For his eminent services he was gazetted a G.C.B. on 3 July, and regimental colonel of the 45th foot on the 20th of the same month. He was entertained at a banquet at the Byculla Club on 3 Aug. The thanks of both houses of parliament were voted on 14 April 1859 to Rose and the Central India field force, when highly eulogistic speeches were made in reference to Rose by Lord Derby and the Duke of Cambridge in the House of Lords, and by Lords Stanley and Palmerston in the House of Commons. It cannot, however, be said that the Central India field force was particularly well treated. They were not allowed to receive a silver medal with six months' batta, which Sindia was desirous to give them; they were only allowed the one clasp to the war medal given to all troops employed in Central India, and they were prevented from sharing the Central Indian prize-money by a legal quibble, after protracted litigation—a loss to Rose of about 30,000l.

On 28 Feb. 1860 Rose was promoted lieutenant-general, and on 29 March 1860 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Bombay army, in succession to Sir Henry Somerset. On 4 June following, on Lord Clyde's departure from India, he was appointed to succeed him as commander-in-chief in India, with the local rank of general. During the five years of his administration he improved the discipline of the army, and on the occasion of a mutinous spirit showing itself in the 5th European regiment, when a court-martial convicted a private of insubordination and sentenced him to death, Rose approved the sentence, which was carried out, and disbanded the regiment. He introduced a system of regimental workshops and soldiers' gardens in cantonments, which proved very beneficial. One of the most trying and difficult duties which fell to him as commander-in-chief in India was the amalgamation of the queen's and company's forces. He was on terms of intimate friendship with the viceroy, Lord Canning, who shared his views [see Canning, Charles John], so that notwithstanding differences of opinion with the home government, the changes were ultimately carried out without friction. On 26 July 1860 Rose issued a general order, informing the army that, with a view to promoting its efficiency and rewarding meritorious officers, he intended to confer the appointments in his gift solely on officers of tried merit or of good promise, and he laid down that all applications for appointments must come through the applicant's commanding officer, who would report fully on the merits and antecedents of the applicant. At his inspections he personally examined officers of all ranks practically in tactical, and if possible, strategical movements; the results were noted by his staff, and these notes were consulted on all occasions when rewards or promotion were proposed. He was very severe on neglect of duty, and recommended the removal of two brigadier-generals from their commands for having omitted to visit the hospitals during an outbreak of cholera, a recommendation which was at once given effect to by the government of India, and approved by the home government. Rose was made a K.C.S.I. in 1861, and G.C.S.I. on the enlargement of the order in 1866.

Rose's tenure of the command in India terminated on 31 March 1865, when he returned to England. He was made a D.C.L. of Oxford on 21 June, and appointed one of her Majesty's commissioners for the lieutenancy of the city of London. On 1 July 1865 he was given the command of the forces in Ireland. On 25 June 1866 he was transferred to the colonelcy of the 92nd foot, and on 28 July he was raised to the peerage as Baron Strathnairn of Strathnairn and Jánsi. In November he was appointed president of the army transport committee. On 4 Feb. 1867 he was promoted general. During 1866 and 1867 he was confronted with the fenian conspiracy. By a good organisation and disposition of the troops under his command, and acting in complete accord with the Irish government, he succeeded in keeping the country under control, and preventing the conspiracy from growing into a rebellion. On 3 March 1869 Rose was gazetted regimental colonel of the royal horse-guards, which carries with it the office of gold stick. On completing five years in the Irish command, he relinquished the appointment on 30 June 1870. He was made an honorary LL.D. of Dublin on 6 July. He had some large estates in Hertfordshire, but he lived generally at 52 Berkeley Square, London, during the remainder of his life, and was prominent in London society. He was pro-