Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hill, Dudley St. Leger
HILL, Sir DUDLEY ST. LEGER (1790–1851), major-general, colonel 50th foot, eldest son of Dudley Hill, a gentleman of Welsh descent, by his wife, the daughter of Colonel John Clarges, was born in co. Carlow, Ireland, in 1790. He was appointed ensign in the 82nd foot, 6 Sept. 1804, and exchanged the year after to the 95th rifles (now rifle brigade). As lieutenant he accompanied his battalion to South America in 1806, volunteered for the forlorn hope at Monte Video, and commanded the scaling party that captured the north gate of the city in February 1807. He was wounded and taken prisoner in the subsequent attempt on Buenos Ayres in June. He accompanied his battalion to Portugal in 1808, was present at Roleia, was wounded in the affair at Benevente, and present at Corunna. Returning to Portugal in 1809, he was present at the battle of Talavera, the operations on the Coa, &c. In July 1810 he was promoted to a company in the Royal West India rangers, but remained attached to the 95th until appointed to the Portuguese army. He commanded a wing of the Lusitanian legion at Busaco, September 1810, and a half battalion with some British light companies at Fuentes d'Onoro, May 1811. He commanded the 8th Portuguese caçadores at the storming of Badajoz, April 1812, at the battle of Salamanca in July, and in the Burgos retreat, where his battalion lost half its numbers at the passage of the Carrion, and where he was himself wounded and taken prisoner. He again commanded his battalion at Vittoria, and at the storming of St. Sebastian, September 1813, he headed the attack of the 5th division, and received two wounds. He was also present with it at the repulse of the sortie at Bayonne in 1814. In these campaigns he was seven times wounded. At the peace he returned with the Portuguese army to Portugal, and served there for some years. In 1820 he was holding a divisional command in the Portuguese service (Phillippart). He was made major in the new 95th (Derbyshire) foot in December 1823, from which he exchanged to half-pay in January 1826. In 1834 he was appointed lieutenant-governor of the island of St. Lucia, and took out with him the act of emancipation of the slaves. He returned home on the occasion of his second marriage in 1838; became major-general in 1841, and, after serving on the staff in Ireland, was appointed to a divisional command in Bengal in 1848, which he held at the time of his death.
Hill was made C.B. in 1814, knighted in 1816, and made K.C.B. in 1848. He had the Portuguese orders of the Tower and Sword, and St. Bento d'Avis, the latter conferred in 1839, and also four Portuguese medals. He was presented with a sword and two valuable pieces of plate by his native county. He was appointed to the colonelcy of the 50th foot in 1849. He died at Umballa, Bengal, on 21 Feb. 1851.
Hill married, first, the third daughter of Robert Hunter of Kew, Surrey, by whom he had six children; and secondly, on 23 June 1838, Mary, widow of Mark Davies, of Turnwood, Dorsetshire.
[Army Lists; Philippart's Royal Military Cal. 1820, iv. 475; Cope's Hist. of the Rifle Brigade; Gent. Mag. 1851, i. 552.]