Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 59.djvu/416

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Warren
410
Warren

the Griqua and Baralong chiefs and Robert Moffat's mission station near Kuraman. Extracts from his journals were printed in the ‘Royal Engineers Journal’ in June and July 1884. His notes and sketches were made use of by his son, Lieutenant-colonel (afterwards Sir) Charles Warren of the royal engineers, when reporting on the Bechuana and the Griqua territories fifty years later, in 1876.

Warren married in 1830, and, with his wife, embarked for India. He served at Fort St. George, Madras, until the end of 1831, when he marched to Tunamalli and Bellary in command of a wing of the regiment. He commanded the 55th (Colonel Mill of that regiment being in command of the column, until a few days before he was killed) in the expedition against the raja of Kurg in April 1834, led an assault and captured the stockade of Kissenhally, and was engaged in the attack on the stockade of Soamwapettah, where he was severely wounded. He was promoted to be major on 21 Nov. 1834, sent to Vellore in 1835, to Sikandarabad in 1836, and returned to England with his family in 1838.

On 26 June 1841 Warren sailed for China in command of a detachment, and arrived at Hongkong in November. He embarked for the Yang-tse-kiang in June 1842, and when his lieutenant-colonel, (afterwards Sir) James Holmes Schœdde, succeeded to the command of the brigade, he commanded the regiment at the assault and capture, on 21 July, of Ching-kiang-foo (where he was personally engaged with three Tartars, whom he killed, and was himself severely wounded), and continued to command it until its return to England. Warren was favourably mentioned in Schœdde's despatch of 21 July 1842 to Sir Hugh Gough. For his services he was promoted to be brevet lieutenant-colonel on 23 Dec. 1842, and the following day was made a companion of the order of the Bath, military division. He also received the war medal. In October 1842 he moved to Chusan, which was held by the British as a material guarantee until the indemnity was paid, and he returned to England in August 1844.

Warren was promoted to be regimental lieutenant-colonel to command the 55th regiment on 25 Nov. 1845, and served with it in Ireland during the disturbances in 1846–7. In March 1851 he accompanied it to Gibraltar, where he served until May 1854, when he took it to Turkey and the Crimea. He commanded the regiment, which formed part of the 1st brigade, 2nd division, at the affair of Bouljanak on 19 Sept., and on the following day at the battle of the Alma, where he received two contused wounds. He was mentioned in despatches (see Kinglake, ii. 302). He was also at the repulse of the sortie from Sebastopol on 26 Oct. He commanded the 1st brigade, 2nd division, at the battle of Inkerman on 5 Nov., and maintained the position of the division, which was attacked at the beginning of the day, until the whole of the Russians were driven off the field (see Kinglake, vol. v.). He was slightly wounded at first, and later severely so in pursuing the Russians. He was mentioned in Lord Raglan's despatch of 11 Nov. 1854 as wounded ‘while leading his men with his usual conspicuous bravery;’ and Sir De Lacy Evans, in a letter of 11 Feb. 1855, wrote: ‘His conduct under my command has been distinguished on every occasion by efficiency, constant exertion, and marked gallantry.’

He was sent to Scutari and then on sick leave, until he was sufficiently recovered to return to the Crimea on 12 July 1855; on the 30th he resumed command of the 1st brigade, 2nd division, and served continuously in the trenches until the fall of Sebastopol. He was slightly wounded at the attack on the Redan on 8 Sept. He was mentioned in despatches by General (afterwards Sir) James Simpson [q. v.] (3 Feb. 1856). In February 1856 he was given the command of an independent brigade, composed of the 11th hussars, the siege-train, and four battalions of infantry, which he held until June, and in July he returned to England. For his Crimean services he received the medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, the reward for distinguished military service, the fourth class of the legion of honour, the third class of the Medjidie, and the Turkish and Sardinian medals.

On 8 Aug. 1856 he was appointed to command a brigade at Malta with the temporary rank of major-general. On 26 Oct. 1858 he was promoted to be major-general on the establishment of the army. He remained at Malta for five years, and, in the absence of the governor, acted for some time as governor and commander of the forces. He was made a knight commander of the order of the Bath, military division, on 19 April 1865. He died at Monkstown, near Dublin, on 27 Oct. 1866.

Warren had a natural turn for science and mathematics. His memory was so good that he could retain in his mind all the figures of a long calculation, and could correct and alter those figures at will. He was also a good draughtsman. He occupied his leisure time during the later years of his life in perfecting an instrument which he had invented