Background
John Le Marchant was born at Amiens on February 9, 1766. He was the son of an officer of dragoons, John Le Marchant, a member of an old Guernsey family.
John Le Marchant was born at Amiens on February 9, 1766. He was the son of an officer of dragoons, John Le Marchant, a member of an old Guernsey family.
After a somewhat wild youth, Le Marchant, who entered the army in 1781, attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1797. Two years before this he had designed a new cavalry sword; and in 1801 his scheme for establishing at High Wycombe and Great Marlow schools for the military instruction of officers was sanctioned by Parliament, and a grant of £30, 000 was voted for the royal military college, " the two original departments being afterwards combined and removed to Sandhurst. Le Marchant himself was given, the command of a cavalry brigade in 1810, and greatly distinguished himself in several actions, being killed at the battle of Salamanca on the 22nd of July 1812, after the charge of his brigade had had an important share in the English victory.
Le Marchant was responsible for a considerable improvement in the practical abilities of the British army on campaign. His sword exercise undoubtedly augmented the combat capabilities of the British cavalry. The military college produced many able staff officers, collectively known as "Wycombites, " who went on to serve in important staff positions in the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign. He also introduced the idea that officers should be formally trained in their duties rather than having to pick up the rudiments of their profession on active service. He wrote several treatises on cavalry tactics and other military subjects, most published semi-anonymously (the ones adopted as army regulations were not officially ascribed to a single author). These included Rules and Regulations of the Sword Exercise and The Duties of Officers on the Outpost. His treatise An Outline of the General Staff of the Army was presented to the Duke of York in 1802. Its recommendations were not taken up in their entirety, but several of his suggestions were, such as the setting up of a "Staff Corps"; such a corps played an invaluable role in the functioning of the British Army during the Peninsular War.
Sir Denis Le Marchant, 1st Baronet was a British barrister, civil servant, writer and Whig politician.
John Le Marchant was a British Army officer and governor of Newfoundland.
