thomas march april british general best known years service north_america including role military commander early days american revolution born aristocratic family england entered military service seeing action french indian war served alongside future opponent george_washington battle fall montreal named military governor time distinguish militarily proved competent administrator served commander chief british forces north_america overseeing british response rebellion appointed military governor instructions implement acts massachusetts attempts seize military stores patriot militias april sparked battles lexington concord beginning american war independence victory june battle bunker hill replaced general october returned great_britain early life born march christened march westminster james middlesex england son 1st maria hall sussex family seated 15th century father 1st noted nobleman given titles ireland elder children thomas second son 2nd born january christened january westminster james began attending prestigious met figures despite family long history catholicism adopted school years thomas younger firmly attached church eventually developed dislike roman_catholic_church evident later years graduating westminster record activities joined british_army eventually receiving commission ensign early duties consisted recruiting yorkshire january purchased lieutenant commission 1st stayed transferred rank captain lieutenant received promotion captain saw action war austrian succession british forces flanders served aide camp earl saw service second uprising culminated battle saw action low countries purchased major commission transferred 55th foot regiment later renumbered 44th regiment stationed ireland promoted lieutenant colonel march early service years spent leisure time member occasionally travelled going far paris mexico popular figure army club liked alcohol friendships spanned class ability wrote respected understanding manners perfectly qualities heart important political connections forming relationships important figures like lord future secretary war man roughly age rose great heights french indian war engaged lady rank fortune persuaded yield hand honourable way engagement eventually broken leaving broken hearted father stood seats parliament lost april election father member parliament years prior contested results father died soon withdrew protest early regiment sent america following outbreak french indian war french indian war regiment sent north_america general expeditionary force objective expulsion french forces territory disputed french british colonies military clashes expedition regiment vanguard troops came company french indians trying set ambush skirmish began mortally wounded george_washington distinguished courage fire leadership organising retreat commander 44th colonel sir officers killed battle temporarily took command regiment slightly wounded regiment captain general aide camp charges poor field tactics led defeat result accusations denied permanent command 44th regiment washington maintained somewhat friendly relationship years expedition distance lack frequent contact likely cooled relationship washington publicly condemning actions asserting british authority massachusetts creation light infantry summer served second command failed expedition resupply fell french expedition route following year assigned captain general halifax nova_scotia planned expedition turned confronted larger french fleet december proposed creation regiment light infantry better suited woodland warfare approved plan recalled month recommending king promotion colonel spent winter new_jersey recruiting newly raised regiment light armed foot definitely light armed regiment british army uncertain exactly met choice area motivated interest known beauty area descendant family granddaughter new_york mayor recruiting courtship successful february albany preparing year campaign margaret married december year campaign went albany culminated disastrous british forces defeated barely french forces regiment british vanguard wounded battle british suffered casualties brigadier general campaign received promotion position largely political brother lord failure act new general placed command albany post serving major general shortly capturing fight general learned death general expedition captured fort ordered place fort known fort mouth learned french abandoned fort sent messenger explicit instructions capture possible advance montreal arrived captured july troops command surveyed situation decided expected reinforcements arrived french military strength unknown strength near montreal believed relatively high believing attack gain significant advantage decided action sent message outlining reasons immediate government failure troops rear army expedition resulted montreal surrender early governorship french surrender named military governor montreal task found somewhat involved minute details municipal governance administration military occupation forced deal civil litigation manage trade indians region traders disputed territorial claims indians margaret came stay montreal children harry future 3rd born promoted major general assistance brother placed command 22nd regiment assured command peacetime accounts appeared fair administrator people lives property healthy distrust roman catholic clergy viewed french peace announced following treaty paris began lobbying posting tired cursed climate high stay longer october good news arrived act commander chief north_america leave britain immediately left montreal took command new_york november inherited job dealing indian uprising known rebellion rebellion following conquest new france little respect indians instituted policies severely hampered british indian relations principally forbidding sale ammunition combined widespread concern british expansion territories prompted tribes french pays rise british leadership ottawa leader launched series attacks lightly garrisoned british frontier forts successfully driving british threatening settlers areas hoping end conflict ordered colonel colonel military expeditions ordered sir engage peace negotiations johnson negotiated treaty fort summer tribes colonel negotiated cease fire sorts october resulted peace treaty finalised johnson 42nd royal highland regiment finally got fort french hands conflict fully resolved travelled signed formal treaty johnson july securing position general left north_america leave absence position commander chief announced intention returning north_america point appointment post permanent retained posts governor virginia colonel 60th foot positions gave required actually virginia post high ranking officers especially supporters offices continued tenure commander chief promoted lieutenant general ordered arrest major leader come dislike distrust war arrest based evidence rogers engaging relationship french acquitted court martial spent time commander chief powerful office new_york_city administrative demands managing territory spanned entirety north_america east mississippi_river clearly life new_york actively participating social scene position gave opportunity financial arrangements lined pockets high ranking officers expense military purse little evidence engaged significant improper transactions addition handsome sum day commander chief received variety including colonel salary given leading regiment funds possible send children survived adulthood school england dip hand public till engage relatively common practices political addition securing positions people named apparently assisted placement friends political supporters children rising colonial tension administration political tensions rose american colonies result began withdrawing troops frontier urban centres like new_york_city boston number soldiers stationed cities grew need provide adequate food housing troops urgent parliament passed act permitting british troops private residences thoughts reasons colonial unrest played important role unrest believed popular unrest stamp act primarily small number colonial led boston recommended deployment regiments occupy boston city troops city 29th regiment foot previously clashed colonists quebec new_york reputation poor discipline occupation eventually led later year wrote america mere bully end far greatest later came change opinion source unrest believing democracy significant threat saw movement colonists interior effective crown control development town meeting means local governance major elements threat wrote democracy prevalent america believed town meetings abolished recommended limited coastal areas british rule enforced governor massachusetts returned britain june family missed december year reacted series measures massachusetts known colonies acts terms acts example option remove political trials england originated measures activities town meetings representative government influence military experience relative youth massachusetts governor years old unpopular equally unpopular lieutenant governor died march popular figure sides atlantic deemed best man handle crisis enforce parliamentary acts early appointed military governor massachusetts replacing arrived britain early stopping castle william arrived boston having carried hms lively arrival met little generally received happy local attitudes rapidly deteriorated began implementing acts including people work massachusetts government act formally rescinded provincial assembly right nominate members retained elected dissolved assembly june discovered massachusetts representatives sending delegates called new elections held massachusetts government act authority undermined representatives refused meet new appointed governor council attempted buy political leaders massachusetts notably successful church secretly supplied intelligence activities rebel leaders adams rebel leaders moved september withdrew garrisons new_york new_jersey philadelphia halifax newfoundland brought wing boston large british naval presence control admiral sought strictly enforce army calling war making materials september ordered mission remove provincial gunpowder magazine massachusetts action successful caused huge popular reaction known resulting thousands provincial marched cambridge massachusetts militia soon dispersed force lasting effect subsequently grew cautious actions rapid response large sons liberty sons liberty kept careful watch activities successfully warned future actions british regulars execute criticised allowing groups like exist officers lord remarked general great serve colonists daring wrote force length considerable foreign troops hired begin small numbers encourage resistance end cost blood treasure described conflicted relationship saying parliament englishman person earth argue englishman slavery american war independence april received orders london decisive action patriots given intelligence militia weapons concord massachusetts ordered troop regulars march night april brief skirmish lexington scattered colonial militia forces gathered later concord portion british force routed stronger colonial militia contingent british left concord following search largely unsuccessful colonists advance warning action removed supplies arriving colonial militia engaged british column running battle way battles lexington concord resulted total casualties british american rebels following lexington concord thousands colonial militia surrounded city beginning rebels led mainly massachusetts general faced british regulars city british admiral commanded fleet continued control harbour reinforcements arrived city generals june issued proclamation believed written distributed granting general pardon demonstrate loyalty crown notable exceptions worked newly arrived generals plan break grip besieging forces use amphibious assault control followed attack rebel camp seize heights peninsula including allow british eventually colonial headquarters cambridge colonists warned plans seized initiative night june fortified threatening british position boston june british forces general howe seized peninsula battle bunker hill victory britain won suffered casualties significantly altering state siege called dear bought victory ruined officers noted gained victory wrote secretary war people spirit conduct showed french spirited rage enthusiasm great people possessed proceed earnest business small body acting spot avail large armies making different sides divide force loss sustained greater bear small armies afford losses especially advantage gained tends little gaining post return great_britain june wrote dispatch great_britain lord results battle june days report arrived england issued order recalling replacing action likely fact people government arguing removal battle final straw received order boston september set sail england october nature recall order actually strip offices immediately temporarily replaced commander forces boston general given command forces quebec king george wanted reward mild general service sole reward lord succeeded secretary state north_america formally gave command howe april retained governorship massachusetts return england family eventually settled house portland place london presumably given friendly reception interview sympathetic king george public private writings fall power times vicious correspondent wrote run race glory let hell conscience inevitably attend new_hampshire governor characterised good wise man surrounded difficulties briefly reactivated duty april appointed troops possible french invasion year assumed command 17th light promoted general november later transferred command 11th final years legacy war machinery reduced military activities declined supported efforts loyalists recover losses incurred forced leave colonies notably confirming order widow claims compensation received visitors portland place including health began decline early died portland place april buried family plot wife survived years son henry inherited family title death brother william wealthiest men england youngest son admiral royal_navy daughters married known families town new_brunswick named honour consequently base carries lieutenant governor renamed archipelago islands mouth victorious generals conquest canada known
Thomas Gage