a French fleet under the command of Admiral Anne-
Hilarion de Cotentin, comte de Tourville. Many his-
torians agree that Benbow played an important role in
the French defeat. A year later, he commanded a
squadron in the bombardment of St. Malo, in Novem-
ber 1693.
Benbow went on to serve in the West Indies from
1698 to 1700. In 1702, he returned to the area as com-
mander in chief. On 19 August, while commanding a
British squadron, he sighted four French ships off the
coast of South America at Santa-Maria (now in modern
Colombia), all commanded by J. B. Ducasse. Benbow
chased the ships for five days in his flagship, the Breda,
leaving the rest of his fleet behind, unguarded. When he
caught up with the French, he and his men were alone
and outnumbered. The French ships opened fire on the
Breda, and one of the shots hit Benbow in his right leg,
shattering it. Despite this life-threatening wound, he re-
mained in full command on deck, but because of the
damage to his ship, he was forced to back off the engage-
ment. He evacuated to Jamaica, where he succumbed to
his wounds on 4 November 1702. Only 49 years old,
Benbow was buried in Kingston. Two commanders of
ships that had refused to come to his aid were court-
martialed for insubordination and shot.
References: Laughton, John Knox, “Benbow, John,” in
The Dictionary of National Biography, 22 vols., 8 supps.,
edited by Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee, et al.
(London: Oxford University Press, 1921–22), II:207–
211; Campbell, John, Lives of the Admirals, and Other
Eminent British Seamen... , 4 vols. (London: Applebee,
1742–44), I:25–40; Bruce, George, “La Hogue,” in Col-
lins Dictionary of Wars (Glasgow, Scotland: HarperCollins
Publishers, 1995), 134–135.
Beresford, William Carr, Viscount Beresford
(1768–1854) British general
Of Portuguese descent, William Carr Beresford was
born on 2 October 1768, the illegitimate son of the
marquis of Waterford. In 1785, at age 17, he entered
the British army, serving in 1786 in Nova Scotia, where
he lost the sight in one eye during a training accident.
In 1793, Beresford saw his first action at Toulon after
he was transferred to Corsica, serving under Sir Ralph
Abernathy from 1795 to 1796. In 1795, he was given
the command of the 88th Regiment, the Connaught
Rangers. From 1799 to 1803, while serving under the
command of Sir David baird, Beresford saw action in
Egypt and later in South Africa. In 1806, he involved in
the capture of Cape Town when the Dutch surrendered
control of that city to British authority.
That same year, Beresford was named to command
a land force sent to South America to capture Buenos
Aires for the British. Although his forces easily took the
city, they could not hold it against an insurrection by
locals who despised British rule, led by a Frenchman, the
chevalier de Tiniers. During the insurrection, Beresford
was captured and held prisoner for six months until he
escaped. He reached England in 1807 and was imme-
diately sent to the Continent to fight in the Peninsular
War. He helped invade the island of Madeira, holding it
for the king of Portugal and serving as governor for six
months, until he was ordered to Portugal to serve with
Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the duke of Wellington).
He marched with Sir John moore during Moore’s
famed expedition into Spain, and he showed great valor
at the battle of Corunna on 16 January 1809. For his
services to the nation, Portugal’s king named Beresford
conde (count) de Trancoso, and bestowed a knighthood
of the Tower and Sword of Portugal. Beresford under-
took the reorganization of the Portuguese army with
such success that Wellington incorporated many of the
Portuguese troops into his own command, and they saw
battle at Busaco (27 September 1810).
In 1811, Wellington sent Beresford to take over a
force of troops formerly under the command of Lord
Hill, who had returned to England due to illness. While
Beresford was a more than competent commander, these
new troops did not take to him, and at the battle of
Campo Maior (or Mayor) on 25 March 1811, they dis-
regarded his orders, and many were massacred. Beresford
did lead his men to victory at La Albuera (16 May 1811)
and Badajoz (16 March 1812), but historians usually
credit Sir Henry Hardinge, and not Beresford, for these
achievements. Beresford was severely wounded at the
battle of Salamanca (22 July 1812), but he later recov-
ered. He was present at the battle of Vitoria (21 June
1813) and at the battles of the Pyrenees (25 July–1 Au-
gust 1813), commanded the British center at Nive (9–13
December 1813) and Orthez (27 February 1814), and
led his men in the battle of Toulouse (10 April 1814). At
the end of the Peninsular War, he was bestowed with the
title of Baron Beresford of Albuera and Cappoquin and
given a lifetime pension of £2,000 per year. beReSFoRD, williAm cARR, viScount beReSFoRD