John Mansel (1729–1794) was a British Army cavalry general killed at the

Battle of Beaumont The Battle of Beaumont on 30 August 1870 was won by Prussia during the Franco-Prussian War. It was fought between the French V Corps under general Pierre Louis Charles de Failly, and IV Corps under general Constantin von Alvensleben, XII C ...

. John Mansel was born in

Cosgrove, Northamptonshire Cosgrove is a village in Northamptonshire, England, about north of Stony Stratford, north of Central Milton Keynes and south of Northampton along the A508 road and south-east of Towcester along the A5 road (Great Britain), A5 road (the Roma ...

in 1729, son of the Reverend Christopher Mansel, and Sarah Hoare. He married Mary Anne Biggin on 9 June 1768. Among their six children, one son John (1771–1839) became a major of the 3rd Dragoon Guards and ADC to his father, another Robert (1773–1838), joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

and rose to the rank of

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

. In the army Mansel was made lieutenant-colonel commanding the

3rd Dragoon Guards The 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 3rd Regiment of Dragoon Guards ...

on 27 April 1775 and became

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the regiment on 16 May 1781. Promoted to major-general on 28 April 1790, he commanded the 2nd (heavy) brigade of cavalry under the

Duke of York and Albany Duke of York and Albany was a title of nobility in the Peerage of Great Britain. The title was created three times during the 18th century and was usually given to the second son of Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarchs. The predeces ...

in the Flanders Campaign from May 1793. He was at the relief of Menin on 15 September, and possibly at Sainghin on 27 October, although the heavy cavalry was apparently commanded by Prince Ernest on the day, as Mansel was not yet divisional commander. In 1794 he was with Erskine's column at Prémont on 17 April, but at the

Battle of Villers-en-Cauchies In the Battle of Villers-en-Cauchies, fought on 24 April 1794, a small Anglo-Austrian cavalry force routed a vastly more numerous French division during the Flanders Campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars. Villers-en-Cauchies is 15 km ...

on the 24th his command missed the action through a confusion in the orders that left Rudolf Ritter von Otto with just four squadrons to face 5,000 French. At Beaumont on 26 April he led the cavalry flank attack in the valley of Cawdry and completely routed a column of infantry before plunging at the head of his troops across a ravine to attack a battery of 14 cannon on the other side.

"He passed the ravine, and, at the head of a considerable body of his men, charged the cannon with inconceivable intrepidity, and complete success. His heroic conduct decided the day; but at the mouth of this battery, after having three horses shot under him, he received his death wound. One grape-shot entered his chest, fracturing his spine, and coming out between his shoulders, while another broke his arm to splinters."

Mansel was buried in a

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...

with all military honours. Six generals—Abercrombie, Dundas, Harcourt, Garth, and Fox, who supported the pall—and the majority of senior officers of York's army attended the funeral. Craig attributed the failure of the heavy cavalry at Villers en Cauchies "mainly to Mansel, whom after the action of the 17th remonthe had already reported as an incompetent officer." Mansel felt he was disgraced after Villers-en-Cauchies despite being reinstated, and swore not to survive. Whether he deliberately sought death or not though is disputed. Others "seemed to feel that a brave man had been untowardly sacrificed."Wilson, quoted in Phipps, Ramsay Weston (1926), The Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon I, London: Oxford University Press Vol I p. 288

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mansel, John 1729 births 1794 deaths 68th Regiment of Foot officers British Army major generals People from Northamptonshire British military personnel killed in the French Revolutionary Wars 3rd Dragoon Guards officers British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...