Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Corbet, William
CORBET, WILLIAM (1779–1842), Irish rebel and French general, son of a schoolmaster in the county of Cork, was born at Ballythomas in that county on 17 Aug. 1779. He was well educated by his father, who was a good scholar, and as he was a protestant, he was entered with his brother Thomas at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1794. At college he took more interest in politics than in his work, and became a member of the Society of United Irishmen and a friend of T. A. Emmett and Hamilton Rowan. He was also a leading debater in the Trinity College Historical Society, of which he was for some time secretary, and was one of the students who signed the address to Grattan in 1795. In 1798 took place the famous inquiry by Lord Clare, the chancellor of the university, and Dr. Duigenan into the conduct of the undergraduates; it was alleged that a treasonable song had been sung at a social meeting in Corbet's rooms; Lord Clare asserted the existence of an assassination committee, and Corbet was solemnly expelled with eighteen others, including T. A. Emmett. He then went deeper into treasonable practices and started for France, where he received a commission as captain, and was appointed to accompany the staff in the expedition of Humbert. He was on the same ship as Napper Tandy, which did not land in Ireland, and he therefore got safely back to France. He was then made an adjutant-general, and while he was at Hamburg, planning another descent upon Ireland, he was arrested there, contrary to the law of nations, by Sir James Craufurd, the English resident, together with Napper Tandy, Blackwell, and Morres, in November 1798. After being confined for some months at Hamburg, he was sent off to England in an English frigate in September 1799. Lord Grenville did not quite know what to do with these prisoners; Bonaparte loudly declaimed against their arrest, and declared his intention of executing certain English prisoners at Lille if any harm happened to them; and they were therefore confined in the Kilmainham prison at Dublin without being brought to trial. From Kilmainham Corbet and Blackwell made their escape in 1803, and after many risks and adventures arrived safely in Paris. Corbet's commission of 1798 was recognised, and he entered the Irish Legion, from which he was soon transferred as a captain to the 70th French regiment of the line. With the French army he served in Masséna's expedition to Portugal, and greatly distinguished himself in the retreat from Torres Vedras and especially at the battle of Sabugal. When Marmont succeeded Masséna he took Corbet on his staff, and after the battle of Salamanca, Clausel made him chef de bataillon of the 47th regiment, with which he served until 1813, when Marmont summoned him to Germany to join his staff. He served with Marmont throughout the campaigns of 1813 and 1814, at Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden, Leipzig, &c., and he was made a commander of the Legion of Honour. After the first abdication of Napoleon he was promoted colonel in January 1815, and acted as chief of the staff to General d'Aumont at Caen. After the second restoration he was placed on half-pay, and was looked upon with disfavour by the Bourbons because of his friendship with General Foy, the leader of the opposition, whose acquaintance he had made in Spain. In 1828 he was selected by Marshal Maison to accompany him in his expedition to the Morea, and was allowed to go, in spite of the opposition of Lord Stuart de Rothesay, the English ambassador at Paris. His services in Greece were very great. After serving as governor of Navarino, Messina, and Nauplia, he relieved Argos from the attack of Colocotroni, who was then acting in the interest of Russia and Count Capo d'Istria, and utterly defeated him. This victory was of the greatest importance; it finally overthrew the Russian party, upset the schemes of Capo d'Istria, and practically placed King Otho upon the throne. He was rewarded by being made a knight of the order of Saint Louis and of the Redeemer of Greece, and was promoted general of brigade. He succeeded General Schneider as commander-in-chief of the French forces in Greece in 1831, and returned to France in 1832 with them. He was soon after promoted general of division, and after commanding at Caen and Tulle, died at Saint-Denis 12 Aug. 1842.
[His autobiography, printed first at Paris in 1807, is reprinted with an interesting biography founded on facts, related by Mrs. Lyons of Cork, Corbet's only sister, in R. R. Madden's third series of The United Irishmen, their Lives and Times, Dublin, 1846. The details of his escape from Kilmainham are given in Miss Edgeworth's novel of Ormond.]