Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Daly, Henry Dermot
DALY, Sir HENRY DERMOT (1821–1895), general, Indian staff corps, late Bombay army, son of Lieutenant-colonel Francis Dermot Daly (d. 1857), 4th light dragoons, of Daly's Grove, co. Galway, was born on 25 Oct. 1821. He received a commission as ensign in the 1st Bombay European regiment on 1 Sept. 1840. He became brevet colonel 19 July 1804, lieutenant-colonel 1 Sept. 1866, major-general 4 Jan. 1870, lieutenant-general 1 Oct. 1877, and general 1 Dec. 1888. He arrived at Bombay on 10 Oct. 1840, and in the following year was appointed adjutant of the detachment at Ahmednagar. He qualified as interpreter in Hindustani in 1841, in the Maratha language in 1842, and in Gujrati in 1843, when he was appointed acting adjutant of the provisional battalion at Gujrat. After two years' furlough to Europe he returned to Bombay on 10 May 1846, and on 22 Aug. became adjutant of the 1st Bombay European regiment.
Daly took part in the operations at Multan, and in the attack of 27 Dec. 1848 had a horse shot under him. He was mentioned in despatches for conspicuous gallantry by Brigadiers-general Stalker and Dundas (London Gazette, 7 and 23 March 1849). He joined Lord Gough's army, was present at the battle of Gujrat on 21 Feb. 1849, and in the pursuit, under Sir Walter Gilbert, of the Sikh army, at the capture of Attak, and the occupation of Peshawar. He received the medal and two clasps.
On 28 May 1849 Daly was appointed to the command of the 1st Punjab cavalry with directions to raise it in communication with Major (afterwards Sir) George St. Patrick Lawrence, the deputy-commissioner of the district. He succeeded in raising and drilling a fine body of men, and in February 1850 marched with them under Sir Charles Napier [q. v.] to punish the Afridis. He was engaged in the action of the Kohat pass, and remained to occupy Kohat as an outpost. His regiment was highly praised by Napier, who acknowledged Daly's services in a general order of 16 Feb. 1850. In October 1851 he served with the field force under Captain Coke from Kohat to Thai. On 10 May 1852 he joined the force under Brigadier-general Sir Colin Campbell at Abazai, and took part in the operations against the village of Noadand in the Utman Khel country, in the attack and destruction of Prangarh on 13 May, in the attack on the 18th on the Swattis at Skakot in the Ranizai valley, and subsequently in the affair at Erozshah. For these services he was mentioned in despatches and received the medal and clasp.
After two years' furlough to Europe he returned to India, and was given the command first of the Oude irregular force and later of the queen's own corps of guides, consisting of three troops of cavalry and six companies of rifles. On the outbreak of the mutiny he was ordered to Delhi, and accomplished the march from Mardan in Usafzai (580 miles) in twenty-two days, an unparalleled feat. Sir Henry Bernard, commanding at Delhi, observed in a general order that the arrival of th'e corps in perfect order and ready for immediate service after such a march reflected the highest credit on Daly. The governor-general in council and the court of directors of the East India Company also favourably commented on the achievement. Daly was twice wounded at the siege of Delhi and had a horse shot under him. He commanded a regiment of Hodson's horse at the final siege and capture of Lucknow in March 1858, and after Hodson's death on 11 March 1858 commanded the brigade of three regiments of Hodson's horse throughout Sir Hope Grant's campaign in Oude in that and the following year, including the actions of Nawabganj and the passage of the Gumti and of the Gogra. He went home on furlough in May 1859.
On his return to India Daly was appointed on 31 Dec. 1861 to the command of the Central India horse and political assistant at Angur for Western Malwa. On 27 Oct. 1871 he was appointed agent to the governor-general for Central India at Indore, and opium agent in Malwa. He was promoted K.C.B., military division, on 29 May 1875, and C.I.E. on 1 Jan. 1880. He retired from active service in 1882. He was given the grand cross of the Bath on 25 May 1889. He died at his residence, Ryde House, Ryde, Isle of Wight, on 21 July 1895. He was twice married: first, in 1852, to Susan Ely Ellen, daughter of Edward Kirkpatrick; and, secondly, in 1882, to Mrs. Sterling Dunlop, who survived him.
[India Office Records; Despatches; History of the First Punjab Cavalry, Lahore, 1887; Historical Records of the Queen's Own Corps of Guides; Times, 23 July 1895; Kaye's History of the Sepoy War; Malleson's History of the Indian Mutiny.]