Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Graham, Gerald
GRAHAM, Sir GERALD (1831–1899), lieutenant-general and colonel-commandant royal engineers, only son of Robert Hay Graham (d. 1859), M.D., of Eden Brows, Cumberland, and of his wife Frances (d. 1898), daughter of Richard Oakley (d. 1833) of Oswald-Kirk, Yorkshire, and afterwards of Pen Park, Bristol, was born at Acton, Middlesex, on 27 June 1831. Educated at Wimbledon, Dresden, and at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, he received a commission as second lieutenant in the royal engineers on 19 June 1850. His further commissions were dated : lieutenant 17 Feb. 1854, captain 28 Oct. 1858, brevet major 22 Nov. 1859, brevet lieutenant-colonel 15 Feb. 1861, brevet colonel 15 Feb. 1869, regimental major 5 July 1872, regimental lieutenant-colonel 27 Sept. 1876, major-general 19 Oct. 1881, lieutenant-general 21 May 1884, colonel-commandant of royal engineers 10 March 1899.
After the usual course of professional instruction at Chatham, Graham went to Portsmouth in the summer of 1852, and embarked on 24 Feb. 1854 for Turkey to take part in the war with Russia. He was employed with his company at Gallipoli on the defensive lines of Boulair, and in May went to Varna, and was engaged in the engineering preparations for the expedition to the Crimea. He was present at the battle of the Alma on 20 Sept. 1854, was employed in both the left and the right attack at the siege of Sebastopol, was present at the battle of Inkerman on 5 Nov., and distinguished himself throughout the siege by his coolness under fire. He was slightly wounded on 13 April 1855 in No. 7 battery, when that advanced work opened fire. He led the ladder party of Sir John Campbell's column in the unsuccessful attack of the right flank of the Redan on 18 June, and, after the first check, made a second attempt, lying for some time with his ladders and sailor party under fire, vainly waiting for the storming party. 'The vast stature of the young engineer who directed their energies,' says Kinglake, made him strangely conspicuous in the field, and it was on Gerald Graham and the sailors that the praises of observers converged.' Lord West, who succeeded to the command of the column when Sir John Campbell was killed, wrote that he wished he could do justice to - the daring and intrepid conduct of the party, and that Graham, who led it, evinced a coolness and a readiness to expose himself to personal risk deserving great credit.
Graham was again wounded in the trenches on 9 July, and had to go to Therapia, but returned in time for the final operations of 8 Sept. After the fall of Sebastopol he was employed in the demolition of the docks. He embarked for England on 9 July 1856 in the transport Clarendon in command of troops ; the vessel sprang a leak in a heavy gale in the Mediterranean, and off Cadiz the troops were removed in boats without casualty to a French merchant ship, from which a week later they were transferred to H.M.S. Centaur, and landed at Portsmouth on 14 Aug.
For his services in the Crimea Graham was twice mentioned in despatches (London Gazette, 21 Dec. 1855 and 15 Feb. 1856), received the war medal with three clasps, the 5th class of the Turkish Medjidie and of the French legion of honour. For his conduct at the assault of the Redan and for devoted heroism in sallying out of the trenches on numerous occasions, and bringing in wounded officers and men, he was awarded the Victoria Cross (ib. 24 Feb. 1857), and was decorated by the queen in person at the review in Hyde Park to inaugurate the newly instituted honour on 26 June 1857. A brevet majority was also bestowed upon him in 1859.
After being quartered in Scotland and at Aldershot Graham went to India in August 1858 to take command of the 23rd company, royal engineers, at Lucknow. Owing to bad weather he did not reach Calcutta until Christmas. The mutiny war was practically over, and in October 1859 he took his company to Canton, at that time in British occupation. From Canton he joined at Hong Kong, in the spring of 1860, the force of Sir Hope Grant to take part in the Anglo-French expedition against. China. Early in June he sailed for Talien-wan Bay, the British rendezvous, as Chi-fu was the French, and landed with the combined forces at Peh-tang to attack the northern Taku forts in rear. Graham was present at the successful actions at Sinho on 12 Aug. and Tang-ku on the 14th, and was severely wounded on the 21st when directing the pontoon party at the victorious assault of the Taku forts. In spite of his wound he mounted his horse (also wounded) and continued to direct his men until his horse was again struck, and he was obliged to quit the field. As soon as he was convalescent he was again at the front, and on 5 Oct. marched with the second division to Pekin, took part with his sappers in the occupation of the An-ting Gate on the 13th, and was present at the entry of Lord Elgin into Pekin and the signing of the treaty on the 24th of that month. He arrived in England on 24 May 1861. For his services in China he was mentioned in despatches (ib. 4 Nov. 1860), received the war medal with two clasps, and a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy. He did duty in England as commanding royal engineer at ShornclifFe camp and at Brighton until he went to Aldershot in March 1865. From May 1866 he was for over three years commanding royal engineer at Montreal, and, while in Canada, his previous war services were further rewarded by a military C.B. and a brevet colonelcy. On his return home he was quartered at Chatham and Manchester, and in 1871 at York, where he remained for the next six years. In the autumn of 1877 he was selected to accompany General Richard, Lord Airey [q. v.] to the German army manoeuvres, after which he visited and reported upon the defences of Metz, and of Coblentz and Ehrenbreitstein. In the following year he officially attended the Swiss army manoeuvres.
From 18 Dec. 1877 until his promotion to the rank of major-general in October 1881 Graham was assistant director of works for barracks at the war office. In the summer of 1882 Sir Garnet (now Viscount) Wolseley selected him for the command of the second infantry brigade of the first division in the expedition to Egypt to quell the rebellion of Arabi Pasha. He sailed with Sir Garnet and the advanced force from Alexandria on 19 Aug., and, arriving at Port Said on the morning of the 20th, was despatched in a gunboat with six hundred men along the canal to Ismailia, where he landed late at night, and on the following morning pushed on in advance to seize the railway and Sweetwater canal as far as Kassassin lock. He was engaged in a successful affair at Magfar, and, having been strongly reinforced, seized the important lock and bridge of Kassassin on the 26th. He commanded at the victorious battle of Kassassin on the 28th, when he was attacked by a vastly superior force of the enemy, his own troops having been severely tried by exposure to the sun and want of food. Sir Garnet Wolseley, who came up the following day, in his telegraphic despatch announcing the victory, said, 'General Graham's dispositions were all that they should have been, and his operations were carried out with that coolness for which he has always been so well known.'
On 9 Sept. another attack on Kassassin was repulsed, and the Egyptians were pursued to within range of Tel-el-Kebir. At the battle of Tel-el-Kebir on 13 Sept. Graham led his brigade to the assault, and in his despatch stated that 'the steadiness of the advance of the second brigade under what appeared to be an overwhelming fire of musketry and artillery will remain a proud remembrance.' At the conclusion of the campaign, by the surrender of Arabi, Graham moved to Cairo, and commanded a brigade of the British army of occupation in Egypt. In Sir Garnet Wolseley's despatch of 24 Sept. 1882, he wrote that the brunt of the fighting throughout the campaign had fallen to Graham's lot, and that it could not have been in better hands, adding : 'To that coolness and gallantry in action, for which he has always been well known, he adds the power of leading and commanding others.' For his services in this campaign he was repeatedly mentioned in despatches (ib. 8, 19, and 26 Sept., 6 Oct., and 2 Nov. 1882), was thanked by both houses of parliament, received the medal and clasp and the bronze star, the 2nd class of the order of the Turkish Medjidie, and on 18 Nov. 1882 was made a K.C.B. In the summer of the following year he visited England on short leave of absence and was much feted.
At the end of January 1884 Graham accompanied his old friend and comrade, Major-general Charles George Gordon [q.v.], from Cairo as far as Korosko in his last journey to Khartoum. On returning to Cairo Graham found himself appointed to command an expedition to the Eastern Soudan to relieve Tokar and destroy Osman Digna, a follower of the Mahdi, who had recently annihilated an Egyptian army under Valentine Baker [q. v. Suppl.] at El Teb. Having arrived at Suakin on 22 Feb., Graham at once transported his force of some four thousand men and fourteen guns to Trinkitat, a post on the Red Sea south of Suakin, and on 29 Feb. fought the second battle of El Teb. He handled his troops very skilfully and defeated the Arabs, occupying their whole position, and the next day entered Tokar. The British loss at El Teb was 34 killed and 155 wounded, while the loss of the enemy was estimated at two thousand killed out of a strength of six thousand.
Having moved his force back by sea to Suakin, Graham commenced operations towards Tamai, and on 13 March fought the successful battle of Tamai, burned the village, destroying a quantity of ammunition found there, and returned to Suakin. His loss at Tamai was 109 killed and 112 wounded, while that of the enemy was about two thousand out of an estimated force of twelve thousand men.
As early as 5 March Graham had urged upon the government the importance of opening up the Suakin-Berber route, and of so reaching out a hand to General Gordon, who strongly supported the proposal ; and, although the suggestion was negatived, a scheme was prepared and a reconnaissance made as far as Tambouk. After the successful battle of Tamai, Graham again urged the importance of sending troops from Suakin to Berber, and Sir Evelyn Baring (afterwards Lord Cromer), the British minister at Cairo, made repeated representations in favour of opening up this route and of helping Gordon from Suakin. But it was all to no purpose, and after Graham had occupied Tamanieb on 27 March, and had destroyed Osman Digna's villages, he was directed to leave a garrison in Suakin and withdraw the rest of the troops. Graham was very sore at the decision, and always regretted that he had not taken the responsibility upon himself instead of asking permission to send troops to Berber. He returned to England at the end of April. His despatches on this campaign are to be found in the 'London Gazette' of 27 March, 3, 11, and 29 April, and 6 May 1884. For his services he was again thanked by both houses of parliament, received two clasps to his Egyptian medal, the grand cordon of the Turkish Medjidie, and was promoted to be lieutenant-general for distinguished service in the field, which promotion he chose in preference to a baronetcy offered to him. He met with a warm reception both in London and the provinces, and was presented with a sword of honour by the 1st Newcastle and Durham volunteer engineers, whose inspecting officer he had been for some years.
On the failure of Lord Wolseley's Nile expedition to relieve Khartoum the government determined in February 1885 to destroy the Mahdi. Lord Wolseley was directed to hold the Nile from Merawi to Dongola and Hanneck cataract during the summer and prepare for an autumn campaign, while Graham was sent to Suakin to protect the flank of the Nile column by crushing Osman Digna, and constructing a railway from Suakin towards Berber. Graham's force was composed of both British and Indian troops numbering altogether, including the Suakin garrison, some thirteen thousand men, besides eleven thousand labourers, camel drivers, and muleteers. A contract was made for the construction of the railway under military direction, and Graham's instructions were to destroy Osman Digna's power and push forward the railway as rapidly as possible before the hot weather set in.
He arrived at Suakin on 12 March, and the railway was at once commenced. Osman Digna was at Tamai with a large force, and the enemy also occupied Hashin, where they threatened the right of any advance on Tamai. With some ten thousand men Graham first attacked the enemy at Hashin, stormed the position and dispersed the enemy on 20 March, constructed a fortified post, which he garrisoned, and returned to Suakin.
He next operated against Osman Digna at Tamai, constructing intermediate posts en route. At the first of these zeribas at Tofrik Sir John McNeill was surprised on 22 March by a sudden and fierce attack of the enemy, which, although repulsed, caused a loss of 150 killed, three hundred wounded and missing, and five hundred camels. More than a thousand, however, of the enemy fell, and among them several chiefs. Sufficient supplies of water and stores having been accumulated at the zeriba, Graham moved his force forward on 2 April, and on the following day advanced on Tamai, pushing back the enemy, who gradually withdrew to the mountains. The wells were found dry ; so, having burned the new villages and destroyed large quantities of ammunition found in them, Graham returned with his force to Suakin. The efficiency of his transport arrangements on this march was shown by the return of all the transport animals (nearly two thousand) except three, one of which was killed in action.
Having destroyed Osman Digna's power Graham pushed forward the railway. He occupied Handoub on 8 April and Otao on the 16th, and made successful reconnaissances in advance and into the neighbouring hills, and the railway was constructed for nineteen miles. But the whole position of affairs was suddenly changed. Complications in the East had Caused the government to abandon the proposed advance in the autumn on Khartoum, and to withdraw the Nile expedition. Lord Wolseley visited Suakin in the beginning of May to advise as to the garrison to be left there, and Graham embarked with the guards' brigade on 16 May to return to England.
For his services in this campaign he for a third time received the thanks of both houses of parliament, was decorated with the grand cross of St. Michael and St. George, and had another clasp added to his Egyptian medal. His despatches are to be found in Parliamentary Papers, Egypt (13) 1884, and in the 'London Gazette' of 23 June and 25 Aug. 1885.
In 1888 he declined an offer of the government of the Bermudas. On 14 June 1890, in accordance with the regulations, he was placed on the retired list. He was decorated with the grand cross of the Bath on 20 May 1896, and appointed a colonel-commandant of the royal engineers in 1899. He died, after a few days' illness, on 17 Dec. 1899, at his residence, Springfield, Bideford, Devonshire, and was buried in the parish churchyard there on 22 Dec. His funeral was attended by the mayor and corporation of Bideford and by representatives of the navy, army, and volunteers, besides his own corps and relations and friends.
His portrait was painted for the corps of royal engineers by Sir E. J. Poynter, president of the Royal Academy, was exhibited at the Royal Academy exhibition of 1886, and now hangs in the royal engineers' mess at Chatham.
Six feet four inches high, and of massive build, Graham looked every inch a soldier. Of a retiring and reserved disposition, Lord Wolseley once spoke of him as 'a man with the heart of a lion and the modesty of a young girl.' Both morally and physically he did not seem to know what fear was.
Graham contributed several papers on professional subjects to the 'Professional Papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers' (see new series, vols. vi. vii. xi. xiv. and xix., and occasional series, vol. iv.) His translation from the German of the official account, by Captain Adolphe Goetze of the Prussian engineers, of the 'Operations of the German Engineers and Technical Troops during the Franco-German War of 1870-1,' with six maps, was published in 1875. He was also the author of 'Last Words with Gordon,' which originally appeared in the 'Fortnightly Review' of January 1887, and was published separately the same year with additions and appendices. His 'Life, Letters, and Diaries' were edited by the present writer (London, 1901, 8vo).
Graham married, in London at St. Peter's, Eaton Square, on 29 April 1862, Jane Dinah, widow of the Rev. G. B. Blacker (d. 1858), rector of East and West Rudham, Norfolk, and daughter of George Durrant (d. 1877) of Elmham Hall, Suffolk. By her he had six children.
[The present writer's Life, Letters, and Diaries of Sir Gerald Graham, V.C., 1901; War Office Records; Royal Engineers' Records; Despatches; Memoir in the Royal Engineers Journal, February and March 1900; private sources; Kinglake's Invasion of the Crimea; Sir Evelyn Wood's Crimea in 1854 and 1894; W. H. Russell's Crimean War; Porter's History of the Royal Engineers; Conolly's History of the Royal Sappers and Miners; Wolseley's War with China, 1860; Fisher's Three Years' Service in China; Grant and Knollys's China War, 1860; Lock's Second Embassy to China, 1860; Royle's Egyptian Campaigns, 1882 to 1885; Maurice's Campaign of 1882 in Egypt; Colville's Sudan Campaign, 1884–5; Pimblett's Soudan War, 1881 to 1885; Archer's War in Egypt and the Sudan; De Cosson's Service with Sir Gerald Graham's Field Force at Suakin; Toomey's Heroes of the Victoria Cross.]