JONES, Sir HARRY DAVID (1791–1866), G.C.B., lieutenant-general royal engineers, youngest brother of Sir John Thomas Jones, bart. [q. v.], was born at Landguard Fort, Felixstowe, Suffolk, on 14 March 1791. He joined the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, on 10 April 1805, and on leaving received the appointment of ‘candidate for the corps of royal engineers,’ passed a probation of six months on the ordnance survey of England, and was gazetted second lieutenant of royal engineers on 17 Sept. 1808.
His first station was Dover, where he was employed on the extensive fortifications then in progress. He was promoted first lieutenant on 24 June 1809, and the following month embarked with the expedition under Lord Chatham for the Scheldt, landed with it on the island of Walcheren, and was engaged in the reduction of Flushing and the other operations of the campaign.
He returned to England in January 1810, and in the following April was sent to the Peninsula. He took part in the defence of Cadiz under Sir Thomas Graham, and embarked with the force under Colonel Stewart sent to relieve the Spanish garrison of Tarragona. He then joined the army under Wellington in time to take part in the assault and capture of Badajoz, and he continued with Wellington's army through the campaign of 1812–13. He was present at the battle of Vittoria on 21 June 1813 with the 5th division under General Oswald. At the siege of San Sebastian Jones was adjutant of the right attack. He led the ‘forlorn hope’ at the unsuccessful assault of 25 July 1813, and, in the hope that renewed efforts would be made, he held the breach, with a few determined men inspired by his example, until the whole party were either killed or wounded and made prisoners. Jones himself was severely wounded, and remained a prisoner until the castle surrendered on 8 Sept. 1813. The town had been carried by assault on 31 Aug., and during the week the castle continued to hold out, the prisoners were equally exposed with the garrison to the overwhelming vertical fire of the besiegers. For his gallantry on this occasion and in compensation for his wound Jones received a year's pay. He was sufficiently recovered from his wounds to join the 5th division at the passage of the Bidassoa under Sir Thomas Graham, and was present at the battle of Nivelle on 10 Nov. 1813 under General Oswald, at the battle of the Nive, where he was again wounded, under General Hay, and at the blockade of Bayonne under Lieutenant-general Sir C. Colville. For his conduct in these operations the thanks of the master-general of the ordnance were expressed to him by a circular to the corps through the inspector-general of fortifications, and he was promoted second captain on 12 Nov. 1813. For his services in the Peninsula he received the war medal and five clasps.
In February 1814 Jones joined at Dauphine Island the expedition against New Orleans under Sir John Lambert, and was sent on a special mission to New Orleans under a return flag of truce. In 1815 Jones joined Wellington's army after Waterloo, was present at the capture of Paris, and commanded the engineers at Montmartre. He remained in France with the army of occupation, and was appointed a commissioner with the Prussian army under General Zieten.
On his return to England in 1818 he was quartered at Plymouth. In 1822 he obtained six months' leave of absence, and accompanied his brother John in an inspection of the Netherlands fortresses. In 1823 he was removed to Jersey, and in 1824 was appointed adjutant and field-work instructor at the royal engineer establishment at Chatham. In the same year he married Charlotte, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Hornsby, rector of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. On 29 July 1825 he was promoted first captain. In 1826 he was sent to Malta, and while stationed there he was despatched to the African coast to superintend the embarkation of some classic columns for George IV. In 1833 he was sent from Malta to Constantinople to report on the defences of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus, and on the conclusion of this duty proceeded to England overland. On his return to Malta in 1834 he was again ordered to Constantinople to prepare the necessary plans for the ambassador's residence, and returned to Malta when they were completed. In May 1835 Jones was ordered home, and on 1 July was appointed a commissioner for municipal boundaries in England. On 2 Dec. 1835 he was appointed a member of the commission for the improvement of the navigation of the river Shannon. On this commission he sat for several years, though his services were not confined to this duty. On 11 Feb. 1836 Jones was appointed first commissioner for fixing the municipal boundaries in Ireland, and on 20 Oct. the same year was made secretary to the Irish railway commission. He was also directed to report on the state of distress in co. Donegal, and was employed on special service at Dover. On 10 Jan. 1837 he received a brevet majority, and was employed in the same year on special service under the admiralty. In April 1839 he was appointed commanding royal engineer at Jersey, but in November following he was
