{{Short description|British Army officer (1776–1810)}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Brigadier-General | name = James Catlin Craufurd | birth_date = 23 January 1776 | death_date = 25 September 1810 | birth_place = | death_place = Abrantes, Portugal | image = | caption = | nickname = | allegiance = United Kingdom | service_years = | rank = Brigadier-General | branch = British Army | commands = | unit = | battles = {{Tree list}} * War of the Third Coalition ** Hanover Expedition * Peninsular War ** Roliça ** Vimeiro ** Corunna ** Bussaco {{Tree list/end}} | awards = Gold Medals:<br>Roliça & Vimeiro<br>Corunna<ref>Nicolas, Nicholas Harris (1842). [https://www.google.es/books/edition/History_of_the_Orders_of_Knighthood_of_t/EnSQ4qxmICIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=James+Catlin+Craufurd&pg=RA2-PR18& ''History of the Orders of Knighthood of the British Empire...'', p. xviii. J. Hunter.] ''Google Books''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref> }} '''James Catlin Craufurd''' (23 January 1776 – 25 September 1810<ref>Glover, Gareth (2005). [https://www.google.es/books/edition/Wellington_s_Lieutenant_Napoleon_s_Gaole/xbXNDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=James+Catlin+Craufurd&pg=PT480& ''Wellington's Lieutenant Napoleon's Gaoler: The Peninsula Letters & St Helena Diaries of Sir George Rideout Bingham'', footnote 85. Pen & Sword Books.] ''Google Books''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref>) was a British Army officer who saw action as the commander of one of Sir Arthur Wellesley's brigades in Portugal at the Battle of Roliça (August 1808), the first battle fought by the British Army during the Peninsular War.<ref group=note>Not to be confused with Lt Col Henry Craufurd, who also fought at Roliça and Vimeiro and was killed at St Sebastian, nor with Ronald Craufurd Ferguson, who also led a brigade at Roliça, nor with Maj Gen Robert Craufurd, famous commander of the Light Division, who also served under Wellington during the Peninsular War and was killed at Ciudad Rodrigo (Nicolas, 1842).</ref>

==Career== In 1791, James Catlin Craufurd, then living in New York City,<ref name=mcguigan/> purchased a commission as an ensign in the 24th Foot, stationed in Canada. In October 1793 he became a captain in the 30th Foot, stationed in the Mediterranean. In 1796 he was appointed a major in the 98th Regiment of Foot<ref name=mcguigan/> and, the following year, at the age of 21, he purchased his lieutenant-colonelcy<ref name=mcguigan/> of the regiment, under Duncan Campbell,<ref>War Office (1798).[https://www.google.es/books/edition/A_List_of_the_Officers_of_the_Army_and_M/w4RYAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=James+Catlin+Craufurd&pg=PA285& ''A List of the Officers of the Army and Marines...'', p. 286.] ''Google Books''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref> and went with his regiment to the Cape Colony, where he served as aide-de-camp to the governor, George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney.<ref name=mcguigan/>

In 1803, the regiment returned to Britain and was stationed at Lewes where, in October 1805, Craufurd was promoted to colonel, in the same promotion as William Anson, Robert Craufurd and John Le Marchant, among others.<ref name=burnham/> Later that year, the regiment formed part of the expeditionary force sent to Hanover and then shortly afterwards, to Ireland, before embarking for Portugal in June 1808.<ref name=mcguigan/>

===Peninsular War=== {{Main|Peninsular War}} After having served under Wellesley at Roliça (August 1808) and, a few days later, at Vimeiro, Craufurd went on to serve under Sir John Moore at Corunna (January 1809), where he led the 3rd Brigade of John Hope's 2nd Division.<ref name=burnham/> He was promoted to brigadier general in July 1809, together with Robert Craufurd.<ref name=burnham>Burnham, Robert; Ron McGuigan (2010). [https://www.google.es/books/edition/The_British_Army_Against_Napoleon/twOSAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=James+Catlin+Craufurd&pg=PA262& ''The British Army Against Napoleon: Facts, Lists and Trivia, 1805-1815'', pp. 37–8, 262. Pen & Sword Books.] ''Google Books''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref>

At Bussaco (September 1810), Craufurd led the 3rd Brigade of Maj Gen Rowland Hill's 2nd Division.<ref name=oman3>Oman, Charles (1908). [https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/55231/pg55231-images.html ''A History of the Peninsular War'', Vol. III, p. 545.] ''Project Gutenberg''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref>

==Death== In September 1809, Craufurd's brigade was tasked with guarding the right flank of the British Army along the Guadiana River, an area of marshy ground that gave its name to a form of malaria. A year later, the brigade had lost a quarter of its force due to the disease, and General Craufurd died of it on 25 September 1810.<ref name=mcguigan/>

==Family== James Catlin Craufurd was the illegitimate son of James Craufurd,<ref name=mcguigan>McGuigan, Ron; Robert Burnham (2017). [https://www.google.es/books/edition/Wellington_s_Brigade_Commanders/64ElDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=James+Catlin+Craufurd&pg=PT94& ''Wellington's Brigade Commanders: Peninsula and Waterloo'' (online edition). Pen & Sword Books.] ''Google Books''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref> equerry to Queen Charlotte (1766–94) and governor of Bermuda (1794–6),<ref>Namier, Lewis. [https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/craufurd-james-1744-1811 "Craufurd, James (c.1744-1811)".] ''The History of Parliament''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref> of the Craufurds of Auchinames, County of Ayr. He considered his father's brother, John "Fish" Craufurd, an influential member of Parliament, his guardian,<ref name=mcguigan/> and it was he who took charge of James Catlin Craufurd's family following the latter's death in Portugal.<ref name=mcguigan/>

While in South Africa, James Catlin Craufurd had married Anne Elizabeth Barnard in 1799. The couple had four daughters and two sons.<ref name=mcguigan/> In 1828, one of his daughters, Isabella Letitia, married Henry William Barnard.<ref>Boase, Frederic (1892). [https://www.google.es/books/edition/Modern_English_Biography/lt-eECZZXWwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=James+Catlin+Craufurd&pg=PA171& ''Modern English Biography...'', Volume 1, p. 171.] ''Google Books''. Accessed 12 April 2025.</ref>

==Notes== {{Reflist|group=note}}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craufurd, James Catlin}} Category:British Army brigadier-generals Category:British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Category:British Army personnel of the Peninsular War Category:1776 births Category:1810 deaths