Editing Herbert Macpherson

{{Short description|British general and recipient of the Victoria Cross}}
{{about|the British general|the American nuclear engineer|Herbert G. MacPherson|the Australian cricketer|Herbert MacPherson (cricketer)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Sir
|name= Herbert Macpherson
|birth_date=22 January 1827
|death_date=20 October 1886 (aged 59)
|birth_place= [[Ardersier]], [[Inverness-shire]]
|death_place=Prone, [[Burma]]
|placeofburial=
|image= Herbert Taylor MacPherson.jpg
|caption=Sir Herbert Macpherson
|nickname=
|allegiance= {{UK}}
|serviceyears=
|rank=[[Lieutenant-General]]
|branch={{ubl|[[File:Flag of the British Army.svg|23px]] [[British Army]]|{{army|British India|23px}}}}
|commands= [[Madras Army]]
|unit={{ubl|[[78th Highlanders]]|[[Bengal Staff Corps]]}}
|battles={{ubl|[[Anglo-Persian War]]|[[Indian Mutiny]]|[[Lushai Expedition]]|[[Jowaki Expedition]]|[[Second Anglo-Afghan War]]|[[1882 Anglo-Egyptian War]]|[[Third Anglo-Burmese War]]}}
|awards= {{ubl|[[File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]]|[[Order of the Bath]]|[[Order of the Star of India]]|[[Order of the Medjidie]] (Turkey)}}
|laterwork=
}}
[[Lieutenant-General]] '''Sir Herbert Taylor Macpherson''' {{post-nominals|VC|KCB|KCSI}} (22 January 1827 – 20 October 1886) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

==Early life==
Macpherson, was born at [[Ardersier]], near [[Fort George, Scotland|Fort George]] in Scotland, the son of an officer in the [[78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot|78th Highlanders]]. In 1845 he was commissioned [[Ensign (rank)#United Kingdom|ensign]] in his father's former regiment. Travelling with the regiment to India, he served in the [[Anglo-Persian War|Persian campaign of 1857]] and in the [[Indian Mutiny]] the following year.<ref name="dnb"/>

==Victoria Cross==
He was 30 years old, and a [[lieutenant]] in the [[78th Highlanders]] (later The [[Seaforth Highlanders]]) [[British Army]], during the [[Indian Mutiny]] when the following deed took place on 25 September 1857 at [[siege of Lucknow]] for which he was awarded the VC:
{{quote|For distinguished conduct at Lucknow, on the 25th September, 1857, in setting an example of heroic gallantry to the men of the regiment, at the period of the action, in which they captured two brass nine-pounders at the point of the bayonet.|Field Force Orders of the late Major-General Havelock, 17 October 1857<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22154|page=2957|date=18 June 1858}}</ref>}}

Promoted captain in October 1857, he served at the defence of the [[Alambagh]], and as [[brigade major]] during the final capture of Lucknow, where he was wounded. He was also promoted [[Brevet (military)|brevet]] major.<ref name="dnb"/>

==Later career==
After the Indian Mutiny, Macpherson transferred to the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]]. He served on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]] in the Black Mountain campaign of 1868, the [[Lushai Expedition]] in 1871–72, and the [[Jowaki Expedition]] of 1877. During the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]] he commanded a brigade that advanced up to [[Khyber Pass]] in 1878–79<ref name="dnb"/> and, during the second phase of the war in 1879–80, a brigade of the [[Kabul Field Force]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Sir Frederick |title=Forty-one Years in India|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16528|page=385|year=1897 |publisher=Macmillan & Co |location=London}}</ref> For his service in Afghanistan, he was given the local rank of major-general in October 1880,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24918|page=6969|date=28 December 1880 }}</ref> and made a knight commander of the [[Order of the Bath]] (KCB) in March 1881.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24944|page=975|date=1 March 1881 }}</ref>

In July 1882 Macpherson was promoted to lieutenant-general,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25148|page=4303|date=19 September 1882 }}</ref> and given command of the Indian contingent that served in the [[Anglo-Egyptian War|Egypt campaign]], including the [[battle of Tell El Kebir]].<ref name="dnb"/> For this, he was made a knight commander of the [[Order of the Star of India]] (KCSI) in November 1882,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25169|page=5167|date=17 November 1882 }}</ref> and the Turkish [[Order of the Medjidie]], second class.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25169|page=5168|date=17 November 1882 }}</ref>

Returning to India, in March 1886 he became Commander-in-Chief of the [[Madras Army]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=3VQTAAAAYAAJ&dq=Major-General+McDowall+madras&pg=PA123 The India List and India Office List]</ref> and, after travelling to Burma to take command during the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]], he died of fever on the steamer ''[[Irrawaddy Flotilla Company|Irrawaddy]]'', on 20 October 1886.<ref name="dnb">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Macpherson, Herbert Taylor |first=Henry Manners |last=Chichester|volume=35}}</ref>

==Family==
Herbert's father was Col Duncan MacPherson of the 78th Regt, Herbert had 10 siblings all apparently without a mother. His elder brother being Maj Gen Sir James Duncan MacPherson KCB, In 1859, he married Maria Eckford, daughter of Lieutenant-general [[James Eckford]], C.B.<ref name="dnb"/> they had 3 children, 1 daughter and 2 sons, both his sons served as officers in the Army

==The medal==
Macpherson's awards, including his Victoria Cross, are displayed at the Regimental Museum of Queen's Own Highlanders at [[Fort George, Scotland|Fort George]], [[Inverness-shire]], Scotland.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.britishmedals.net/people/macpherson.html |work=British medals |title=People |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826022523/http://www.britishmedals.net/people/people.html |archive-date=26 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ccseafor.htm |title=Victoria Cross holders and their known medal location |website=victoriacross.org.uk |access-date=11 September 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite ODNB|first1=H. M.|last1=Chichester|title=Macpherson, Sir Herbert Taylor|first2=James|last2=Falkner |id= 17726}}
* [https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1995-04-65-1 Major General Herbert Taylor Macpherson, VC, c.1886 Edward Deanes and Edmund Havell the younger.] Portrait at [[National Army Museum]]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Sir Frederick Roberts]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Madras Army|C-in-C, Madras Army]]|years=1886}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Charles George Arbuthnot|Sir Charles Arbuthnot]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{authority control}}
{{Royal Regiments of Scotland}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macpherson, Herbert Taylor}}
[[Category:1827 births]]
[[Category:1886 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Nairn]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Highland (council area)]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Scottish knights]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 2nd class]]
[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Anglo-Egyptian War]]
[[Category:78th Highlanders officers]]
[[Category:Scottish generals]]
[[Category:British Army lieutenant generals]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Anglo-Persian War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Burmese War]]
[[Category:Bengal Staff Corps officers]]
[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]