Sidney Smith (Royal Navy officer)

Sir Sidney Smith
Sir Sidney Smith
	Commodore Smith wounded at Alexandria 1801.
Born	21 June 1764; Westminster, London, England
Died	26 May 1840 (aged 75); Paris, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1777–1815
Rank	Admiral
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Cape St. Vincent; Battle of the Chesapeake; Battle of the Saintes; ; Russo-Swedish War Battle of Vyborg Bay; Battle of Svensksund; ; French Revolutionary Wars Siege of Toulon; Capture of Îles Saint-Marcouf; Atlantic Campaign; Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign Siege of Acre; Battle of Abukir; Battle of Alexandria; Siege of Cairo; Siege of Alexandria; ; ; Napoleonic Wars Channel Coast Campaign; Battle of Ostend; Raid on Boulogne; Invasion of Naples; Battle of Maida; Dardanelles Campaign; Mediterranean Campaign; ; Peninsular War Evacuation of the Portuguese Royal Family; ; Hundred Days Reduction of the French Fortresses; Occupation of Paris; ;
Awards	Order of the Sword; Order of the Tower and Sword; Knight Commander of the Bath

Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith GCB GCTE KmstkSO FRS (21 June 1764 – 26 May 1840) was a British naval and intelligence officer. Serving in the American and French revolutionary wars and Napoleonic Wars, he rose to the rank of Admiral.

Smith was known for his outspoken character and penchant for acting on his own initiative, which caused a great deal of friction with many of his superiors and colleagues. His military skill, personal intelligence and enterprise led to his involvement in a variety of tasks which involved warfare, diplomacy and espionage. He became a hero in Britain for leading the successful defence of Acre in 1799, thwarting Napoleon's plans of further conquest in the Sinai.

Napoleon Bonaparte, reminiscing later in his life, said of him: "That man made me miss my destiny".^[1]^[2]

^ Pocock 1998, p. 114.
^ Thiers, Adolphe (1839). Histoire de la Révolution française (in French). Vol. 10 (13th ed.). Paris, France: Furne et Cie. p. 299. From p. 299: "Mais son regret fut tel, que malgré sa destinée inouïe, on lui a entendu répéter souvent, en parlant de Sidney-Smith: Cet homme m'a fait manquer ma fortune." (But his [i.e., Napoleon's] regret was such that despite his extraordinary destiny, one heard him often repeat, in speaking of Sidney-Smith: That man made me miss my chance.)

[FOOTNOTEPocock1998114-1] Pocock 1998, p. 114.

[2] Thiers, Adolphe (1839). Histoire de la Révolution française (in French). Vol. 10 (13th ed.). Paris, France: Furne et Cie. p. 299. From p. 299: "Mais son regret fut tel, que malgré sa destinée inouïe, on lui a entendu répéter souvent, en parlant de Sidney-Smith: Cet homme m'a fait manquer ma fortune." (But his [i.e., Napoleon's] regret was such that despite his extraordinary destiny, one heard him often repeat, in speaking of Sidney-Smith: That man made me miss my chance.)

[1]

[2]

Sir Sidney Smith
Commodore Smith wounded at Alexandria 1801.
Born	(1764-06-21)21 June 1764 Westminster, London, England
Died	26 May 1840(1840-05-26) (aged 75) Paris, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1777–1815
Rank	Admiral
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Cape St. Vincent Battle of the Chesapeake Battle of the Saintes Russo-Swedish War Battle of Vyborg Bay Battle of Svensksund French Revolutionary Wars Siege of Toulon Capture of Îles Saint-Marcouf Atlantic Campaign Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign Siege of Acre Battle of Abukir Battle of Alexandria Siege of Cairo Siege of Alexandria Napoleonic Wars Channel Coast Campaign Battle of Ostend Raid on Boulogne Invasion of Naples Battle of Maida Dardanelles Campaign Mediterranean Campaign Peninsular War Evacuation of the Portuguese Royal Family Hundred Days Reduction of the French Fortresses Occupation of Paris
Awards	Order of the Sword Order of the Tower and Sword Knight Commander of the Bath