Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/MacGregor, Charles Metcalfe
MACGREGOR, Sir CHARLES METCALFE (1840–1887), major-general, born at Agra in 1840, second son of Robert Guthrie MacGregor, was brought up in Perthshire and was educated at Marlborough College. As ensign in the 57th Bengal N.I. he was present at the outbreak. of the mutiny at Firozpur in 1857, and took .part in the pursuit of the 10th light cavalry. He was engaged in the final operations at the siege of Delhi, accompanied Colonel Gerrard's column at the taking of Rewari; at Kariaonda, and in the action of Narnoul, where he captured a gun, cutting down one of the gunners. MacGregor next distinguished himself, when under Sir T. Seaton's command, in hand-to-hand combats at Gangeri, Patiali, and Manipuri. He also served with Lord Clyde's army throughout the siege, and storming of Lucknow (where his elder brother had recently died during the defence of the residency), and killed a Sepoy after a desperate encounter. He accompanied Sir Hope Grant's force to the north of Lucknow, where he fought at Bari, and then in many other minor skirmishes was always noticeable for his gallant disregard of danger.
In August 1858 MacGregor was given the command of a squadron of Hodson's horse and after crossing a river near Daryabad, under a heavy fire, with only seventy sabres, he charged the enemy and captured a gun, his horse being killed and himself severely wounded. On recovery he rejoined Sir Hope Grant's force, with which he was present at the passage of the Gogra, in actions at Wazirgaon, Machligaon, Bankasia, and in the operations across the Rapti river. In 1859 he led the advance guard of Sir A. Horsford's expedition, charged the enemy three times at Sarwaghat, where he killed four Sepoys in hand-to-hand fight, having his horse wounded. Subsequently, while serving with Brigadier HoldicVs column, he captured Murad Baksh, the famous rebel chief, who had opened fire on the English women at Cawnpore. In 1860 MacGregor, having joined Fane's horse (now 19th Bengal lancers), served in it through the campaign in China. At Sinho he charged the Tartar cavalry, thereby saving Sterling's battery, was very severely wounded, and specially recommended for his gallantry. Still suffering from his wounds, he took part in the fighting near Tungchow and at the capture of Pekin.
On returning to India in 1861 MacGregor was made second in command of Hodson's horse (10th Bengal cavalry), with which he stayed until 1864. In 1864 he served with General Dunsford's column of the Bhutan field force as brigade-major, and was severely wounded at the assault of Dalingkot and again at Chamorchi, Bala (another dangerous wound), and Nagoh. He conducted a daring reconnaissance from Datmah to Chirang, and was mentioned in despatches. He was appointed deputy assisant quartermaster-general of the eastern frontier, on the conclusion of the campaign.
In 1867-8 MacGregor was employed with the advanced guard reconnoitring with the Abyssinian expedition under Sir Robert Napier, and took an active part in the fight at Arogi and at the capture of Magdala. In 1868 MacGregor was engaged in compiling the 'Gazetteer of Central Asia' for the Indian government. The work occupied him five years, after which he was employed as director-general of transport during the famine in North Behar. He was member of the ordnance commission in 1874, and assistant quarterma8ter-generalof the Rawalpindi division in February 1875.
In April 1875 MacGregor made an adventurous ride by an unknown route from the Persian Gulf to Sarakhs, within a few miles of Herat, in order to obtain information concerning the Afghan frontier. Proceeding to England, he was gazetted a companion of the Star of India, and at Lord Salisbury's request undertook a yet more hazardous exploration through Baluchistan in company with Captain Lockwood. The results of these travels were published in two works, viz. 'Narrative of a Journey through the Province of Khorassan,' 1879, and 'Wanderings in Baluchistan,' 1882. At the commencement of the second Afghan war, in 1878, MacGregor was entrusted with special duty, in charge of the Khaibar line of communications, and he was with General Maude's expedition against the Zakha Khels in the Bazar Valley as chief of the staff. Later he was appointed chief of the staff to Sir Samuel Browne, with whom he made the advance from Jalalabad to Gandamak ; and after the conclusion of the treaty he conducted the arrangements for the retirement of the Peshawar Valley field force until it was broken up. He received the order of the Indian Empire in 1878, and was made a C.B. for the Afghan campaign. When the second phase of the war broke out, MacGregor was appointed chief of the staff to Sir Frederick Roberts, accompanied the advance from Ali Khel in Kuram, across the Shutargardan, and took an active share in the action of Charasia, capture of Cabul, and occupation of the Sherpur cantonment. On 11 Dec. 1879 Macgregor recaptured from the enemy the four abandoned guns of Smith-Windham's battery at Kala-i-Aoshar outside Cabul, and took a leading part in the defence of Sherpur and the subsequent fighting in Maidan and Wardak. When Sir Donald Stewart arrived from Kandahar, MacGregor became his chief of the staff until the defeat at Maiwand. He afterwards commanded the 3rd infantry brigade of Sir F. Roberts's Kabul-Kandahar field force during the trying march to Kandahar, and at the final victory over Ayub Khan's army on the banks of the Argandab.
At the close of the campaign MacGregor (now brigadier-general) marched a column through the Mari country, and on returning to Simla received the knighthood of the Bath and was made quartermaster-general in India. Proceeding to England he super-intended the compilation of the 'History of the Second Afghan War' (6 vols. 1885-6), which was, however, suppressed by the Indian government. He returned to India in 1884. During his tenure of office the intelligence department was brought to a high pitch of perfection, and means for the speedy mobilisation of army corps in case of emergency were first organised. MacGregor's work, 'The Defence of India,' privately printed in 1884, was acknowledged to be the most perfect work of its kind, but was rigorously suppressed by the government. In 1885 MacGregor was appointed general officer commanding the Punjab frontier force, but his health soon broke down, and he died at Cairo, a few days after his promotion to the rank of major-general, on 5 Feb. 1887. His body was brought to Scotland and interred at Glengyle, on the shores of Loch Katrine, in his ancestral burying-ground. Lord Dufferin, a personal friend, said of General MacGregor: 'Not among the many distinguished captains I have known could I mention one who came nearer — in martial bearing, love of his profession, devotion to duty, and knowledge of the art of war — to the ideal of a powerful, chivalrous warrior.'
MacGregor married first in 1869 Frances Mary, youngest daughter of Sir Henry Durand ; she died on passage to England, 9 May 1873, leaving one daughter. MacGregors second wife, whom he married in February 1883, and who survived him, was Charlotte Mary, second daughter of Frederick W. Jardine.
[The Life and Opinions of Major-General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, Quartermaster-General in India, edited by Lady MacGregor, 2 vols. 1888, including a bibliography of the numerous professional memoirs published by General MacGregor.]