Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Greenwell, Leonard
GREENWELL, Sir LEONARD (1781–1844), major-general, born in 1781, was third son of Joshua Greenwell of Kibblesworth, of the family of Greenwell of Greenwell Ford, county Durham. He entered the army by purchase as ensign in the 45th foot in 1802, became lieutenant in 1803, and captain 1804. In 1806 he embarked with his regiment in the secret expedition under General Cranford, which ultimately was sent to La Plata as a reinforcement, and took part in the operations against Buenos Ayres. He landed with the regiment in Portugal on 1 Aug. 1808, and, save on two occasions when absent on account of wounds, was present with it throughout the Peninsular campaigns from Roliça to Toulouse. He was in temporary command of the regiment during Massena's retreat from Torres Vedras, at the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro, and at the final siege and fall of Badajoz; he became regimental major after Busaco, and received a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy after the battle of Salamanca; he conducted the light troops of Picton's division at Orthez, and succeeded to the command of his regiment on the fall of Colonel Forbes at Toulouse. In the course of these campaigns he was repeatedly wounded, was shot through the body, through the neck, and through the right arm, a bullet lodged in his left arm, and another in his right leg. In 1819 Greenwell took his regiment out to Ceylon, and commanded it there for six years, but was compelled to return home through ill-health before it embarked for Burma. In 1831 he was appointed commandant at Chatham, a post he vacated on promotion to major-general 10 Jan. 1837.
Greenwell was a K.C.B. and K.C.H. He had purchased all his regimental steps but one. He died in Harley Street, Cavendish Square, London, on 11 Nov. 1844, aged 63.
[Army Lists; Philippart's Roy. Mil. Calendar, 1820, iv. 429; Gent. Mag. 1845, pt. i. 98.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.141
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 83 | i | 49-50 | Greenwell, Sir Leonard: for Cranford read Crauford |