The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Codrington, William John

II. Sir William John, an English general, son of the preceding, born in 1800. He entered the Coldstream guards in 1821, and rose through the successive grades to the rank of major general, which he attained in 1854. His promotion having left him unattached, he joined the army in the East as an amateur, but the commander-in-chief, Lord Raglan, soon gave him the first brigade of the light division, with which he played a distinguished part at the battles of the Alma and Inkerman; and when Gen. Sir George Brown was wounded, he succeeded to the command of the light division. He directed the attack on the redan, but his conduct on that occasion subjected him to depreciating comments from some quarters. On the resignation of Gen. Simpson he was appointed to the chief command, and in that capacity brought the troops home. He was elected member of parliament for Greenwich in April, 1857, and sat till 1859, when he was appointed governor of Gibraltar. The colonelcy of the 23d fusiliers was bestowed upon him in 1860, and he was promoted to the rank of general in July, 1863.