Robert Rollo Gillespie was educated at Kingston, near Newmarket, and turned down the opportunity to attend Cambridge University in favor of a military career.
He secretly married Annabell, the fourth daughter of Thomas Taylor, Esq. of Taylor's Grange, County Dublin, in that county on 24 November 1786 while on leave; but upon his recall to quarters, their marriage was finally made public.
He had joined the 3rd Irish Horse in 1783 as a cornet, transferring in 1792 to the Light Dragoons with the rank of Lieutenant. He fought against the French in the Caribbean, and was made Adjutant-General of St. Domingo.
In 1804 he was transferred to India where he took command of the 19th Light Dragoons, leading them in the relief of troops in the 1806 Vellore Mutiny. In 1811 he commanded forces in the invasion of Java, after which he was appointed Commander of the Forces in that occupied territory and appointed Major-General on 01 April 1812.
In 1813, he was commander of an Army division at Meerut; one of four divisions sent against Nepal by the British East India Company. The first conflict in what became a 2-year war between Britain and Nepal began at a hill fort outside the city of Dehradun. Called Nalapani by the natives and Kalanga by the British, Gillespie began an assault on the the fort on October 31st, one day before they officially declared war.
At one point in the battle, seeing his men fall back, Gillespie moved forward to rally them, and was shot several times, the fatal ball entering his heart. He died immediately on the field at Kalanga. His body, preserved in spirits, was returned to Meerat for interment, and a monument erected to his memory by the offices who served under him.
Major-General Gillespie was posthumously knighted with a K.C.B. on 01 January 1815. Monuments honoring him were also erected at St. Paul's Cathedral, London; and in the main square of his native Comber.
Meanwhile, the British were so impressed with the fighting skills of their Nepalese adversaries, the Gurhkas, they raised a monument at the foot of the hill fort to honor them, and set about recruiting Gurhkas soldiers into the Native Infantry.
Note: While at the time General Gillespie died, Kalanga and Dheradun were a part of Nepal, they no longer are. During British rule in India, the town of Dheradun was called 'Dehra' and the district around it 'Dheradun.' Dehradun is presently the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand, India and Kalanga is now within its borders.
He secretly married Annabell, the fourth daughter of Thomas Taylor, Esq. of Taylor's Grange, County Dublin, in that county on 24 November 1786 while on leave; but upon his recall to quarters, their marriage was finally made public.
He had joined the 3rd Irish Horse in 1783 as a cornet, transferring in 1792 to the Light Dragoons with the rank of Lieutenant. He fought against the French in the Caribbean, and was made Adjutant-General of St. Domingo.
In 1804 he was transferred to India where he took command of the 19th Light Dragoons, leading them in the relief of troops in the 1806 Vellore Mutiny. In 1811 he commanded forces in the invasion of Java, after which he was appointed Commander of the Forces in that occupied territory and appointed Major-General on 01 April 1812.
In 1813, he was commander of an Army division at Meerut; one of four divisions sent against Nepal by the British East India Company. The first conflict in what became a 2-year war between Britain and Nepal began at a hill fort outside the city of Dehradun. Called Nalapani by the natives and Kalanga by the British, Gillespie began an assault on the the fort on October 31st, one day before they officially declared war.
At one point in the battle, seeing his men fall back, Gillespie moved forward to rally them, and was shot several times, the fatal ball entering his heart. He died immediately on the field at Kalanga. His body, preserved in spirits, was returned to Meerat for interment, and a monument erected to his memory by the offices who served under him.
Major-General Gillespie was posthumously knighted with a K.C.B. on 01 January 1815. Monuments honoring him were also erected at St. Paul's Cathedral, London; and in the main square of his native Comber.
Meanwhile, the British were so impressed with the fighting skills of their Nepalese adversaries, the Gurhkas, they raised a monument at the foot of the hill fort to honor them, and set about recruiting Gurhkas soldiers into the Native Infantry.
Note: While at the time General Gillespie died, Kalanga and Dheradun were a part of Nepal, they no longer are. During British rule in India, the town of Dheradun was called 'Dehra' and the district around it 'Dheradun.' Dehradun is presently the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand, India and Kalanga is now within its borders.
Robert Rollo Gillespie was educated at Kingston, near Newmarket, and turned down the opportunity to attend Cambridge University in favor of a military career.
He secretly married Annabell, the fourth daughter of Thomas Taylor, Esq. of Taylor's Grange, County Dublin, in that county on 24 November 1786 while on leave; but upon his recall to quarters, their marriage was finally made public.
He had joined the 3rd Irish Horse in 1783 as a cornet, transferring in 1792 to the Light Dragoons with the rank of Lieutenant. He fought against the French in the Caribbean, and was made Adjutant-General of St. Domingo.
In 1804 he was transferred to India where he took command of the 19th Light Dragoons, leading them in the relief of troops in the 1806 Vellore Mutiny. In 1811 he commanded forces in the invasion of Java, after which he was appointed Commander of the Forces in that occupied territory and appointed Major-General on 01 April 1812.
In 1813, he was commander of an Army division at Meerut; one of four divisions sent against Nepal by the British East India Company. The first conflict in what became a 2-year war between Britain and Nepal began at a hill fort outside the city of Dehradun. Called Nalapani by the natives and Kalanga by the British, Gillespie began an assault on the the fort on October 31st, one day before they officially declared war.
At one point in the battle, seeing his men fall back, Gillespie moved forward to rally them, and was shot several times, the fatal ball entering his heart. He died immediately on the field at Kalanga. His body, preserved in spirits, was returned to Meerat for interment, and a monument erected to his memory by the offices who served under him.
Major-General Gillespie was posthumously knighted with a K.C.B. on 01 January 1815. Monuments honoring him were also erected at St. Paul's Cathedral, London; and in the main square of his native Comber.
Meanwhile, the British were so impressed with the fighting skills of their Nepalese adversaries, the Gurhkas, they raised a monument at the foot of the hill fort to honor them, and set about recruiting Gurhkas soldiers into the Native Infantry.
Note: While at the time General Gillespie died, Kalanga and Dheradun were a part of Nepal, they no longer are. During British rule in India, the town of Dheradun was called 'Dehra' and the district around it 'Dheradun.' Dehradun is presently the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand, India and Kalanga is now within its borders.
He secretly married Annabell, the fourth daughter of Thomas Taylor, Esq. of Taylor's Grange, County Dublin, in that county on 24 November 1786 while on leave; but upon his recall to quarters, their marriage was finally made public.
He had joined the 3rd Irish Horse in 1783 as a cornet, transferring in 1792 to the Light Dragoons with the rank of Lieutenant. He fought against the French in the Caribbean, and was made Adjutant-General of St. Domingo.
In 1804 he was transferred to India where he took command of the 19th Light Dragoons, leading them in the relief of troops in the 1806 Vellore Mutiny. In 1811 he commanded forces in the invasion of Java, after which he was appointed Commander of the Forces in that occupied territory and appointed Major-General on 01 April 1812.
In 1813, he was commander of an Army division at Meerut; one of four divisions sent against Nepal by the British East India Company. The first conflict in what became a 2-year war between Britain and Nepal began at a hill fort outside the city of Dehradun. Called Nalapani by the natives and Kalanga by the British, Gillespie began an assault on the the fort on October 31st, one day before they officially declared war.
At one point in the battle, seeing his men fall back, Gillespie moved forward to rally them, and was shot several times, the fatal ball entering his heart. He died immediately on the field at Kalanga. His body, preserved in spirits, was returned to Meerat for interment, and a monument erected to his memory by the offices who served under him.
Major-General Gillespie was posthumously knighted with a K.C.B. on 01 January 1815. Monuments honoring him were also erected at St. Paul's Cathedral, London; and in the main square of his native Comber.
Meanwhile, the British were so impressed with the fighting skills of their Nepalese adversaries, the Gurhkas, they raised a monument at the foot of the hill fort to honor them, and set about recruiting Gurhkas soldiers into the Native Infantry.
Note: While at the time General Gillespie died, Kalanga and Dheradun were a part of Nepal, they no longer are. During British rule in India, the town of Dheradun was called 'Dehra' and the district around it 'Dheradun.' Dehradun is presently the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand, India and Kalanga is now within its borders.
Inscription
Vellore--Cornellis-Palimbang. Sir R.R. Gillespie, K.C.B., Djoejocarta, 31st October 1814. Kalanga.
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