Evans, SIR DE LACY

Evans, SIR DE LACY, general, was born in Ireland in 1787, and, entering the army at twenty, saw three years' service in India and three in the Peninsula. In 1814 he was present at the capture of Washington, the attack on Baltimore, and the operations before New Orleans; in 1815 at Waterloo. An advanced Liberal, he sat for Rye in 1831-32, and for Westminster in 1833-65, with the exception of 1841-46. During 1835-37 he commanded the 'Spanish Legion,' 10,000 strong, for the young Queen Isabella against the Carlists, Evans' chief military exploits being the storm and capture of the Carlist lines of Ayetta, near St Sebastian, the storm and capture of Irún, and the capture of Oyarzun and Fontarabia. In 1854, on the declaration of war against Russia, he was appointed to command the second division of the army sent out to the Crimea, with the rank of lieutenant-general. His division was hotly engaged in the battle of the Alma, and Evans received a severe contusion of the shoulder. On 26th October, during the siege of Sebastopol, his division was attacked by a force of 6000 Russians. Evans met the enemy with great gallantry, and drove them back into the town. Invalided home in February 1855, he received the thanks of the House of Commons, and was created a G.C.B. He died 9th January 1870.