Sidney Smith (admiral)

Sir William Sidney Smith KCB (21 June, 1764 – 26 May, 1840) was the British admiral of whom Napoleon Bonaparte said, "That man made me miss my destiny".

Portugal and Brazil

In October 1807, Spain and France signed a treaty to divide Portugal between them. In November 1807, Smith was appointed to command an expedition to Lisbon, either to assist the Portuguese in resisting the attack or to destroy the Portuguese fleet blockade the harbour at Lisbon should that be unsuccessful. Smith arranged for the Portuguese fleet to sail for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at that time a Portuguese colony. He was involved in planning an attack on the Spanish colonies in South America, in combination with the Portuguese, but contrary to his orders, but he was recalled to Britain in 1809 before any of the plans could be carried out. He received much popular acclaim for his actions and treated as a hero but the government continued to be suspicious of him and he was not given any official honours. Smith was promoted to Vice Admiral on 31 July 1810. In the Royal Navy of the time promotion was automatic and based on seniority, not a specific reward for good service. Later that year in October 1810, he married Caroline Rumbold, the widow of a diplomat and intelligence agent, Sir George Rumbold, who Smith had worked with.

Related Topics:
Portugal - Lisbon - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil - South America - 1809 - 31 July - 1810 - George Rumbold

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