John Lambert was born in 1772, the second son to a captain in the British
Royal Navy. Lambert became an ensign at nineteen and saw duty in France,
Ireland, Spain and Portugal in the sixteen years that followed. In 1811,
he became a brigade commander in the Duke of Wellington’s forces.
He was promoted to major general a year and half later and commanded troops
in numerous battles throughout France.
Lambert was to command the campaign against New
Orleans when the death of Robert Ross was
first reported. He was soon superseded by Sir Edward
Pakenham. Lambert went on to participate in the campaign, arriving
on the Louisiana coast on January 1, 1815. His regiments formed the reserve
on the day of the New Orleans battle. Command of operations fell to Lambert
after Pakenham was killed and major Generals John
Keane and Samuel Gibbs were severely wounded. He called off the attack
on Jackson’s line and eventually conducted an extremely orderly evacuation
of the mainland.
Lambert reorganized his army in the weeks following the affair below New Orleans. In what would be the last confrontation of the conflict, Lambert took Fort Bowyer at Mobile on February 12. The next day he received news of the peace treaty ending the war. He was soon on his way back to England.
Lambert rejoined Wellington when fighting with Napoleon resumed later in 1815. For his performance in the Battle of Waterloo, Lambert was personally commended by Wellington. Lambert was also decorated by the British, Russian and Austrian governments. He died in 1847.
