an
illegitimate son of General John Burgoyne (_q.v._). He was educated at Eton
and Woolwich, obtained his commission in 1798, and served in 1800 in the
Mediterranean. In 1805, when serving on the staff of General Fox in Sicily,
he was promoted second captain. He accompanied the unfortunate Egyptian
expedition of 1807, and was with Sir John Moore in Sweden in 1808 and in
Portugal in 1808-9. In the Corunna campaign Burgoyne held the very
responsible position of chief of engineers with the rear-guard of the
British army (see PENINSULAR WAR). He was with Wellesley at the Douro in
1809, and was promoted captain in the same year, after which he was engaged
in the construction of the lines of Torres Vedras in 1810. He blew up Fort
Concepcion on the river Turones, and was present at Busaco and Torres
Vedras. In 1811 he was employed in the unsuccessful siege of Badajoz, and
in 1812 he won successively the brevets of major and lieutenant-colonel,
for his skilful performance of engineer duties at the historic sieges of
Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. He was present in the same year (1812) at the
siege and battle of Salamanca, and after the battle of Vittoria in 1813 he
became commanding engineer on Lord Wellington's staff. At the close of the
war he received the C.B., a reward which, he justly considered, was not
commensurate with his services. In 1814-1815 he served at New Orleans and
Mobile. Burgoyne was largely employed, during the long peace which followed
Waterloo, in other public duties as well as military work. He sat on
numerous commissions, and served for fifteen years as chairman of the Irish
board of public works. He became a major-general and K.C.B. in 1838, and
inspector-general of fortifications in 1845. In 1851 he was promoted
lieutenant-general, and in the following year received the G.C.B. When the
Crimean War broke out he accompanied Lord Raglan's headquarters to the
East, superintended the disembarkation at Old Fort, and was in effect the
principal engineer adviser to the English commander during the first part
of the siege of Sevastopol. He was recalled early in 1855, and though he
was at first bitterly criticized by the public for his part in the earlier
and unsuccessful operations against the fortress the wisdom of his advice
was ultimately recognized. In 1856 he was created a baronet, and promoted
to the full rank of general. In 1858 he was present at the second funeral
of Napoleon I. as Queen Victoria's represent