The General Officer ranks of the British Army in the Peninsular War were:
Colonel
Major-General
Lieutenant-General
General
Field Marshal
Promotion at General Officer level was strictly by seniority and an officer's seniority was set by the date he became a lieutenant colonel. There were, however, no limits on the number of General Officers at each stage, so men with influence became Generals at quite a young age and any officers senior to them were perforce promoted as well. Very few were promoted to the lofty heights of Field Marshal and they were generally in their 60s. A general officer, however, only drew his general's salary while he was on active service. When not on active service he drew his regimental pension - ?half a lieutenant-colonel's pay.
Appointment to an active command both high and low was by parliament usually (but not always) on the recommendation of Horse Guards. This parliamentary influence was a two edged sword - relatives of loyal parliamentarians could be rewarded, but perceived failure by said relative was political death! One example of such a political disaster was the appointment of Burrard and Dalrymple to command the first Portuguese expedition. This was done under pressure from Horse Guards to prevent either Wellesley (too junior) or Moore (politically suspect) having the command. However, the Convention of Cintra, while militarily OK, was a political disaster and ensured that Wellesley's reappointment was unopposed.
The method of appointment to command, while it had many drawbacks, did mean that quite young officers could (occasionally) find themselves in command of an army. Since a general officer could not be forced to serve under a commander of lesser seniority, a young commander usually meant young divisional and brigade commanders. One of Colonel Torrens' problems during the Peninsular War was to find general officers junior to Wellesley, but experienced enough to be brigade and divisional commanders (Torrens was Military Secretary at Horse Guards and in charge of field appointments).
The alternatives to active command were few. The chief colonelcy of a regiment was a much prized appointment for an inactive general, with its associated pay and perks. The work involved was mainly adminsitrative and financial. In addition, as the Duke of York's reforms came into effect, staff positions became available both with the armies on campaign and at Horse Guards where the new positions of Quarter-Master General, Adjutant-General, Military Secretary and (later) Barrackmaster-General had to be filled. Colonial governorships tended to be filled by General Officers, particularly if there was a significant garrison. (Australia, remote and dominated by the navy, was initially governed by Naval Captains. It was only after the "Rum Rebellion" and the recall of the 103rd that an army officer governed the colony - Governor Macquarie, the commanding officer of the new garrison regiment (the 73rd).) On the whole though inactive general officers lived on their pensions and made nuisances of themselves in parliament.
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Last update 14/07/02