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{{short description|British general and Victoria Cross recipient}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Sir Charles John Stanley Gough
|image= Charles John Stanley Gough circa 1879.jpg
|caption= Charles Gough, circa 1879
|birth_date= {{birth date|1832|1|28|df=y}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|1912|9|6|1832|1|28|df=y}}
|birth_place= [[Chittagong]], India
|death_place= [[Clonmel]], [[County Tipperary]], Ireland
|placeofburial= St Patrick's Cemetery, [[Clonmel]]
|nickname=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch=[[Bengal Army]] [[British Indian Army]]
|serviceyears= 1848–1895
|rank= [[General (United Kingdom)|General]]
|unit=
|commands=
|battles= [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]] [[Indian Mutiny]] [[Bhutan War]] [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]]
* [[Battle of Ali Masjid]]
|awards= [[Victoria Cross]] [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
|relations= [[Hugh Henry Gough|Sir Hugh Gough]] (brother) [[Hubert Gough|Sir Hubert Gough]] (son) [[John Gough (VC)|Sir John Gough]] (son)
|laterwork=
}}
[[General (United Kingdom)|General]] '''Sir Charles John Stanley Gough''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|VC|GCB}} ({{IPAc-en|ɡ|ɒ|f}} {{respell|GOF}}; 28 January 1832 – 6 September 1912) was a senior [[British Indian Army]] officer and a recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

==Early life==
Gough was born into a family of [[Anglo-Irish]] [[landed gentry|gentry]] in [[Chittagong]], [[Bengal]], [[British India]] on 28 January 1832.<ref name=odnb>{{cite web|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/33487|title=Gough, Sir Charles John Stanley|last=Rait |first=R.S.|publisher=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
At age 16, Gough moved back to India,{{from where?|date=February 2021}} joined the [[8th Lancers|8th Bengal Cavalry]], and served through the [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]].<ref name="Chisholm">{{cite book |title= The Britannica Year Book|last=Chisholm |first=Hugh |year= 1913|publisher=The Encyclopædia Britannica Company |url= https://archive.org/details/britannicayearb01chisgoog|quote= Charles John Stanley Gough.|page= [https://archive.org/details/britannicayearb01chisgoog/page/n382 548]}}</ref> By the age of 25, he was a [[major]] in the [[5th Bengal European Cavalry]].

During the [[Indian Mutiny]], Gough and his brother [[Hugh Henry Gough|Hugh]] were members of the [[Corps of Guides (British India)|Guides Corps]], where they took part in the [[Siege of Lucknow]] and Gough was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] (VC) for deeds which included saving his brother.<ref name="Chisholm"/> The award was announced on 21 October 1859, and the citation read:

{{quote|5th Bengal European Cavalry, Major Charles John Stanley Gough

Date of Acts of Bravery, 15th and 18th August, 1857, and 27th January, and 23rd February, 1858

First, for gallantry in an affair at Khurkowdah, near Rhotuck, on the 15 August 1857, while serving with [[4th Horse (Hodson's Horse)|Hodson's Horse]], in which he saved his brother, who was wounded, and killed two of the Enemy.

Secondly, for gallantry on 18 August, when he led a Troop of the Guide Cavalry in a charge, and cut down two of the Enemy's Sowars, with one of whom he had a desperate hand to hand combat.

Thirdly, for gallantly on 27 January 1858, at Shumshabad, where, in a charge, he attacked one of the Enemy's leaders and pierced him with his sword, which was carried out of his hand in the melee. He defended himself with his revolver, and shot two of the Enemy.

Fourthly, for gallantry on 23 February, at Meangunge, where he came to the assistance of Brevet-Major O. H. St. George Anson, and killed his opponent, immediately afterwards cutting down another of the Enemy in the same gallant manner.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22318|page=3792|date=21 October 1859}}</ref>}}

After the Mutiny, Gough continued to serve as a cavalry officer with the Indian Army, and took part in the [[Bhutan War]] of 1864–5.<ref name=odnb/>

On the outbreak of the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]] in November 1878, Gough was appointed a brigade commander in the [[Peshawar Valley Field Force]], which invaded Afghanistan via the [[Khyber Pass]]. In December 1879 he led a column to relieve the [[Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment]], his advance precipitating an Afghan assault on the Sherpur garrison, which failed before his arrival. To mark his service during the war, Gough was made a Knight Commander of the [[Order of the Bath]] (KCB) in 1881.<ref name=odnb/>

Gough then held a number of senior posts, including command of the Hyderabad contingent from 1881 to 1885, and the Allahabad division from 1886 to 1890.<ref name=odnb/>

In April 1894 Gough achieved the rank of [[General (United Kingdom)|general]],<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26519|page=3257|date=5 June 1894}}</ref> and in 1895 was made a Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]] (GCB),<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26628|page=3079|date=25 May 1895}}</ref> retiring to Ireland the same year.<ref name=odnb/>

He died on 6 September 1912 aged 80 in [[Clonmel]], [[County Tipperary]] in Ireland.<ref name=odnb/>

==Family==
He was the son of Judge George Gough and Charlotte Margaret Becher; brother of General [[Hugh Henry Gough|Sir Hugh Gough]] and great-nephew of Field Marshal [[Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough|The 1st Viscount Gough]].

On 16 June 1870 he married Harriette Anastasia de la Poer. They had six children, of whom only two, the future General Sir [[Hubert Gough|Hubert de la Poer Gough]] and Brigadier General Sir [[John Gough (British Army officer)|John Edmond Gough]], survived to adulthood.<ref name=odnb/>

==Medals==
His medals, including the VC, are on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the [[Imperial War Museum]], [[London]].<ref name="Ashcroft">{{cite web |url=http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/vvashim2.htm |title=Lord Ashcroft VC collection |access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58597469 Obituary in The Register, Adelaide, 9 September 1912]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041226111134/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/ireland.htm Location of grave and VC medal] ''([[County Tipperary]], Ireland)''
*[https://archive.org/details/afghanwargoughs00swyngoog The Afghan War: Gough's Action at Futtehabad (1880)] at [[Internet Archive]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gough, Charles John Stanley}}
[[Category:1832 births]]
[[Category:1912 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]
[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:People from Chittagong]]
[[Category:British East India Company Army officers]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Bhutan War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Sikh War]]
[[Category:Corps of Guides (India) officers]]
[[Category:Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross]]

Charles John Stanley Gough - Revision history

Bot at 08:36, 1 November 2022