Thomas Plunket

Corporal Thomas Plunket (1785 – 1839) was an Irish soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Serving as a rifleman in the 95th Rifles, he fought in the British invasions of the River Plate, Peninsular War and Waterloo campaign. Plunket is best known for killing French Brigade-general Auguste François-Marie de Colbert-Chabanais at the Battle of Cacabelos at a long distance with his Baker rifle.

Early life

Thomas Plunket was born in 1785 in Newtown, County Wexford. He enlisted the British Army's 95th Rifles in May 1805, and in 1807 was sent to South America to participate in the British invasions of the River Plate. During an engagement with Spanish forces in Buenos Aires, Plunket killed approximately 20 Spanish soldiers while sniping from a rooftop alongside other members of his unit, before retreating when Spanish artillery attacked their position with grapeshot. Plunket also shot and killed a Spanish officer waving a white handkerchief who was possibly attempting to arrange a truce, which resulted in more Spanish artillery bombardments, ultimately contributing to the British surrender and the end of the invasions.

Peninsular War

In 1808, Plunket was sent to the Iberian Peninsula to fight against French forces as part of the Peninsular War. Landing in Portugal, he was part of a British army under Lieutenant-General John Moore which advanced into Spain in late 1808. However, as Napoleon personally arrived to command French forces in the conflict, Moore's army was forced to withdraw from Spain and conducted a fighting retreat to Corunna in early 1809.