Alfred Horsford

General Sir Alfred Hastings Horsford GCB (3 April 1816 – 13 September 1885) was a senior British Army officer who went on to be Military Secretary.

General Sir Alfred Horsford
"The Beau ideal" Horsford as caricatured by Spy in Vanity Fair, February 1877
Born	3 April 1816[1][2] Bath, Somerset
Died	13 September 1885 Munlochy, Scotland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Years of service	1833–1880
Rank	General
Commands	South-Eastern District
Battles / wars	Xhosa Wars Crimean War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

Monument, Kensal Green Cemetery

Military career

Horsford was born in Bath, the son of Maj.-Gen. George Horsford and Mary Ann Brocksopp.^[3] He was educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1833.^[4]

He served in the Cape Frontier War in 1847 and was Commanding Officer of 1st Bn the Rifle Brigade during the 8th Xhosa War in 1852.^[4]

He also served in the Crimean War and fought at the Battle of Alma, Battle of Inkerman, Battle of Balaklava and the early part of the Siege of Sevastopol.^[4]

He served in the repression of the Indian Mutiny, having been made Commander of the 6th Brigade at the Capture of Lucknow.^[5]

He was made Deputy Adjutant-General at Army Headquarters in 1860, a Brigade commander at Aldershot in 1866, Major-General on the General Staff at Malta in 1869 and General Officer Commanding South-Eastern District in January 1872.^[6] He went on to be Military Secretary in 1874.^[4]

In retirement he was involved in an accident when Frederick Gye, Manager of the Royal Italian Opera, was assisting Horsford over a fence. Horsford's gun went off and shot Gye in the eye.^[7]