George Murray

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General Sir George Murray

General Sir George Murray (b.1772) of Ochtertyre, Perthshire, is a well-born and cultivated Scotch gentleman who had the honour to serve Lord Wellington as quartermaster-general in the Peninsula.

There he proved himself all but indispensable to the proper conduct of the war, for he had a knack of understanding Lord Wellington’s wishes, translating them into clear, concise orders, and then seeing them expeditiously carried through. This could not but recommend him to his lordship. Altogether he and Wellington got on famously, for Murray considered Wellington to be the finest commander in the British army, and on this subject as on so many others, they thought alike.

General Murray was also noted for his tact and politeness, qualities seldom met with in a military man (and nicely demonstrated in his handling of the awkward first meeting with Jonathan Strange[29].)