One of the most popular British generals of the nineteenth century, Garnet Wolseley (1833-1913) is little known today outside of military and academic circles. Recognized in his own time for resourcefulness, bravery, and strong organizational skills, Wolseley transformed the British army into a modern fighting force.

Garnet Joseph Wolseley was born in the city of Golden Bridge, near Dublin, Ireland, on June 4, 1833. His father was a retired military man turned shopkeeper, also named Garnet. His mother was the daughter of an Irish landlord named Frances Smith. Wolseley inherited strong religious beliefs from his Protestant mother and an interest in the military from his father. After the death of his father, when Garnet was seven, his mother was left with only a small income to provide for her seven children.

Wolseley traced his ancestors to Danish marauders who invaded England before the arrival of the Normans. He wrote in...