Sir De Lacy Evans, an old friend,[156] took occasion to defend Sir Harry from the unfounded notion that he had suffered any sort of reverse at Budhowal.
On the 4th April Sir Robert Peel wrote to inform Sir Harry Smith that, on his recommendation, the Queen had bestowed on him a Baronetcy of the United Kingdom. To the title were appended, as a special distinction, the words “of Aliwal.”[157] At the same time Sir Henry Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough were raised to the peerage as Viscount Hardinge and Baron Gough. While, however, Viscount Hardinge was further granted an annual sum of £3000, and Lord Gough one of £2000, in each case for three lives, no such material reward was given to Sir Harry Smith.
On April 6th Sir Harry was appointed a Major-General on the staff of the army in the East Indies, vice Sir R. H. Dick killed in action; and on the 7th Prince Albert and the Duke of Wellington wrote separately to acquaint him that the Queen had approved of his appointment to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath.
On April 2nd the General Court of the East India Company echoed the thanks already passed by the Board of Directors; and on April 6th the Court of Common Council of the City of London voted to Sir Harry Smith, along with Sir Henry Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough, their thanks and congratulations and the freedom of the city. The Council of the Borough of Liverpool passed resolutions of thanks on the same day.
Let us now turn to the recipient of these honours.
On 20th May Sir Harry Smith wrote to Sir Robert Peel to express his gratitude to Her Majesty for the baronetcy conferred upon him and to the House of Commons and Sir Robert himself for the honour paid him in that assembly. He could not forbear adding—
“I have been fortunate indeed to be reared in the military school of our great Duke. To meet His Grace’s unqualified approbation in the face of the world is an honour, I must admit, I have ever contended for, but never hoped to have thus realized.”
A week later he sent his thanks to the Duke himself, and also assured him “how grateful I and Juana, my Spanish wife, are, for the messages sent us.”
On 16th June he wrote from Simla to his old Peninsular friend, Major George Simmons[158]—