INDENTBrigadier Sir James Tennant, K.C.B. (1789-1854), born in Ayr, entered the Bengal Army as a Cadet of Artillery, 1805; en route to the Bengal, he took part in the landing at Lospard's Bay and in the subsequent operations which resulted in the capture of the Cape Colony from the Dutch, January, 1806 and delayed his arrival at Calcutta until the following August; was posted to the 1st. Battalion and then the 3rd. Battalion Foot Artillery; became detached to Bundelkhand, December, 1807 for service with the battering train of a field force and was employed in the destruction of numerous forts and strongholds of the insurgent Bundela chiefs; he was again detached for the next four years on field service into Oude and took part in the destruction of many fortified places held by recalcitrant Zamandars; appointed Adjutant and Quarter-Master and was detailed for field service again in Bundelkhand, December, 1811; took part in the siege and capture of the fortress of Kalinjar, January and February, 1812; with a detail of the 6th Coy. 3rd Btn. Artillery, December, 1814, he joined Major General Ochterlony's force operating against the Gurkhas; attached to the siege train, he served throughout the Nepaul war of 1814-15 in the North-Western Hills, taking part in the reduction of the forts of Ramgarh, Taragarh and Chamba, and commanded the batteries in the siege and capture of Malaon which brought the campaign to an end; transferred to the 2nd. Company 1st. Battalion, 1816; appointed Brigade Major, Artillery of the 1st. Division Grand Army, December, 1817 and served throughout the Mahratta-Pindari campaign, 1817-18; Captain 1818; appointed Assistant Adjutant General of Artillery, a post he held for ten years, including service at the siege and capture of Bhurtpoore; Major 1831, Lieut. Colonel 1837; assumed command of the 6th. Battalion Artillery, 1839 until November, 1843 when he was appointed Brigadier Commanding Foot Artillery, Army of the Gwalior and was present at the battle of Maharajpoor; Lieutenant Colonel Commandant, 1845; was appointed to the command of the Artillery Division of the Army of the Punjab with the temporary rank of Brigadier General; he served with great distinction throughout the Punjab campaign, 1848-49 including the battles of Chilianwala and Goojerat.

Lord Gough, Commander-in-Chief, India, in his letter to the Governor-General, acknowledges Brigadier Tennant's services at the battle of Goojerat in the following terms:

"To Brigadier General Tennant, commanding that splendid arm, the Artillery, to whose irresistable power I am mainly indebted for the glorious victory of Gujerat, I am indeed most grateful. Conspicuous as the Artillery has ever proved itself, never was its superiority over that of the enemy, its irresistible and annihilating power, more truthfully shown than in this battle"

In recognition of his eminent services during the campaign he received the thanks of the Governor-General and subsequently of both Houses of Parliament (C.B.); at the end of hostilities, he took up the command of the Meywar Field Force at Neemuch, March, 1849 and was transferred in December of that year as Brigadier to command the troops at Mian Mir, Lahore (K.C.B., 1852). Brigadier Tennant continued in command at Mian Mir until his death in 1854.

Note: All official Bath insignia was returnable to the Central Chancellory until 1858