Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally
Thomas Arthur | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 January 1702 |
| Died | 9 May 1766 (aged 64) |
| Allegiance | France |
| Service years | 1721–1761 |
| Rank | Maréchal de France Brigadier |
| Conflicts | |
Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally, baron de Tollendal (13 January 1702 – 9 May 1766) was a French army officer. Lally commanded French forces, including two battalions of his own red-coated Regiment of Lally of the Irish Brigade, in India during the Seven Years' War. After a failed attempt to capture Madras he lost the Battle of Wandiwash to British forces under Eyre Coote and then was forced to surrender the remaining French post at Pondicherry.
After time spent as a prisoner of war in Britain, Lally voluntarily returned to France to face charges where he was beheaded for his alleged failures in India. Ultimately the jealousies and disloyalties of other officers, together with insufficient resources and limited naval support prevented Lally from securing India for France. In 1778, he was publicly exonerated by Louis XVI from his alleged crime.