Major General Henry Despard CB (October 1783 – 30 April 1859) was a British Army officer of the 17th Regiment of Foot (1799–1838), Staff of Ireland (1838–1842) and 99th Regiment of Foot (1842–1854). He saw action in Third Anglo-Maratha War in India and, in his later years, in the Flagstaff, or Northern, War in New Zealand. In 1845 he commanded British troops in a disastrous assault on the Māori pā at Ōhaeawai.
Henry Despard, born October 1783 at Laurel Hill, Mountrath, Queens County, Ireland, was the son of Captain Phillip Despard and Letitia Croasdaile. Phillip, an officer of the 7th Regiment of Foot, was one of five brothers from a prominent Anglo-Irish family of Huguenot descent who served in the British military. The eldest brother, John Despard (1745–1829), rose to the rank of full General, while another, Colonel Edward Despard gained notoriety as a United Irishman and republican agitator and was executed in London for treason in 1803.
Henry's elder brother William Despard died after the Battle of Vittoria during the Peninsula War.
Henry Despard was commissioned as Ensign in the 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot on 25 October or 18 November 1799. He served in the Mediterranean from August 1802 to 1804, then sailed with the 17th Regiment, which embarked from the Isle of Wight, for the East Indies in July 1804. The 17th Regiment arrived at Fort William, Calcutta, in December 1804. Despard participated in actions in Chumeer and Gunourie and in a Sikh campaign.
As part of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, in October 1817, 17th Regiment companies formed part of Brigadier General Frederick Hardyman's brigade ordered to march on Nagpore where British troops were surrounded. Captain Despard acted as Hardyman's Brigade Major. During this time he was mentioned in despatches. The regiment was stationed at Berhampore from 8 January 1821 to August 1822,  where Despard, Brevet Major since 12 August 1819, advanced to Major by purchase on 22 April 1822. His service in India ended in July.
Back in England he married Anne Rushworth, fourth daughter of Edward and Catherine Rushworth of Farringdon Hill, Isle of Wight, at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, on 1 June 1824. Between 1825 and 1830 they had five children of which two died in infancy.
He advanced to rank of Lieutenant Colonel through purchase on 13 August 1829. From 1830 the 17th Regiment began embarking in detachments for New South Wales, via Van Dieman's Land, to occupy various stations there. They returned to India in March 1836 and after landing at Bombay, moved on to Poona, then to a nearby camp in 1837. 
Lieutenant Colonel Despard joined the Staff of Ireland, Southern District, headquartered in Cork, as Inspecting Field Officer on 22 January 1838,  a position which he exchanged with Colonel Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant in September 1842 for command of the 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot, which stationed at Athlone, was destined for Van Dieman's Land and New South Wales with new colours.
In response to armed Māori resistance to continuing British colonisation on the North Island of New Zealand, in June 1845 Despard arrived in Auckland with two companies of his regiment. With the temporary rank of colonel on the staff of Governor Robert FitzRoy, he took command of all British troops in New Zealand in what was to be variously recorded as the Flagstaff War, the Northern War and Hōne Heke's Rebellion. Confident in his command of 600 men, the largest British force yet seen in New Zealand, he was disdainful of loyal Māori assistance when it was first offered: "When I want the help of savages I will ask for it". On 24 June his troops failed in their assault upon Ōhaeawai, the first Māori defensive position, or pā, designed to resist artillery fire. More than 100 of Despard's men were killed or wounded.
Despard left Auckland for Sydney by HEICS Elphinstone on 26 January 1846. Returned to headquarters in Sydney on 13 February 1846,] on 2 July Despard was appointed by Queen Victoria to be a Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath for his services.
Whilst commanding the forces in Van Diemen's Land, he advanced to rank of major general on 20 June 1854, commenced preparations for the return trip to England, and finally took his leave of the 99th Regiment as Commanding Officer on 12 September. The Despards sailed for London on the barque Wellington on 2 February 1855. Henry Despard died at Baring Crescent, Heavitree, Devon, England, on 30 April 1859, aged 75. [Source: Wikipedia (adapted and abbreviated)]