Army Gold Medal for Java awarded to Lieutenant General Sir Samuel Auchmutry, 1811

Samuel Auchmuty (1756-1822) was from a loyalist New York family and during the American War of Independence (1775-1783) was commissioned in the 45th Foot. When his regiment returned to England after the war he exchanged into the 52nd Foot before proceeding to India. While there he took part in the wars against Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.

In 1800 he was made Lieutenant-Colonel and brevet colonel; and in the following year, as adjutant-general to Sir David Baird in Egypt, took part in the capture of Alexandria. On his return to England in 1803 he was knighted, and three years later he went out to the Rio de la Plata as a brigadier-general. Auchmuty was one of the few officers who came out of the disastrous Buenos Aires Expedition (1806-1807) with reputation intact. In 1810 he was appointed to command at Madras.

In 1811 he commanded the expedition against the Dutch East Indian island of Java. The storming of Meester Cornelis (28 August 1811), stubbornly defended by a Dutch garrison under General Jan Willem Janssens, secured the island, and after the action of Samarang (8 September 1811) Janssens surrendered. Auchmuty received the thanks of Parliament, a KCB and promotion to lieutenant general. In 1822 he became Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, and a member of the Irish privy council.