Book overview
LANDMANN (1779-1854) became a cadet at the Royal Military Academy 16 April 1798, and obtained at second lieutenant in the royal engineers 1 May 1795.Stationed at Plymouth and Falmouth, he was employed in the fortification of St. Nicholas Island at the former, and Pendennis Castle and St. Mawes at the latter place. He was promoted first lieutenant on 3 June 1797, was sent to Canada at the end of that year, and was employed until the end of 1800 in the construction of fortifications at St. Joseph, Lake Huron, Upper Canada. In 1801 and 1802 he was employed in cutting a new canal at the Cascades on the river St. Lawrence. On 13 July 1802 he was promoted captain-lieutenant, and at the end of the year returned to England, when he was stationed at Portsmouth and Gosport, and employed in the fortifications. On 10 July 1804 he was promoted second captain, and in December 1805 embarked at Portsmouth with troops for Gibraltar. On 1 July 1806 he was promoted captain. In the summer of 1808 he embarked as commanding royal engineer with General Spencer's corps of seven thousand men from Gibraltar, and landed in August at Mondego Bay to join Sir Arthur Wellesley. He was then attached to the light brigade under Brigadier-general Hon. H. Fane, was present at the battle of Roleia (17 Aug.), when he succeeded Captain Elphinstone, who was wounded, in the command of the royal engineers. He made a plan of the battle for Sir Arthur Wellesley, which was sent home with despatches. He reconnoitred the field of Vimeiro, and commanded his corps at the battle on 21 Aug. In September he was sent to Paniche to report on that fortress, and when Major Fletcher went to Spain with Sir John Moore, he assumed the command of his corps in Portugal. In December he was sent to construct a bridge of boats at Abrantes, on the Tagus, another at Punhete, on the Zezere, and a flying bridge at Villa Velha, and to reconnoitre the country about Idanha Nora, &c. The bridges were completed in five days. On his return to Lisbon he was in February 1809, sent overland with despatches to Bartholomew Frere, the British minister at Seville, and thence, as commanding engineer, to join the corps of General Mackenzie. Soon after Landmann's arrival at Cadiz an
