On 20 December 1806 two 17th Regiment companies under Lieutenant Colonel George William Hawkins marched out to reduce several forts of insurgent chiefs in the mountainous region of Bundelkand, which the Maratha had resigned to the British in 1804.

However, having been unable to pay a tribute due to the British, been offended by a judge and magistrate's cultural insensitivity, executed the low caste messenger who'd served him with a subpœna, and declined appearance at a civil tribunal as his government was not subject to British civil jurisprudence, a military force under Major General Richard Mark Dickens, 34th Regiment, was sent out to his small mud-fort at Comona (modern Kamona, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh).

[15] Dunde Khan and his garrison abandoned Comona for the fort at Gunourie (modern Ginauri, to the north of Shikarpur, Bulandshahr), upon which British forces began their approaches on 24 November.

Despard took part in the siege but,[18]: 151  the fort providing its garrison with little refuge from the shelling, Dunde Khan eventually abandoned Gunourie and escaped at about 7:00 pm on 10 December, across the river Jumna.

[12]: 33 In November 1808, Despard with his regiment joined Major General St Leger's reserve force proceeding to the river Sutlej to territorially maintain Ranjit Singh's activity and the Sikh empire to the north of it.

In April, Captain Despard marched four companies to Secrole, Benares and Mirzapore, to observe and intercept bands of Pindaree marauders in British territory, then returned in June.

[12]: 34 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.

On 19 December they encountered enemy in battle order before Jubblepore and attacked with the 8th Regiment of Native Cavalry capturing the guns in a charge and the 17th driving off the Arab infantry by bayonet causing them severe casualty.

[12]: 39 Lieutenant Colonel Despard joined the Staff of Ireland, Southern District, headquartered in Cork, as Inspecting Field Officer on 22 January 1838,[1][22]: 68  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,[23]: 51 [24] was destined for Van Dieman's Land and New South Wales[25] with new colours.

The Despards arrived at Hobart, Van Dieman's Land, on the Gilmore on 19 August 1843 with an officer, 50 soldiers of the 99th, and 249 male convicts[27] and moved on to Sydney, New South Wales, in late September.

He also refused to adopt modern drill methods, insisting on maintaining old-fashioned techniques, which reportedly caused chaos on the parade ground.

[29] 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.

The officers, the troops, contemporary newspaper reporters, and later historians attributed the carnage to Despard's incompetence: to an "ill-tempered" decision to order a storming of the unbreeched palisades.

[29][30] Following inconclusive peace negotiations, in November 1845 a new governor, George Grey, ordered Despard to begin operations against the formidable pā at Ruapekapeka.

Despard claimed that Ruapekapeka Pā had been taken by assault, an account not backed by those under his command who reported that the Māori defenders had staged an orderly and planned withdrawal.

[31] Returned to headquarters in Sydney on 13 February 1846,[32] 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.

Colonel Despard attended the ceremonial laying of the first stone, the cornerstone, on Monday, 27 May 1850, and spoke of its meaning, observing that "a good soldier who may fall in the service of His Sovereign and Country will not be forgotten, but his memory will be held in grateful recollection, by his comrades who survive to share the laurels he has assisted to purchase with his life."