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Lieutenant-GeneralSir Alexander Campbell, 1st Baronet,GCB(20 August 1760 – 11 December 1824) was a senior officer of theBritish Armyduring the early nineteenth century. His long and varied career saw extensive action, including engagements in Europe during theAmerican Revolutionary War,inIndiaduring theFourth Anglo-Mysore Warand subsequently in thePeninsular Waras one of theDuke of Wellington'sgenerals. Badly wounded during the Peninsular campaign, Campbell was rewarded with a knighthood and a baronetcy, later holding a number of prestigious military commands.
Alexander Campbell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 August 1760 Baleed,Perthshire,Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Died | 11 December 1824(aged 64) Madras,India |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain(to 1800) United Kingdom(from 1801) |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1776–1824 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Commands | Madras Army |
| Battles / wars | American Revolutionary War |
| Awards | Baronetcy Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Life
editAlexander Campbell was born in 1760, the son of John Campbell of Achalader, Perthshire (of a branch of the Breadalbane Campbells) and Isabella, daughter of John Campbell of Barcaldine. In 1776 at the outbreak of theAmerican Revolutionary War,16-year-old Campbellpurchaseda commission in theRoyal Regimentand by 1780 had become a captain, moving to the97th Regiment of Foot.In 1781 the 97th was ordered aboard ships of theChannel Fleetfor service as temporaryRoyal Marinesand Campbell served at theGreat Siege of Gibraltarand theBattle of Dogger Bankagainst the Dutch in the same year. He returned toGibraltarthe following year and remained there until the end of the siege in 1783, when the regiment was disbanded atHillseaand Campbell was placed on half pay. In 1787, Campbell secured a commission in a new regiment being raised for service inIndia,named the74th Regiment of Foot,sailing in 1793.[1]
In India Campbell rose rapidly through the ranks and by 1795 was a lieutenant colonel, serving in theFourth Anglo-Mysore Warin 1799 under GeneralSir Arthur Wellesleyand participating in theBattle of Seringapatamthat concluded the campaign. In the aftermath of the victory, Campbell was detached from his regiment and served in a number of military administration posts in Southern India, including governor ofSeringapatamin 1805. In 1804 his eldest son, John Morshead Campbell, had been killed at theBattle of Assayeand some months later Campbell had been stationed at the port city ofVizagapatamwhen it was attacked by a French squadron underCharles-Alexandre Durand Linois:Campbell directed the harbour's defences in theBattle of Vizagapatam,in which the French were driven off despite the loss of twoEast Indiamanmerchant ships. In 1807, Campbell returned to Europe.[1]
Campbell was appointed brigadier general and was stationed in Ireland, before joining Wellesley's army inPortugalduring thePeninsular Warin January 1809. Several months later he was wounded in the thigh at theBattle of Talavera,returning to Britain to recuperate. By January 1810 he was back with the army in Portugal as a major-general, commanding theBritish 6th Divisionat theBattle of Fuentes de Oñoro.Shortly afterwards however his health deteriorated and he returned to Britain. His second son, Allan William Campbell was killed in action in the Peninsular War, at theBattle of Soraurenin 1813. In 1812 Campbell acted as Wellington's stand in at his investiture,Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.Campbell would be inducted into the order later in the year. He was also made governor of the military forces onMauritiusandÎle Bourbonremaining there as a lieutenant-general until they were returned to the French in 1816. In 1815, Campbell was transferred at the reformation of the Order of the Bath asKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bathand was also given abaronetcy.In 1820 he was made Commander-in-Chief of theMadras Army.He died on 11 December 1824 at Madras and was interred there, the baronetcy passing to his grandson Alexander Thomas Cockburn.[1]
He was granted anaugmentation of honourto his coat of arms: above his inherited arms (Campbell quartering Lorn and Stewart) was added "a chief argent charged with a rock proper subscribed Gibraltar, between two medals for Seringapatam and Talavera" commemorating his part in theGreat Siege of Gibraltar.
Family
editIn 1783 Campbell married Olympia Elizabeth (died 1794), eldest daughter of William Morshead of Cartuther, Cornwall. They had three daughters (Olympia, Isabella, and Amelia), and two sons. The elder son, Lieutenant John Morshead Campbell was killed at theBattle of Assayein 1803 during theSecond Anglo-Maratha War,{{efn|Stuart Reid in the ODNB states "Lieutenant John Morshead Campbell, was killed in action at Assaye in 1804" but the year is probably wrong as theBattle of Assayewas fought in 1803 and Charles Mosley states that the death occurred in 1803[citation needed]and the younger Major Allan William Campbell died of his wounds at Pamplona on 9 October 1813 having been wounded at thebattle of Soraurenwhilst attached to the Portuguese army during thePeninsular War.[1]
On 3 November 1808, Campbell married Elizabeth Anne (died 1870), daughter of the Revd Thomas Pemberton. The couple had a son who died in infancy and a daughter called Flora Elizabeth (born 1824).[1]
On 3 July 1821—after the death of his three sons—Campbell obtained a renewed patent to the baronetcy, extending the limitation to his grandson Alexander Thomas Cockburn (the son of Campbell's eldest daughter Olympia), and if Alexander Thomas were to die without a male heir, to the male issue of his second daughter Isabella Charlotte,Lady Malcolm.Alexander Thomas Cockburn took an additional surname in 1825 becoming Cockburn-Campbell.[1]His descendant, Sir Alexander Thomas Cockburn-Campbell, 7th Baronet, lives in Australia, as did his father and grandfather.[citation needed]
Notes
editReferences
edit- Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003).Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage.Vol. 1 (107th, in 3 volumes ed.). Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage. p. 843.
- Reid, Stuart (January 2008) [2004]. "Campbell, Sir Alexander, first baronet (1760–1824)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/46769.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)