HLI Chronicle 1910 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR ALEX.
CAMPBELL, BART., K.C,B.
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR ALEXANDER CAMP­
BELL" the fourth and youngest son of John
Campbell of Achalader, the Ohamberlain of
Breadalbane, and Isabella, daughter of Patrick
Campbell of Baroaldine, entered the Army
in November, 1776, as an Ensign in the 1st
Royal Regiment of Foot. He was promoted
Lieutenant in the same regiment in 1778,
and two years later purchased a company
in the 97th Foot, which was then being
" raised" by Colonel Samuel Stant{)n. In the
following spring the 97th for.med part of the
reinforcements which were brought by Admiral
Darby to the beleaguered garrison of Gibraltar,
and Campbell commanded the light company
of his battalion throughout the remainder of
the siege. At the Peace of Versll-illes Stanton's
Foot was disbanded, and Campbell was placed
on half-pay.
A few years of inaction followed, at the
commencement of which (1783) Campbell
married Olympia Elizabeth, daughter of
William Morshead of Cartuther, in Cornwall.
He was again placed on the active list in 1787,
when he was appointed Captain in the 74th
Highlanders, one of four regiments raised
that vear for service in India. We are told
that Camp bell obtained no less than 500 men
for the regiment, but for some reason-·
possibly on acconnt of ill-health-he remained
at home for some years, and did not go out to
India till 1793, when he served as'Aide-de­
Camp to CoL Edmund Stevens. By that
time his wife had died, leaving him two sons
and three daughters. Both his sons subsequently
entered the 74th.
In 1794:, Camp bell, by that time a Brevet­
Major, was appointed Brigade-Major to the
troops on the Coromandel Coast,and a few
months later was put in charge of the fortress
of Pondicherry, which had been wrested from
the French by Col. David Baird in 1793,
discharging his duties with complete satisfaction
to the Government. In September,
1795, he obtained a Majority in the 74th,
and three months later became Junior Lieut.­
Colonel of his regiment. In 1797 he was
given command of a Hank corps in an expedition
to Manila, but trouble was feared in
Mysore, and the arrangements were countermanded
before all the troops left Madras.
Early in 1799 the anticipated hostilities
with Tipu broke out, and the 74th Highlanders,
commanded by' Alexander Campbell, with
David Bair~ as th~ir Briga~ier, for~ed part of ..
the armv WIth whICh General Harrls advanced
towards· 'Se'ringapatam in February. On. the­
27th of March Tipu :vas defeatedat'l\~allavelly,
and on the 5th of April operations ~omnienced
before Seringapatanl .. On'the 26th Camp bell
was in command of a party which stormed a
redoubt on the western. bank of the Cauvery,
and which, pursuing the enemy over a bridge
leading. over the river .into Seringapatam,
penetrated alone into Tipu's lines. Thf.' littleforce
returned in safety after spiking two guns
and surpr.ising some of Tipu'smen in their
tents, and Camp bell's "spirited attack'"
was .mentioned in terms of the "strongest
approbation" in General Orders. His regiment
also took part in the final assault on
the 4th of May, and its share in the campaign
gained the first" honour" for the colours.
Camp bell is said to have taken part in the
operations against the marauder Dundia Wao
some months later, but by the end of November
his regiment had been sent to Bangalore.
From then onwards he commanded at Bangalore
and Pondicherry, and in 1802, though
still only Junior Lieutenant-Colonel of the
74th, w~s given command of the Northern
Division of the Madras Army. In that
capacity he was responsible for som~ 5000 men
and for the safety of 700 miles of coast-line.
Camp bell displayed so much ability in themanagement
of minor operations within his
own district that, when in the following year
war broke out with the Maratba Confederacy,
he was selected to command a force of 5000
men which was to invade the province of
Cuttack. He made all the arrangements for
the operations, but seVere ilhJess obliged
him to relinquish the command after the first
day's march. Fate, however, had a heavier
blow in store for him than the disappointment
of a soldier's ambition. In Wellesley's brilliant
victory at Assaye on. the 23rd of April, 1803,
the 74th suffered terribly, and Camp bell's
eldest son, John MOTshead, who had served
in the regiment since 1794, was killed.
Campbell's services were rewarded with, a
bl'evet of Colonel, and two years. later, on the
departure of Sir Arthur WeIlesley from
India, he was appointed to the command in
Mvsore.
·Campbell's years of strenuous and eventful'
service in India came to an end towards the
close of 1807,. On his arrival in England he
was appointed a"' Brigadier-General on' tbe
Sthff ~n Ireland,. and the year 1808 was also
signalised by his mar:riage to Elizabetb. Anue,