British Army officer and field marshal (1792?1863)
Field Marshal
Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde
,
GCB
,
KSI
(20 October 1792
? 14 August 1863), was a
British Army
officer. After serving in the
Peninsular War
and the
War of 1812
, he commanded the
98th Regiment of Foot
during the
First Opium War
and then commanded a brigade during the
Second Anglo-Sikh War
. He went on to command the
Highland Brigade
at the
Battle of Alma
and with his "
thin red line of Highlanders
" he repulsed the
Russian
attack on Balaclava
during the
Crimean War
. At an early stage of the
Indian Mutiny
, he became
Commander-in-Chief, India
and, in that role, he
relieved and then evacuated Lucknow
and, after attacking and decisively defeating
Tatya Tope
at the
Second Battle of Cawnpore
,
captured Lucknow
again. Whilst still commander-in-chief he dealt with the "
White Mutiny
" among
East India Company
troops, and organised the army sent east in the
Second Opium War
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Campbell was born
Colin Macliver
, the eldest of the four children of John Macliver, a cabinetmaker in
Glasgow
, and Agnes Macliver (nee Campbell).
[1]
His mother and one of his twin sisters died while he was still a boy. His only brother was killed fighting in the Peninsular War.
[2]
After he was educated at the
Glasgow Grammar School
, his uncle, Major John Campbell, took over his care and sent him to the
Royal Military and Naval Academy
at
Gosport
.
[3]
The most oft-quoted story explaining Campbell's name change is that upon Colin's entry into the
9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot
as an
ensign
in 1808, his uncle presented him to the
Duke of York
, who assumed the boy's surname was Campbell and had him enlisted in the Army under that name. This story was first promulgated during the
Crimean War
. The press were fascinated to find why he had changed his name, and rumours abounded that he was in fact the illegitimate son of Major Campbell, so Peter Macliver, a journalist and Colin's cousin, invented the story about the Duke of York. Not only was it highly unusual for an ensign to meet the commander-in-chief, the
Duke of York
, but Campbell was on the
Isle of Wight
, not in London when commissioned. Furthermore, General
Robert Brownrigg
, colonel of the regiment of the 9th Foot, wrote to the Duke of York prior to Campbell's commission, referring to the fifteen-year-old boy as "Mr Colin Campbell". Evidently, Campbell changed his name before being
gazetted
.
[4]
Military career
[
edit
]
Junior officer
[
edit
]
Campbell was commissioned as an
ensign
in the
9th Regiment of Foot
on 26 May 1808.
[5]
His first experience of war was under
Sir Arthur Wellesley
at the
Battle of Vimeiro
on 21 August 1808 during the
Peninsular War
.
[1]
His battalion remained in Portugal and served under
Sir John Moore
during his foray into Spain, and subsequent retreat to Corunna. His battalion was not engaged at the
Battle of Corunna
in January 1809, but remained in reserve.
[1]
Promoted to
lieutenant
on 15 July 1809,
[6]
he took part in the disastrous
Walcheren Campaign
in Autumn 1809 and contracted
malaria
there.
[1]
Campbell was posted to Gibraltar in 1810 and fought at the
Battle of Barrosa
in March 1811, taking command of the 9th Foot's
flank companies
as the senior officer not
hors de combat
. His bravery was noted by
General Sir Thomas Graham
. Serving in his battalion's
light company
, he fought at the
Battle of Vitoria
in June 1813 and at the
Siege of San Sebastian
. Here, in the first assault on 25 July 1813, he led the
forlorn hope
and was wounded twice while leading a storming party.
[1]
He led the 9th Foot's light company at the
Battle of the Bidassoa
in October 1813 where he was wounded for the third time.
[1]
He was promoted to
captain
in the 7th Battalion
60th (Royal American) Regiment
on 3 November 1813. Sent to Halifax,
Nova Scotia
, he was too late to see action in the
War of 1812
and soon returned to Europe suffering from his wounds.
[7]
Due to the contraction of the army after
Battle of Waterloo
, the number of Royal American battalions was cut back drastically. To avoid being put on half-pay Campbell transferred to the
21st Royal North British Fusiliers
on 26 November 1818.
[8]
The regiment was sent first to
Barbados
and then to
Demerara
, where Campbell became
aide-de-camp
to the governor. His part in quelling the
slave rebellion in Demerara
in August 1823 is hazy. He is not recorded as joining in the reprisals against slaves pursued by his commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Leahy, but he was on the
court-martial
which sentenced Reverend
John Smith
, the suspected instigator of the revolt, to death. He
purchased his majority
on 26 November 1825.
[9]
Commands
[
edit
]
His regiment returned to England and in 1828 was posted to Ireland. From late 1830 they were called upon to police the Irish
Tithe War
. Campbell purchased an unattached lieutenant-colonelcy on 26 October 1832
[10]
Campbell became commanding officer of the 9th Regiment of Foot on 8 May 1835
[11]
but then exchanged to become commanding officer of the
98th Regiment of Foot
on 19 June 1835
[12]
and commanded that regiment at the
Battle of Chinkiang
in July 1842 during the
First Opium War
.
[1]
Promoted to
colonel
on 23 December 1842, he became
commandant of Hong Kong
at the end of that year.
[1]
He was appointed an
aide-de-camp
to
the Queen
on 23 December 1842
[13]
and a
Companion of the Order of the Bath
on 24 December 1842.
[14]
Campbell was given command of a brigade of British troops in
Lahore
in
British India
in 1847.
[15]
He led his brigade at the
Battle of Ramnagar
in November 1848, and a division at the
Battle of Chillianwala
in January 1849 and at the decisive
Battle of Gujrat
in February 1849 during the
Second Anglo-Sikh War
.
[15]
He was appointed
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
on 5 June 1849.
[16]
After defusing a local mutiny of native troops at
Rawalpindi
, he was then posted to
Peshawar
in August 1849.
Lord Dalhousie
,
Governor-General of India
, requested Campbell lead increasing punitive expeditions against
Pathan
tribesmen. Finally, when Dalhousie asked Campbell to mount an invasion of the
Swat Valley
, Campbell resigned in disgust.
[17]
In 1854 Campbell was appointed Colonel of the
67th Regiment of Foot
[18]
and subsequently of the
93rd Regiment of Foot
.
[19]
Crimean War
[
edit
]
In early 1854, shortly after the
Crimean War
broke out, Campbell accepted the command of the
Highland Brigade
.
[15]
He was promoted to brevet
brigadier-general
on 21 February 1854
[20]
and to
major-general
on 20 June 1854.
[21]
The Highland Brigade distinguished itself at the
Battle of Alma
in September 1854 and, with his "
thin red line of Highlanders
", Campbell repulsed the
Russian
attack on Balaclava
in October 1854.
[15]
He was promoted to the local rank of
lieutenant general
on 23 January 1855
[22]
and advanced to
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
on 5 July 1855.
[23]
When the
Duke of Cambridge
returned to England, Campbell took command of the
1st Division
(Guards and Highland brigades) and commanded the Division at the
Battle of the Great Redan
in September 1855.
[15]
Promoted to the local rank of full
general
on 28 December 1855
[24]
and the
substantive rank
of lieutenant general on 4 June 1856,
[25]
he remained in the Crimea hoping to take overall command, but when General
Sir William Codrington
was appointed instead, he returned home in a huff.
Prince Albert
suggested the army in the Crimea be split into two
corps d'armee
, and Campbell be given one.
Lord Panmure
requested
Queen Victoria
ask Campbell return to command one of these corps, and Campbell agreed. However, by the time he had returned, the war was virtually over.
[26]
He commanded
South-Eastern District
from July to September 1856.
[27]
For his services in the Crimean War, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Sardinian
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
on 11 August 1856
[28]
and the Turkish
Order of the Medjidie
, 1st Class, on 2 March 1858.
[29]
The
Board of Directors of the East India Company
also granted Campbell an
annuity
(a life-long annual payment) of £2,000 on 9 June 1858.
[30]
Commander-in-Chief of India
[
edit
]
Interior of the
Sikandar Bagh
after the Slaughter of 2,000 Rebels by the 93rd Highlanders and 4th Punjab Regiment. First Attack of Sir Colin Campbell in November 1857, Lucknow. Albumen silver print, by
Felice Beato
, 1858.
On 11 July 1857, at an early stage in the
Indian Mutiny
,
Lord Palmerston
offered Campbell the command of all British forces in India.
[27]
Promoted to the local rank of full general in India the same day,
[31]
he left England the next day and reached
Calcutta
in August 1857.
[3]
He
relieved and then evacuated Lucknow
in November 1857 and, after attacking and decisively defeating
Tantia Tope
at the
Second Battle of Cawnpore
in December 1857, he
captured Lucknow
again in March 1858.
[27]
He was promoted to the substantive rank of full general on 14 May 1858
[32]
and
raised to the peerage
as Baron Clyde, of Clydesdale in Scotland on 3 August 1858.
[33]
In Autumn 1858, faced with a further mutiny by the
East India Company
's European troops, who had not received their
enlistment bounties
, he used British troops to enforce discipline until the
British Cabinet
agreed to some concessions.
[27]
He continued in charge of the operations in India until all aspects of the revolt had died away and then returned to England in June 1860.
[3]
Retirement and memorials
[
edit
]
Statue of Lord Clyde in Waterloo Place, London
In retirement he lived at 10
Berkeley Square
in
London
.
[34]
Promoted to
field marshal
on 9 November 1862,
[35]
he died at
Chatham
on 14 August 1863, and was buried in
Westminster Abbey
.
[27]
His monument was sculpted by
Thomas Gaffin
.
[36]
A statue of Campbell by
Carlo Marochetti
was erected in
Waterloo Place
in London in 1867.
[37]
Another statue of him by
John Foley
was erected in
George Square
in Glasgow the following year.
[38]
Family
[
edit
]
Campbell never married, or fathered any children.
[27]
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Heathcote, p. 69
- ^
Greenwood p. 27
- ^
a
b
c
Stephens, H. M. (2004).
"Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde"
. In Stearn, Roger T (ed.).
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
doi
:
10.1093/ref:odnb/4489
. Retrieved
11 January
2014
.
(Subscription or
UK public library membership
required.)
- ^
Greenwood p. 308
- ^
"No. 16149"
.
The London Gazette
. 28 May 1808. p. 754.
- ^
"No. 16275"
.
The London Gazette
. 11 July 1809. p. 1098.
- ^
Marjie Bloy, Ph.D.
"The Victorian Web: Sir Colin Cambell, 1792?1863"
. Retrieved
11 January
2014
.
- ^
"No. 17430"
.
The London Gazette
. 12 December 1818. p. 2226.
- ^
"No. 18197"
.
The London Gazette
. 26 November 1825. p. 2165.
, having borrowed heavily to do so
- ^
"No. 18988"
.
The London Gazette
. 26 October 1832. p. 2370.
- ^
"No. 19268"
.
The London Gazette
. 8 May 1835. p. 901.
- ^
"No. 19281"
.
The London Gazette
. 19 June 1835. p. 1171.
- ^
"No. 20180"
.
The London Gazette
. 23 December 1842. p. 3821.
- ^
"No. 20181"
.
The London Gazette
. 27 December 1842. p. 3863.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Heathcote, p. 70
- ^
"No. 20985"
.
The London Gazette
. 7 June 1849. p. 1863.
- ^
Greenwood p. 232-3
- ^
"No. 21640"
.
The London Gazette
. 12 December 1854. p. 4051.
- ^
"No. 22087"
.
The London Gazette
. 26 January 1858. p. 365.
- ^
"No. 21524"
.
The London Gazette
. 21 February 1854. p. 515.
- ^
"No. 21564"
.
The London Gazette
. 22 June 1854. p. 1933.
- ^
"No. 21653"
.
The London Gazette
. 23 January 1855. p. 251.
- ^
"No. 21743"
.
The London Gazette
. 10 July 1855. p. 2654.
- ^
"No. 21832"
.
The London Gazette
. 28 December 1855. p. 4867.
- ^
"No. 21899"
.
The London Gazette
. 8 July 1856. p. 2378.
- ^
Greenwood p. 310-13
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Heathcote, p. 71
- ^
"No. 21912"
.
The London Gazette
. 12 August 1856. p. 2781.
- ^
"No. 22107"
.
The London Gazette
. 2 March 1858. p. 1251.
- ^
"No. 22152"
.
The London Gazette
. 11 June 1858. p. 2898.
- ^
"No. 22022"
.
The London Gazette
. 17 July 1857. p. 2479.
- ^
"No. 22139"
.
The London Gazette
. 14 May 1858. p. 2404.
- ^
"No. 22171"
.
The London Gazette
. 6 August 1858. p. 3667.
- ^
Wheatley, p. 165
- ^
"No. 22679"
.
The London Gazette
. 10 November 1862. p. 5343.
- ^
Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.160
- ^
"Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde"
. Flickr. January 1980
. Retrieved
11 January
2014
.
- ^
"Your guide to the statues of George Square"
. Herald Scotland. 13 September 2012
. Retrieved
11 January
2014
.
General sources
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
Books
[
edit
]
Articles
[
edit
]
- Greenwood, Adrian
(2015). "Sir Colin Campbell: Victoria's Scottish Lion".
Durbar
. Indian Military Historical Society.
- Greenwood, Adrian
(2015). "Sir Colin Campbell: The General Who Hated the Victoria Cross".
Soldiers of the Queen
. Victorian Military Society.
- Greenwood, Adrian
(2015). "Scotland's Forgotten Field Marshal". Celebrate Scotland.
- Greenwood, Adrian
(2015). "Sir Colin Campbell: Command Denied".
The War Correspondent
. Crimean War Research Society.
External links
[
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]
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