Major-General Alexander Stewart ( 1739 – 16 December 1794) was a Scottish officer in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

and a politician.

Military career

Born the second son of John Stewart MP (died 1769) of Castle Stewart, and brother of William Stewart MP, Stewart was commissioned as an

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in the

37th Regiment of Foot The 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in Ireland in February 1702. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot to become the Hampshir ...

on 8 April 1755. He commanded a field force at Orangeburg and fought at the

Battle of Eutaw Springs The Battle of Eutaw Springs on September 8, 1781, was the last major engagement of the Revolutionary War to be fought in the Carolinas. Both sides claimed a victory. Background In early 1781, Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Third Foot on 7 July 1775 ; colonel in the army on 16 May 1780 ; and promoted major-general on 28 April 1790. He was granted the

colonelcy Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in char ...

of the

2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Arm ...

on 20 November 1793.Cannon, p. 40 He served in the Duke of York's army during the Flanders Campaign, commanding the First Brigade of infantry during the retreat to Holland in 1794. He returned home towards the end of the year and 'fell a sacrifice to an illness contracted in consequence of the fatigues he had undergone', dying 16 December 1794. He was the member of parliament (MP) for Kirkcudbright Stewartry from 1786 to 1794.

References

Sources

* , - 1730s births 1794 deaths British Army major generals Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War 37th Regiment of Foot officers British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars {{British-Army-bio-stub