Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

Alexander Campbell of Possil (see

Carter-Campbell of Possil Carter-Campbell of Possil (also known as Campbell of Possil) is a branch of Clan Campbell, a Scottish clan. The Campbells of Possil were originally located in Argyll; and the Carters were an Irish family: the Carter-Campbell name was first used ...

) (1754–1849) entered the army as an ensign in the 42nd Regiment in April 1769, and obtained a lieutenancy in the 2nd Battalion Royals the following year in

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...

Military career

He moved to the 62nd regiment later that year in Ireland and went with the regiment to Canada, where, as a captain of light infantry under General Carleton, he fought in the campaigns of 1776 and 1777 with

General Burgoyne General (United Kingdom), General John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British Army officer, playwright and politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1761 to 1792. He first saw acti ...

in the

American War of Independence 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 ...

. After the surrender of Saratoga, he was sent to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, with the rank of major, and was appointed to the 1st Battalion of Light Infantry. He received the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 62nd Regiment in 1782. Soon afterwards, he returned to

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, where he remained with his regiment until 1789. He served with the Duke of York and Albany in the 1790s and was given the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

on 1 October 1793. He raised the 116th Regiment in 1794 and was their first brigadier-general. He was sent to the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

under Sir Ralph Abercromby and on 10 November 1796 was appointed colonel of the 7th West India Regiment. He returned to Scotland at the end of the 1790s and was placed on the Staff in Ireland and Scotland for five years. On 11 July 1804, he was appointed colonel of the 19th Foot and served during the battles in South Africa, being present at the capture of the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...

in 1806. He was also present at the battle of Corunna, where he commanded the 20th Regiment and subsequently became general on 1 January 1812 and colonel of the 32nd Foot in February 1813.

Slave holder

According to the '' Legacies of British Slave-Ownership'' at the

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

, Campbell was awarded compensation in the aftermath of the

Slavery Abolition Act 1833 The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 ( 3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 73) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which abolished slavery in the British Empire by way of compensated emancipation. The act was legislated by Whig Prime Minister Charl ...

with the

Slave Compensation Act 1837 The Slave Compensation Act 1837 ( 1 & 2 Vict. c. 3) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, signed into law on 23 December 1837. Together with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 ( 3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 73), it authorized the Commissione ...

. Campbell was associated with "T71/880 Grenada claim no. 704 (Mount Rose)", he owned 232 slaves in

Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...

and received a £6,113 payment at the time (worth £ in ).

Land ownership

In 1808, he acquired the estates of Possil in Lanarkshire from his father John Campbell, founder of the West Indian trading house of John Campbell Sr. of Glasgow, and subsequently the estates of Torosay and Achnacroish on the Isle of Mull, Argyllshire. In the 1830s "Alexander Campbell of Possil" is noted as residing at 12 Abercromby Place in the Second New Town in Edinburgh, overlooking Queen Street Gardens.Scottish Post Office Directories, ''Post-Office Annual directory 1832–33''
Edinburgh, p. 30
National Library of Scotland, 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2015.

References

External links

* REPORTS FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON SITES FOR CHURCHES(SCOTLAND)
Correspondence with the Free Church
1847.

Hotels; Bed & Breakfasts; Links/Maps; Send United States
hotelslines.com
Military Forces

* ttp://www.jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk/JRJL454647.pdf James Irvine-Robertson's Journal from 1845–1847 (Mull Diaries) jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk
The Island & Its People. By Jo Currie (pages 197, 225, 238, 256, 281, 310–312, 319, 326, 331, 332, 333, 366, 372, 384, 403).
books.google.com
The Glasgow Story
John Campbell of John Campbell Snr & Co. {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell Of Possil, Alexander Scottish Episcopalians 1754 births 1849 deaths British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment officers British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

Wiltshire Regiment officers 42nd Regiment of Foot officers 18th-century Scottish landowners People from North Lanarkshire Military personnel from Argyll and Bute Scottish slave owners Recipients of payments from the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 19th-century Scottish landowners

Military career

Slave holder

Land ownership

See also

References

External links