Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

Sir John Chetham McLeod (23 January 1831 – 10 January 1914) was a Scottish

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 ...

officer and colonial administrator.

Military career

McLeod was born in

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, and educated at Perth Academy and the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

. He was commissioned into the 42nd Regiment of Foot 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 1846 and served in the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

. He was with his regiment in India during the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

and was made a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

in the 1871 Birthday Honours. McLeod took command of the 42nd in March 1868 and fought in the third of the

Anglo-Ashanti wars The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan people, Akan interior of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African ...

, for which he was knighted. He relinquished command in September 1877 and was appointed Assistant Adjutant-General in Scotland. McLeod subsequently served in Belfast before assuming the position of General Officer Commanding, Ceylon. He acted as Governor of Ceylon during the temporary absence of Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon from June to November 1885. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1891 Birthday Honours and placed on retired pay 1 April 1892. He was appointed Colonel of the

Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ...

on 26 February 1907. He died in London in 1914.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLeod, John Chetham 1831 births 1914 deaths 42nd Regiment of Foot officers Alumni of the University of St Andrews Black Watch officers British Army lieutenant generals British Army personnel of the Crimean War British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Ashanti War Ceylonese military personnel General Officers Commanding, Ceylon Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath