|
COLONEL ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL
Birth
2.12.1789.........Ballykelly, Co. Derry, Ireland
Death
1874.........Bath, England
Youngest son of James Campbell of the Duntroon Branch and Margaret of the
Ballinabbie Branch, Tarbet, Argyleshire, Scotland.
He was thrice married, his first wife whom he married in 1833 was Sarah,
only daughter of John Pennock, of Cardiff Hall, Morant Bay, Jamaica who
died in January 1837 and by her has issue two sons: John Pennock Campbell
and Robert Olphert Campbell. He married secondly in 1839, Jane Douglas but
had no issue and thirdly a Miss McCance in 1865.
He joined the Londonderry Militia and on
the 7th of March 1811 got his commission as an Ensign in the 77th Foot and
became Lieutenant on the 5th of March 1812 and served with it in the
Peninsula from August, 1812 to the end of the war in 1814. He was slightly
wounded while crossing the Pyrenees, and later was selected with Capt.
Patterson for the Forelorn Hope at the Seige of Bayonne but owing to the
sortie made by the French Garrison and its repulse, the storming of the
place was not undertaken.
He was nine years on half pay owing to the
reductions after the peace of 1815 and then was re-appointed to the 47th
Foot and joined them in India after a voyage in charge of convicts to New
South Wales, Australia. His Ensign on that trip was Charles Darling, 57th
Foot (afterwords Sir Charles
Darling, Govenor of Victoria in 1864) who was on his way to Sydney to
become A.D.C to his uncle, Sir Ralph Darling, then Govenor-General of New
South Wales.
He exchanged from 47th Foot to 2nd Queens
and soon after to 22nd Foot. Became Captain 27th October, 1837. In 1840,
at his own request was placed on half pay as he wished for family reasons
to avoid India. In 1844 was re-appointed to 76th Foot and got his Brevet
Majority, 11th November 1851. On the 29th April 1853 he exchanged to the
30th Foot (and in Sir Mark Walkers diary it is stated "While the
Depot was at Fermoy, Brevet-Major A. Campbell was appointed to the
Regiment, he had served in the Peninsula, and used on parade to quote the
Duke of his Company; he was a fine old soldier" and served with them
at the seige of Sebastopol and was wounded at the assault on the Redan on
8th September. He received the Crimean medal with clasp Sebastopol,
Turkish Crimean medal and 5th class of the Medjidie. The junior Captain of
the 30th with 44 years service of which 32 was on full pay and 12 on half
pay and in possession of the Pensinsular medal must indeed have been a
record even in those days. On 16th March 1858 he got his Brevet-Colonelcy
and on the 23rd of April 1858 he was promoted to Major into the 20th Foot
and retired on full pay 16th November 1860 with rank of Colonel.
JOHN PENNOCK CAMPBELL
The eldest son of Colonel Archibald Campbell was born on 4th February 1835
in Jamaica and was mainly educated abroad at Frankfurt and Dresden with
his brother Robert Olphert and consequently both brothers were good
linguists and could read, write and speak French, German and modern Greek
fluently.
On 13th May 1853 he obtained without
purchase his Ensigncy in the 97th Foot and transferred to the 30th Foot on
February, 1854. He got his Lieutenancy on 6th November 1854 without
purchase and served with the regiment in the Crimea at Alma and Inkerman;
at the latter battle he had four or five balls through his clothes, one of
them tearing of the tail of his coat in which was his pocket containing
nine pounds, belonging to his company. The amount was repaid by Government
on the recommendation of a Court of Enquiry. He received the Crimean medal
with clasps Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol, the Turkish Crimean medal and
5th class Medjidie. He obtained his Captaincy
without purchase in April 1858 and became Brevet-Major 1872, Major 31st
October. Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel 16th March 1880, Lieut-Colonel 1st July
1881, Colonel 16th March 1884 and commanded the Regiment at Ferozepore
from 10th November 1885 to 1st July 1887, when owing to a new Royal
Warrant he was obliged to go on retired pay after a service of 33 years in
the 30th Foot and was made a Major-General.
He had served with the regiment in Turkey,
Crimea, Gibraltar, Canada and India. At home he had been employed for
eight years, 1870-8 on musketry duties as D.A.A.G. at Portsmouth and Hythe.
He married 21st January 1875, Caroline Anne Emma, daughter of Sir John
Rivett-Carnac, 2nd bart., and died on 25th December 1904 leaving 5
daughters. A son, Archibald Pennock Rivett-Carnac Campbell who served in
the South African war with his 4th Battn., Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders had died 28th March,1903.
LIEUTENANT ROBERT OLPHERT CAMPBELL
The second son of Colonel Archibald Campbell was born at Limavady, Co.
Derry 6th January 1837 and joined the 30th Foot as a Ensign 9th February,
1855 and became Lieutenant 25th September 1855. On 17th March, 1863 he
sold out, receiving the value of his commission and went out to Melbourne,
where he landed in November 1864. He married Lydia Dora Ryan and died in
1915 leaving 9 children (+ 3 who had pre-deceased him) 17 grandchildren
and 1 great grandchild.
COLONEL SIR NEIL CAMPBELL, KNIGHT
BACHELOR
A cousin of Colonel Archibald Campbell was Sir Neil Campbell of the 54th
Foot. "The man who let Boney go" This distinguished officer was
second son of Captain Neil Campbell of Duntroon, Argyllshire and was born
1st May 1776. Joined 6th West India Regiment as Ensign in 1797. After
three years service in West Indies returned to England and joined 95th
Rifles as a Lieutenant and in the following year purchased a Company in
the same regiment. In 1805 was promoted Major in 43rd Foot and in 1806 was
removed to the 54th Foot. Served with this regiment in Jamaica and in 1808
returned home. Again sent to West Indies as a Brevet Lieut.-Colonel on the
staff and in that capacity was present at the capture of Guadaloupe.
Commmanded a Portugese Regiment during the Peninsular war. In February
1813 was sent to Russia by the British-Government and was employed by Gen.
Lord Cathcart, British Ambassador at Petersburg to accompany a corps of
the Russian Army and report on its force and military operations. In the
autumn of 1813 was detached to the seige of Dantzig where a corps of
30,000 men were employed under Prince Alexander of Wurtemberg. On the 24th
March 1814 was severly wounded at Fere Champenoise in France in a Calvalry
charge by a Cossack who mistook him for a French Officer and struck him to
the ground. In April 1814 was chosen by the British Government to
accompany Napoleon from Fontainebleau to Elba. In the following spring
whist Col. Campbell was at Florence having left Elba for a few days on
pressing business, Napoleon formed and carried out his plan of escape.
Commanded the 54th in 1815 and was at the storming of Cambrey. C.B., gold
cross for the capture of Martinique and Gaudaloupe, seige of Ciudad
Rodrigo and Battle of Salamanca. A Knight Bachelor, Major-General, Govenor
of Sierra Leone, where he died of fever, 14th August 1827.
Thanks to Pam
for the above information.
|
