Archibald Campbell (British Army officer)

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General Sir Archibald Campbell (1739-1791) was a British Army officer who fought in the Seven Years War, the American Revolution and later served as a colonial governor in Jamaica and Madras.

Archibald was born to James and Elizabeth (Fisher) Campbell and baptized August 24, 1739 in Inveraray, Scotland. He began his military career in the British Army as an engineer and participated in number of raids along the coast of France and expeditions in the Caribbean during the Seven Years War. He served in the siege of Quebec where he was wounded. After the war's end he served in the British East India Company.

At the outbreak of the American Revolution, Campbell was commissioned a lieutenant-colonel of the 71st Highlanders. He was captured as a prisoner of war during the siege of Boston and was later exchanged for Ethan Allen.

On November 8, 1778, Campbell was ordered to lead 3,000 men in an expedition from New York to Georgia. In late December, the army took Savannah. His army then turn into the backcountry and captured Augusta on January 31, 1779. Campbell withdrew from Augusta on February 14. He became provisional governor of Georgia then and named Jacques Marcus Prevost his lieutenant and successor. He returned to England in March 1779.[1]. There he married the eldest daughter of painter Allan Ramsay, Amelia that July.[2] He was lieutenant governor of Jamaica in 1781, then in July of the next year the governor. From April 6, 1786 to February 6, 1789 he was governor of Madras and later in 1789 acquired the office of Usher of the White Rod. He was buried April 5, 1791 in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey next to the monument of Handel.[2]

His portrait by artist George Romney is displayed in the National Gallery of Art. [3]

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[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Davis, p.46
  2. ^ a b Davis, p.47
  3. ^ Davis, p.45
Government offices
Preceded by
John Dalling		 Governor of Jamaica
1781–1784		 Succeeded by
Alured Clarke