DISTINGUISHED SOLDIER

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LI, Issue 66, 19 August 1930, Page 7

DISTINGUISHED SOLDIER

DEATH OF LORD CLYDE.

NOTABLE ANNIVERSARY,

LEADERSHIP IN INDIA.

(By Charles Conway)

Sixty-seven years ago, on the 14th August, 1863, Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde, who is justly regarded as one of the bravest and most distinguished military leaders of the 19th century; died at the age of 71. He was born on the 20th October, 1792, at Glasgow, and was educated at the High School in that city. He was the son of a cabinet-maker, and his real name was Macliver, but he assumed that of a maternal uncle, Col. Campbell, whose influence secured for his nephew an ensigncy in the 9th Regiment of Foot in 1808, when he was 16 years of age. Two months after .he entered the army his regiment was despatched on active service, and he received his baptism of fire in August, 1808, at the Battle of Vimiera, while later he was with Sir John Moore in his retreat from Salamanca and at the Battle of Corunna. He .served throughout the Peninsular campaign until the severe wounds which he sustained at the passage of the Bidassoa forced him to return to England, where he was at once promoted without purchase for his gallantry. He was given a command in the American expedition of 1814, and was mainly responsible for the quelling of the negro rebellion in Demarara in 1823. His brilliant services during the Chinese wars of 1842 gained him his promotion to a colonelcy, while the skill and valour which he displayed during the progress of the Sikh War six years later, notably at Ramnugger, Chillianwallah and Gujerat was rewarded with a knighthood and the thanks of Parliament. He remained in India for five years, during which period he commanded in the Pashawur district with great success against the hill tribes, and at the commencement of the Crimean ,War in 1854 he was placed in command of the Highland Brigade, which under his skilled leadership played a glorious part at the Alma, and afterwards repulsed the Russian I cavalry at Balaclava. On the appointment of General Codrington as commander-in-chief he resigned his command and returned home, for he righly resented the promotion of this junior officer over his head, but at the earnest request of Queen Victoria he was about to return to the front when the war ended. When the Indian Mutiny broke out in 1857 he was in England, and was at once chosen by the Government to take command of the operations against the rebels. Upon being asked by Lord Palmerston when he would be ready to start he replied "Within twenty-four hours," and promtly to his word he sailed on the following day. On the 26th August he reached Calcutta, where, with considerable difficulty, he succeeded in raising a small relief force, with which he | reached Cawnpore on the 2nd November, when he was joined by a fine body of troops under the command of General Grant. This accession of forces, however, only gave him an army of 6,000 men and 36 guns, but with these he made his historical march to Lucknow, which he relieved, on the 17th November with consummate ability. Atf er relieving the plucky little garrison which had withstood a siege of six months he wisely decided to abandon the city to the rebels for the time being, but he recaptured it in the March. He remained in charge of the operations in Oudh until the mutiny was completely quelled, and the energy and judgment with which he accomplished his difficult task gained for him a prominent place in the ranks of the greatest of Britain's military heroes and geniuses. On his return home he was raised to the peerage, and took his title from the river upon the banks of which his native city stands. He died at Chatham, and was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, where his grave is adjoined by those of two other heroes of the Mutiny—Lard Lawrence and Sir James Outram.

(Cppyrighted).