Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
General Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet GCB
(12 March 1769 – 6 October 1843) was an officer of the British Army
, and from 1831 to 1837, the administrator of the colony of New Brunswick
. From 1824 to 1826, Gen. Campbell commanded the British forces in the First Anglo-Burmese War, the longest and most expensive war in British Indian history, that gave the British control of Assam
, Manipur
, Cachar, Jaintia, Arakan
and Tenasserim.
in the British army, and his wife, in Glen Lyon
, Scotland
.
. The next year he and his regiment, the 77th Regiment of Foot
, left for India
, where he took part in the campaign against Tipu Sultan
in 1790. In 1791 he was promoted to Lieutenant
. He served in the Mysore campaign and the first siege of Seringapatam.
In 1795, his regiment was ordered to reduce the Dutch garrison of Cochin on the coast of Malabar
. In 1799 he took part of the reduction of the island of Ceylon
.
In 1799 he purchased the rank of captain
in the 67th but exchanged into the 88th so that he could continue with his foreign service. However, he was required by ill-health to return home in 1801. He was appointed major
in the 6th battalion of reserve, stationed in Guernsey
.
In 1805 he moved to the 1st battalion which was leaving for Portugal
. He fought in the battles of Rolica
, Vimeiro
and Corunna
. In 1809 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and assisted General Beresford in organising the Portuguese army. In that capacity he was made full colonel
and then brigadier
. He was present through most of the fighting in the Peninsula
.
In 1813 Campbell was appointed to the rank of major-general in the Portuguese army. In 1816 he was given command of the Lisbon division. He returned to the service of Britain in 1820, after a revolution in Portugal. Campbell was appointed colonel of the 38th Regiment of Foot
(in which post he was succeeded by Field Marshal Sir John Forster FitzGerald, GCB) and went to India with it. For his Peninsula service, Campbell was awarded the Army Gold Cross with one clasp for the battles of Albuera, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, the Nivelle, and the Nive.
(Rangoon), and took the deserted city with little resistance on 11 May 1824. After fortifying the Shwedagon Pagoda compound, Campbell launched attacks on Burmese lines, and by July 1824, had successfully pushed the Burmese towards Kamayut
, five miles from the Shwedagon, and successfully repelled Burmese efforts to retake the city in September.
In December 1824, Gen. Campbell and his 10,000 men decisively defeated the 30,000 strong Burmese forces led by Gen. Maha Bandula in the final battle of Yangon. Thousands Burmese soldiers were cut down under British gunfire and exploding Congreve rocket
fire. Only 7000 of the 30000 survived. The Burmese retreated to their rear base at Danubyu
in the Irrawaddy delta
, 60 miles from Yangon.
. The fort, defended by 10,000 Burmese, fell after Bandula was killed by a mortar shell on 1 April 1825. After Danubyu, the British forces took Pyay
(Prome), the traditional boundary between Upper and Lower Burma, and went on to consolidate gains in Lower Burma throughout the monsoon season of 1825.
In November and December 1825, Campbell's forces, consisted of 2500 British and 1500 Indian sepoys, successfully repelled the last ditch efforts by the Burmese forces led by their new commander-in-chief Gen. Maha Ne Myo
to retake Pyay.
, about 50 miles from the capital Ava
(Innwa), on 16 February, the Burmese finally agreed to full British demands "without discussion". As the chief commander of British forces, Gen. Campbell was the lead signatory of the Treaty of Yandabo
on the British side. The Burmese agreed to cede to the British Assam
, Manipur
, Arakan
and Tenasserim; stop all interference in Cachar and Jaintia; and pay an indemnity of one million pounds sterling.
The treaty ended the longest and most expensive war in British Indian history. Fifteen thousand European and Indian soldiers died, together with an unknown (but almost certainly higher) number of Burmese. The campaign cost the British five million pounds sterling (roughly 18.5 billion in 2006 dollars) to 13 million pounds sterling that led to a severe economic crisis in British India in 1833.
, the governor-in-council
and the British East India Company
gave him a gold medal and a pension of £1000 per annum for life. In 1839 he was made Commander-in-chief in Bombay but did not enjoy the post for long due to ill-health.
, so as to improve the movement of troops into the northern part of the colony where the Americans had become a threat.
, by whom he had two sons and three daughters.
After his service in Bombay Campbell retired. He died in Edinburgh
on 6 October 1843.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(12 March 1769 – 6 October 1843) was an officer of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and from 1831 to 1837, the administrator of the colony of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. From 1824 to 1826, Gen. Campbell commanded the British forces in the First Anglo-Burmese War, the longest and most expensive war in British Indian history, that gave the British control of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
, Cachar, Jaintia, Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
and Tenasserim.
Early life
Sir Archibald was born to Margaret and Archibald Campbell, a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the British army, and his wife, in Glen Lyon
Glen Lyon
Glen Lyon may refer to:*Glen Lyon, Scotland , a glen in the Perth and Kinross area of Scotland*Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, a U.S. village named after the Scottish glen...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Early career
Campbell entered the army aged 18, in 1787 as an ensignEnsign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
. The next year he and his regiment, the 77th Regiment of Foot
77th (East Middlesex) Regiment of Foot
The 77th Regiment of Foot was a line regiment of the British Army . In 1881 it was united with the 57th Regiment of Foot to form The Middlesex Regiment ....
, left for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he took part in the campaign against Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
in 1790. In 1791 he was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He served in the Mysore campaign and the first siege of Seringapatam.
In 1795, his regiment was ordered to reduce the Dutch garrison of Cochin on the coast of Malabar
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
. In 1799 he took part of the reduction of the island of Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
In 1799 he purchased the rank of captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the 67th but exchanged into the 88th so that he could continue with his foreign service. However, he was required by ill-health to return home in 1801. He was appointed major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the 6th battalion of reserve, stationed in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
.
In 1805 he moved to the 1st battalion which was leaving for Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. He fought in the battles of Rolica
Battle of Roliça
In the Battle of Roliça an Anglo-Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeated an outnumbered French army under General Henri Delaborde, near the village of Roliça in Portugal. The French retired in good order...
, Vimeiro
Battle of Vimeiro
In the Battle of Vimeiro the British under General Arthur Wellesley defeated the French under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro , near Lisbon, Portugal during the Peninsular War...
and Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
. In 1809 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and assisted General Beresford in organising the Portuguese army. In that capacity he was made full colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and then brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
. He was present through most of the fighting in the Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
.
In 1813 Campbell was appointed to the rank of major-general in the Portuguese army. In 1816 he was given command of the Lisbon division. He returned to the service of Britain in 1820, after a revolution in Portugal. Campbell was appointed colonel of the 38th Regiment of Foot
38th Regiment of Foot
The 38th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army.-History:It was formed in 1705 and amalgamated into the South Staffordshire Regiment in 1881....
(in which post he was succeeded by Field Marshal Sir John Forster FitzGerald, GCB) and went to India with it. For his Peninsula service, Campbell was awarded the Army Gold Cross with one clasp for the battles of Albuera, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, the Nivelle, and the Nive.
Battle of Yangon (May–December 1824)
In India, Gen. Campbell was directed to take command of an expedition against the Burmese in the First Anglo-Burmese War. In May 1824, Campbell led a British naval force of over 10,000 men (5000 British soldiers and over 5000 Indian sepoys) to YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
(Rangoon), and took the deserted city with little resistance on 11 May 1824. After fortifying the Shwedagon Pagoda compound, Campbell launched attacks on Burmese lines, and by July 1824, had successfully pushed the Burmese towards Kamayut
Kamayut Township
Kamayut Township is located in the north central part of Yangon. The township comprises ten wards, and shares borders with Hlaing township in the north, Hlaing township and Kyimyindaing township in the west, the Inya Lake, Bahan township and Mayangon township in the east, and Sanchaung township in...
, five miles from the Shwedagon, and successfully repelled Burmese efforts to retake the city in September.
In December 1824, Gen. Campbell and his 10,000 men decisively defeated the 30,000 strong Burmese forces led by Gen. Maha Bandula in the final battle of Yangon. Thousands Burmese soldiers were cut down under British gunfire and exploding Congreve rocket
Congreve rocket
The Congreve Rocket was a British military weapon designed and developed by Sir William Congreve in 1804.The rocket was developed by the British Royal Arsenal following the experiences of the Second, Third and Fourth Mysore Wars. The wars fought between the British East India Company and the...
fire. Only 7000 of the 30000 survived. The Burmese retreated to their rear base at Danubyu
Danubyu
Danubyu is a town in the Ayeyarwady Division of south-west Myanmar. It is the seat of the Danubyu Township in the Maubin District....
in the Irrawaddy delta
Irrawaddy Delta
The Irrawaddy Delta or Ayeyarwady Delta lies in the Ayeyarwady Region , the lowest expanse of land in Burma that fans out from the limit of tidal influence at Myan Aung to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, 290 km to the south at the mouth of the Ayeyarwady River...
, 60 miles from Yangon.
Occupation of Lower Burma (March–December 1825)
In late March 1825, Campbell ordered a 4000 strong British force, supported by a flotilla of gun boats, to take DanubyuDanubyu
Danubyu is a town in the Ayeyarwady Division of south-west Myanmar. It is the seat of the Danubyu Township in the Maubin District....
. The fort, defended by 10,000 Burmese, fell after Bandula was killed by a mortar shell on 1 April 1825. After Danubyu, the British forces took Pyay
Pyay
Pyay is a town in the Bago Division in Burma. It has an estimated population of 123,800 . Pyay is positioned on the Ayeyarwady River and is northwest of Yangon....
(Prome), the traditional boundary between Upper and Lower Burma, and went on to consolidate gains in Lower Burma throughout the monsoon season of 1825.
In November and December 1825, Campbell's forces, consisted of 2500 British and 1500 Indian sepoys, successfully repelled the last ditch efforts by the Burmese forces led by their new commander-in-chief Gen. Maha Ne Myo
Maha Ne Myo
Maha Ne Myo was a Burmese general in the royal service of King Bagyidaw of Konbaung dynasty. In the First Anglo-Burmese War, Maha Ne Myo led the Burmese forces after the death of Gen. Maha Bandula in April 1825 until his own death in the battle of Prome on 2 December 1825...
to retake Pyay.
March to Upper Burma and Victory (January–February 1826)
With the Burmese army in disarray, Campbell marched north to Upper Burma, and took the ancient capital of Pagan in early February 1826. After Campbell's forces took the village of YandaboYandabo
Yandabo is a village on the Ayeyarwady River in central Burma. The Treaty of Yandabo which ended the First Anglo-Burmese War , was signed here on 24 February 1826....
, about 50 miles from the capital Ava
Ava
Innwa is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma , situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. Its formal title is Ratanapura , which means City of Gems in Pali. The name Innwa means mouth of the lake, which comes from in , meaning lake, and wa , which means mouth...
(Innwa), on 16 February, the Burmese finally agreed to full British demands "without discussion". As the chief commander of British forces, Gen. Campbell was the lead signatory of the Treaty of Yandabo
Treaty of Yandabo
The Treaty of Yandabo was the peace treaty that ended the First Anglo-Burmese War. The treaty was signed on 24 February 1826, nearly two years after the war formally broke out on 5 March 1824, by General Sir Archibald Campbell on the British side, and by Governor of Legaing Maha Min Hla Kyaw Htin...
on the British side. The Burmese agreed to cede to the British Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
, Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
and Tenasserim; stop all interference in Cachar and Jaintia; and pay an indemnity of one million pounds sterling.
The treaty ended the longest and most expensive war in British Indian history. Fifteen thousand European and Indian soldiers died, together with an unknown (but almost certainly higher) number of Burmese. The campaign cost the British five million pounds sterling (roughly 18.5 billion in 2006 dollars) to 13 million pounds sterling that led to a severe economic crisis in British India in 1833.
After the war
Campbell received the thanks of ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, the governor-in-council
Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...
and the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
gave him a gold medal and a pension of £1000 per annum for life. In 1839 he was made Commander-in-chief in Bombay but did not enjoy the post for long due to ill-health.
Lieutenant-governor
Campbell had returned to England in 1829. In 1831 he was made lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, where he stayed for six years. Campbell was concerned for the safety of New Brunswick. For this reason he began the construction of a road, known as the "Royal Road", from Fredericton to Grand FallsGrand Falls
Grand Falls can refer to several places:In Canada:*Grand Falls, New Brunswick*Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and LabradorIn the United States:*Grand Falls, Arizona*Grand Falls Plaza, Missouri...
, so as to improve the movement of troops into the northern part of the colony where the Americans had become a threat.
Marriage
Archibald Campbell married Miss Helen MacDonald of Garth, PerthshirePerthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, by whom he had two sons and three daughters.
After his service in Bombay Campbell retired. He died in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on 6 October 1843.
Decorations
- 1813 Portuguese Order of the Tower and SwordOrder of the Tower and SwordThe Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
- 1814 Knight of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
- 1815 Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
- 1831 Baronet Campbell of New Brunswick