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Preserving Revolutionary & Civil War History
Preserving Revolutionary & Civil War History
General Sir Archibald Campbell, KB (21 August 1739 – 31 March 1791) was a British Army officer who fought in the Seven Years War, the American Revolutionary War and later served as a colonial governor in Jamaica and Madras.
When the revolution came to fruition Campbell was given the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and the duty of recruiting for the 71st Highlanders. He was quick to find trouble as he was captured by Patriots in Boston Harbor on June 16th, 1776. He was not exchanged until 2 years later when the Patriots traded him for the legendary Ethan Allen. By November of 1778, General Henry Clinton gave Campbell orders to command a force of 3,000 British soldiers from New York to Georgia. The mission landed in the British capture of Savannah. Not long after, Campbell helped lead British forces into the interior of Georgia where he helped in capturing the Georgian capital of Augusta. Campbell became involved in the governmental structure of Georgia, restoring the colonial government and acting as civil governor. However, he didn’t stay in the American colonies to see the end result of the revolution. He was sent to Jamaica where he served as Lieutenant Governor and rose to the rank of Major General between the years of 1779 and 1781. By 1782 he was named governor of Jamaica. Furthermore, Campbell was named a Knight of the Bath in 1785 and served as governor of Madras between the years 1786 and 1789. He died on March 31st, 1791 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.