Alexander Adams (British Army officer)
Alexander Adams | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1772 |
| Died | 12 September 1834 |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Unit | 78th Highlanders |
| Battles/wars | Second Anglo-Maratha War |
Family
Alexander Adams was born into an ancient landed Pembrokeshire family in Holyland, Pembrokeshire, the son of Major Joseph Adams and Elizabeth (née Campbell) Adams.[2]
Military service
Gibraltar
Adams originally joined the Queen's Royals as an ensign, and served in that regiment as a lieutenant and adjutant, or acting adjutant, for a considerable time, chiefly at Gibraltar, a period he remembered with much pleasure.[3]
India
He joined the 78th Highlanders, not long after its formation, with the rank of captain. Around 1796, he was the paymaster of the regiment in
During the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803, the 78th was sent via
Adams distinguished himself at the successful escalade of the Pettah of Ahmednagar.[3] During the heat of the action, the 78th, on the extreme left of the line and somewhat separated from it, had to charge a double column of regular infantry and artillery, while keeping a large body of cavalry in check on the left and, at the same time, being fired upon from the rear by their own guns. The 78th's guns, left behind by the necessity of closing quickly with the enemy, had been seized and turned against them by a party that had passed through the gap between the 78th and the rest of the brigade, along with some stragglers. Once the 78th had captured the enemy guns to its front, General Wellesley rode up and instructed Lieutenant-Colonel Adams to "face about, and drive those fellows from our guns", which was immediately done.[4]
In his next general action, Adams was engaged against the combined armies of
Adams also participated in the subsequent siege and storming of the strong hill-fort of Gawilghur. The Second Anglo-Maratha War ended immediately afterward.
A strong detachment, consisting of the 78th along with a proportion of natives and artillery under the command of Adams, was sent to reduce the hill-fort of Lhoghur, whose governor proved hostile. Upon learning of preparations being made to storm the place, however, the governor became alarmed and surrendered. Wellesley once again thanked Adams, this time for the judiciousness of his preparations and his negotiations for the surrender, the fort being considered almost impregnable.[6]
About the middle of 1804, the 78th went into cantonments at Bombay, where it remained until 1806, when it was sent to Goa. Adams was nominated to the command of the British auxiliary force at that Portuguese settlement under very delicate circumstances, during the French occupation of Portugal. At one time, the British force was ordered to be prepared to take possession of the colony if necessary.[6]
In 1811, the 78th Regiment was ordered to
Java
Adams was appointed to the command of a brigade. The
Reinforced at Malacca by a body of troops from Bengal, the army disembarked near Batavia, took possession of it, and made preparations to attack the strongly fortified position of Cornelis, within three or four miles of that city. After a heavy cannonade from both sides for some days, it was taken by assault, resulting, after some subsequent minor operations, in the final surrender of the island and its dependencies.[6]
On the settlement of Java, Adams was appointed to the command of the central division of the army, and to the important office of minister at the court of the emperor at
Retirement
Having attained the rank of major-general, he returned to Europe and retired to his paternal estate near Pembroke. In 1830, he was promoted to lieutenant-general.[6]
He died on 12 September 1835 in a shooting accident in the vicinity of Pembroke. While in the act of getting over a hedge, his fowling-piece, although at half-cock, went off; the contents entered his left eye and blew off the entire side of his head, killing him instantly.[7]
He had married Frances-Louisa Holcombe, daughter of the Reverend William Holcombe,[2] in 1801. She survived him.[8]
References
- ^ UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960
- ^ a b Burke, John (1847). A Genealogical and Heraldric Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, Volume 1. H. Colburn. p. 6. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
- ^ a b c Memoirs 1835, p. 250
- ^ Memoirs 1835, p. 251
- ^ Memoirs 1835, pp. 251–252
- ^ a b c d e f g Memoirs 1835, p. 252
- ^ Memoirs 1835, pp. 252–253
- ^ Memoirs 1835, p. 253
Further reading
- "Memoirs of General Officers Recently Deceased, Part 1". The United Service Magazine. H. Colburn: 250–253. February 1835.
- Rose, Hugh James (1857). "Adams, Lieut.-General Alexander (d. 1836)". A New General Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 1 AA–ANS. London: B. Fellowes et al. p. 97, column 1.