Colin Campbell, Baron Clyde

Colin Campbell, Baron Clyde (born Oct. 20, 1792, Glasgow, Scot.—died Aug. 14, 1863, Chatham, Kent, Eng.) was a British soldier who was commander in chief of the British forces in India during the Indian Mutiny of 1857.

The son of a carpenter named Macliver, he assumed his mother’s name of Campbell in 1807 when he was promised a military commission by Frederick Augustus, the Duke of York, then commander in chief. At age 15 he received the commission of ensign, but, lacking social influence, his promotions were slow. He served in the War of 1812 against the United States, in the quelling (1823) of the Demerara insurrection (named for the Demerara River in British Guiana), and in the Opium War against China in 1842. Knighted for his service in the Second Sikh War of 1848–49, he commanded with distinction in the Crimean War, notably at the Battle of Inkerman. Campbell was appointed commander in chief in India on the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny. Always concerned for the well-being of his men, he was nicknamed “Old Careful” and set an example of sober economy. Though criticized for overcaution during the mutiny, his successes were not costly and his campaigns were thorough. He was raised to the peerage in 1858 as Baron Clyde and granted a generous pension of £2,000 a year. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.