James Abercrombie (Bunker Hill)
Encyclopedia
Colonel
James Abercrombie (1732 – June 23, 1775) was a British army
officer who died during the American Revolutionary War
.
There is much uncertainty about Abercrombie's family. He may have been related to General James Abercrombie
, but the Dictionary of Canadian Biography
states that the common identification of him as the general's son or nephew is probably erroneous.
Abercrombie served in the French and Indian War
as a captain in the 42nd Foot and served in the Battle of Fort Carillon
under General Abercrombie as one of the general's aides in 1758 before being made aide-de-camp
to General Amherst
in 1759. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1770.
At the Battle of Bunker Hill
he led the grenadier battalion in their charge of the redoubt
on the Americans' left wing. During the assault he sustained a gunshot wound and was carried from the field. He was treated at a hospital facility in Boston, where he succumbed to his wound a week later.
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...
James Abercrombie (1732 – June 23, 1775) was a 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...
officer who died during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
There is much uncertainty about Abercrombie's family. He may have been related to General James Abercrombie
James Abercrombie (general)
General James Abercrombie or Abercromby was a British Army general and commander-in-chief of forces in North America during the French and Indian War, best known for the disastrous British losses in the 1758 Battle of Carillon.-Early life:Abercrombie was born in Glassaugh, Banffshire, Scotland to...
, but the Dictionary of Canadian Biography
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The DCB, which was initiated in 1959, is a collaboration between the University of Toronto and Université Laval...
states that the common identification of him as the general's son or nephew is probably erroneous.
Abercrombie served in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
as a captain in the 42nd Foot and served in the Battle of Fort Carillon
Battle of Carillon
The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
under General Abercrombie as one of the general's aides in 1758 before being made aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General Amherst
Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB served as an officer in the British Army and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and...
in 1759. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1770.
At the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
he led the grenadier battalion in their charge of the redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
on the Americans' left wing. During the assault he sustained a gunshot wound and was carried from the field. He was treated at a hospital facility in Boston, where he succumbed to his wound a week later.