ABERCROMBY, Sir RALPII, was born et 3Ienstry, in Clackmannanshire, in 1734. He was designed by his father for the Scottish bar; and studied from 1752 to 1755 at the universities of Edinburgh and Leipsic. His natural inclination, however, pointed to a nrilitary life; and in 1758 he went to Germany as a cornet in the 3d dragoon guards. he raised a regiment in Ireland, which was called the 103d, or king's Irish. It was disbanded in 1783; and the next ten years were spent by Sir Ralph in the retirement of a country life. He had married in 1767. In 1793, he accompanied the duke of York to U. K. L-3 Holland. His conduct throughout that unfortunate campaign, especially during the disastrous retreat in the winter of 1794-95, won him the love and admiration of the whole army. On his return to England, he was appointed to the chief command of the expe dition to the West Indies, which, notwithstanding the vexatious obstruction of his designs, he conducted with distinguished success, taking Grenada, Demarara, Essequibo, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad. Soon after he was appointed commander of the forces in Ireland; but his enlightened and manly remonstrances against the policy of government towards that country occasioned his removal to a similar command in Scot land. In 1799, he was appointed second in command to the duke of York in the expedi tion to Holland, still more unhappy and ignominious in its results than the former. A. alone acquitted himself on all occasions with entire credit. On his return, he was appointed to command the expedition to the Mediterranean. The fleet anchored in Aboukir bay on the 2d of March. On the 7th, A. reconnoitred the shore in person.
Before mid-day of the 8th, the British 'troops were in possession of the sand-hills that commanded the shore, having landed in the face of a storm of shot that ploughed the water around them. On the 13th, the enemy were driven within the lines of Alexandria. On the morning of the 21st, Menou attempted to surprise the British camp. lie found them ready, under arms. In the glorious action that ensued, the British commander was struck by a musket-ball in the thigh; but not till the battle was won, and he saw the enemy retreating, did he show any sign of pain. He was borne from the field in a ham mock, cheered by the blessings of the soldiers as he passed, and conveyed on board lord Keith's ship. The ball could not be extracted; mortification ensued; and on the 28th ho died, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. In the character of A. were combined the qualities that seem peculiarly characteristic of a true British soldier. Ile was at once gentle and brave, clear-sighted and cool in deliberation, in action prompt and daring, even to hardihood. , Apart from his qualities as a soldier, he was a man of liberal accom plishments, free from prejudices, and of sound practical judgment.—The national grati tude to this eminent man took the form of a peerage conferred on his widow, afterwards enjoyed by his eldest son, with the title of baron Abercromby.—His third son, JAMES ABERCR031BY, after being m.p. for Edinburgh and speaker of the reformed house of commons, was raised to the British peerage in 1839, with the titleBAEON DUNFERMLINE. He died in March, 1858.