ABERCROMBY, Sin RALen (1734-1801). A distinguished British general. Ile was born at 3lenstry, near Tullibody, Seotland, October, 1734. lie was educated at Rugby, and studied for the legal profession at Edinburgh and Leipzig. but preferred the artily, and a cornet's commission was obtained for him in 1758. In 1758 he accom panied his regiment to Germany. where he saw active warfare, and gained experience in army management. At the conclusion of peace, he was stationed in Ireland for several years. He married in 1767. and by 1773 had risen to the rank of lientenant-velonel. He entered Parlia ment after a bloodless duel with his defeated opponent, and strongly opposed the American war, a e •se particularly honorable. as he desired active service. The war with France gave him his opportunity. Family influence and his procured his promotion to be major-•eneral of a brigade ordered to Flanders, where he distinguished himself so highly as to be publicly thanked by the Duke of York. Under him the Doke of Wellington, then Lieutenant Colonel Wellesley. eommanding the Thirty-third Regiment, received his baptism of fire. Aber crouhy was knighted on his return to England in 1795, and was surprised to find himself famous as his country's greatest general. The disastrous campaign. however. had lmiw the deteri oration in army discipline, and his energies were devoted to the reorganization of the whole army system. In 1798 he a successful expe dition to the West Indies. In 1797 he went to Ireland as commander of the forces. He strongly condemned the governmental policy toward that country, however, and this caused his resigna tion; but he was at once given a similar appoint ment in Scotland. In 1790 he was placed in
command of the expedition to Holland and began it brilliantly; but he was superseded by the Duke of Ycrk, and the campaign ended ignomin iously. Abercromby alone acquitted himself with credit, and the ministry wished to make him a peer, hut he refused to have his name associated with a failure. In 1800 he com manded the expedition to the Mediterranean, and after some brilliant operations defeated the French in the battle of Alexandria, March 21, 1301. During the action he was struck by a musket-ball in the thigh: but not until the battle was won and he saw the enemy retreating did be show any sign of pain. He was borne from the field in a hammock, cheered by the blessings of the soldier: as he passed, and conveyed on board the flag-ship Foudroyant. The ball cmild not be extracted: mortification ensued, and seven days later, on March 28, 1801, he died. Abercromby was at once gentle and brave. clear-sighted and cool in deliberation; in action, prompt and dar ing. Apart from his qualities as a soldier. he was a man of liberal accomplishments, free from prejudices, and of sound practical judgment. The national gratitude to this eminent man took the form of a peerage conferred on his widow, afterward enjoyed by his eldest son, with the title of Baron Abercromby. Consult: J. Aber eromby, Memoir of the Life of Abercrom by (Dublin. 1801) ; J. Abercromby, Baron Dun fermline, Memoir of L atenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby (London, 1861).