In 1775, before the American War of Independence broke out, he led troops to Salem, Massachusetts looking for contraband weapons. His advance was delayed by a standoff at a bridge, during which the colonists removed the weapons he was looking for. His force was eventually allowed to proceed, but found nothing of consequence, and was received with hostility during the expedition.
In 1780, he was sent to the Chesapeake Bay by Sir Henry Clinton in order to "make a powerful diversion in [Earl Cornwallis's] favor by striking at the magazines then collecting by the enemy ... for supplying the army they were assembling to oppose him."[4] He became major general in 1782 and was made Colonel of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot the same year. He transferred in 1788 to be Colonel of the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot to his death.
Personal lifeedit
In 1760, he married Mary Tullidelph, a daughter of Dr. Walter Tullidelph of Tullidelph, in the County of Forfar, who had been a planter and member of the Council of the Island of Antigua. She died in 1761 in childbirth. Their daughter survived:[5]
On 27 December 1794, on his way back to Edinburgh, Leslie was seized with a dangerous illness, and died at Beechwood House, about three miles west of Edinburgh, on 27 December 1794.[4]
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This article is about the British Army officer For other people named Alexander Leslie see Alexander Leslie disambiguation The Honourable Major General Alexander Leslie 1731 27 December 1794 was a major general in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War He was the commander of the British troops at the Battle of Harlem Heights He replaced Cornwallis as commander in the South in 1782 Alexander LesliePortrait of Leslie by Thomas GainsboroughBorn1731EnglandDied27 December 1794 aged 62 63 Beechwood House near Edinburgh ScotlandAllegiance Kingdom of Great BritainService wbr branch British ArmyYears of service1753 1782RankMajor generalBattles warsAmerican War of Independence Battle of Long Island 1776 Landing at Kip s Bay 1776 Battle of Harlem Heights 1776 Battle of White Plains 1776 Battle of Princeton 1777 Battle of Monmouth 1778 Siege of Charleston 1780 Battle of Guilford Court House 1781 Battle of the Combahee River 1782 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editLeslie was born in England in 1731 to Alexander Leslie 5th Earl of Leven and his second wife Elizabeth Monypenny daughter of David Monypenny of Pitmilly From his father s first marriage to Mary Erskine he had an elder half brother David Melville 6th Earl of Leven From his parents marriage he had three sisters the novelist Lady Mary Hamilton wife of Dr James Walker and George Robinson Hamilton Anne Carnegie Countess of Northesk wife of George Carnegie 6th Earl of Northesk and Elizabeth Hope Countess of Hopetoun wife of John Hope 2nd Earl of Hopetoun His paternal grandfather was David Leslie 3rd Earl of Leven 1 Career editHe enlisted in the 3rd Foot Guards of the British Army in 1753 He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1766 2 In 1775 before the American War of Independence broke out he led troops to Salem Massachusetts looking for contraband weapons His advance was delayed by a standoff at a bridge during which the colonists removed the weapons he was looking for His force was eventually allowed to proceed but found nothing of consequence and was received with hostility during the expedition In 1776 Leslie was promoted to brigadier general He fought in the Battle of Long Island the Landing at Kip s Bay the Battle of White Plains and the Battle of Harlem Heights the Battle of Princeton and the Siege of Charleston during the American War of Independence At Princeton his nephew Captain William Leslie was mortally wounded 3 In 1780 he was sent to the Chesapeake Bay by Sir Henry Clinton in order to make a powerful diversion in Earl Cornwallis s favor by striking at the magazines then collecting by the enemy for supplying the army they were assembling to oppose him 4 He became major general in 1782 and was made Colonel of the 63rd West Suffolk Regiment of Foot the same year He transferred in 1788 to be Colonel of the 9th East Norfolk Regiment of Foot to his death Personal life editIn 1760 he married Mary Tullidelph a daughter of Dr Walter Tullidelph of Tullidelph in the County of Forfar who had been a planter and member of the Council of the Island of Antigua She died in 1761 in childbirth Their daughter survived 5 Mary Ann Leslie 1761 1845 who married John Rutherfurd MP for Roxburghshire and eldest surviving son of John Rutherfurd 6 On 27 December 1794 on his way back to Edinburgh Leslie was seized with a dangerous illness and died at Beechwood House about three miles west of Edinburgh on 27 December 1794 4 See also editList of British generalsReferences edit Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Leven and Melville Earls of Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 16 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 508 Fredriksen John C 2001 America s military adversaries from colonial times to the present Santa Barbara California ABC CLIO pp 289 290 ISBN 1 57607 603 2 Fischer David Hackett 2006 Washington s Crossing New York Oxford University Press p 331 ISBN 0 19 517034 2 a b Alexander Leslie Banastre Tarleton 2 January 2011 Archived from the original on 27 September 2011 Retrieved 5 August 2011 Essex Institute historical collections Volume 38 By Essex Institute Peabody Essex Museum 1902 p 325 RUTHERFURD John 1748 1834 of Edgerstone Roxburgh www historyofparliamentonline org History of Parliament Online Retrieved 26 October 2022 External links edit Leslie Alexander Appletons Cyclopaedia of American Biography 1900 Military offices Preceded byThomas Twisleton 13th Baron Saye and Sele Colonel of the 9th East Norfolk Regiment of Foot1788 1794 Succeeded byAlbemarle Bertie 9th Earl of Lindsey Preceded byFrancis Grant Colonel of the 63rd West Suffolk Regiment of Foot1782 1788 Succeeded byGeorge Waldegrave 4th Earl Waldegrave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexander Leslie British Army officer amp oldid 1212394917, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
