General James Abercromby
James Abercromby (1706-1781) began his military career in the British Army at the age of 11 as an ensign in the 25th Regiment. Like many officers Abercromby entered politics and in 1734 he was elected a Member of Parliament. By 1736 he had attained the rank of captain in the 1st Foot. He was promoted to colonel in the army in 1746 and that year also served as a quartermaster general.
In 1756 James Abercromby was sent to North America as deputy to the Earl of Loudoun, the British commander-in-chief, and he was promoted to major-general and made colonel of the 44th Foot. Following Loudoun’s recall to England later that year, Abercromby was promoted commander-in-chief in North America. In the summer of 1758 General Abercromby assembled a massive army of more than 17,000 British and American provincial troops for an assault on Ticonderoga. Capturing Fort Ticonderoga was a critical step in the overall British plan to invade Canada in 1758. On July 8th Abercromby’s army attacked the French at Ticonderoga. After a nearly six hour long battle in which the army outnumbered the French forces about 5 to 1, the British were defeated suffering casualties of nearly 2,000 men killed and wounded. Demoralized, the British retreated to their camp at the south end of Lake George. Later that summer General Abercromby was recalled to Great Britain and replaced as commander in chief by Lieutenant General Jeffery Amherst.
Abercromby did not see active service again, though by the normal process of seniority he had risen to the rank of full general by 1772 before retiring from the army.
