Alexander Leslie (General)
Encyclopedia
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 and won an easy victory near Combahee Ferry
.
Very little is know of his childhood. Leslie was born in England in 1731 to Earl of Leven and Melville.
in 1753. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1766.
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
, and the Siege of Charleston
during the American War of Independence. 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." He became Major General in 1782. On 27 December 1794, Leslie became deathly ill while traveling from Glasgow
and died at the Beechwood House.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Major General Alexander Leslie (1731 – 27 December 1794) was a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the British Army 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...
. He was the commander of the British troops at the Battle of Harlem Heights
Battle of Harlem Heights
The Battle of Harlem Heights was fought during the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War. The action took place in what is now the Morningside Heights and west Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City on September 16, 1776....
. He replaced Cornwallis as commander in the South in 1782 and won an easy victory near Combahee Ferry
Battle of the Combahee River
The Battle of the Combahee River was a skirmish of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 26, 1782, near Beaufort, South Carolina, one of many such unimportant confrontations to occur before the British evacuated Charleston in December 1782...
.
Very little is know of his childhood. Leslie was born in England in 1731 to Earl of Leven and Melville.
Military career
He enlisted in the 3rd Foot Guards of the British ArmyBritish 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...
in 1753. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1766.
In 1775, before the American War of Independence broke out, he led troops to Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
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
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
, the Landing at Kip's Bay
Landing at Kip's Bay
The Landing at Kip's Bay was a British amphibious landing during the New York Campaign in the American Revolutionary War on September 15, 1776, occurring on the eastern shore of present-day Manhattan....
, the Battle of White Plains
Battle of White Plains
The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...
and the Battle of Harlem Heights
Battle of Harlem Heights
The Battle of Harlem Heights was fought during the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War. The action took place in what is now the Morningside Heights and west Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City on September 16, 1776....
, and the Siege of Charleston
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln...
during the American War of Independence. In 1780, he was sent to the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
by Sir Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)
General Sir Henry Clinton KB was a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America...
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." He became Major General in 1782. On 27 December 1794, Leslie became deathly ill while traveling from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and died at the Beechwood House.