AN ADVENTUROUS SCOT.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 146, 24 July 1880, Page 3

AN ADVENTUROUS SCOT.

Aninng the mauy gallant lives thalavo been lost in" the recent South ifrieiin wars, perhaps tliero is none novo i-oninrkabla than tint of Mr. A. I. Campbell, ii!i ArgyMiiro man, who .vas killed at tho storming of Seeneoem's stronghold on the 28th December. A personal friend furnishes tlm Scotsman with tho following sketch of his career: —" When yot almost n boy he served in tho Maori War, where he greatly distinguished himself, and was wounded. No sooner was this over than lie. joined a dangerous expedition to the interior of Australia, in search of Leieh.irdt. After this, he west to the diamond fields in South Africa, but nut finding this hard lire sufficiently exciting, he left, his claim to explore the wild country to the north. On returning, after two years' exploration; he heard that the Ashantee 'War wai going on, and at oupo hurried off, hut, unfortunately, arrived when it, was over. However, determined not to Vie balked, he actually went up, alone, beyond Co-jninssiu, after all the troops had left the country : and for a considerable tune was kept a close prisoner by the King, who treated him with tho greatest kindness, hut would never allow him to go out even a short distance without a guard. He at length managed to get away to his great delight. After fins he had no further opportunity of gratifying his spirit for adventure until the Turkish War broke out, when he went to Constantinople,.and with great difficulty succeeded in obtaining a commission, lie joined the army at Shipka, rightly thinking that there would be the hardest lighting. Here he lived, in a sniall tent by himself, the only English officer among the Turks. He made himself very useful in many ways, especially in hiving down the difficult roads to the various positions on the mountains. At last the opportunity be longed for came, and he vulunlecred to lead the assault on the impregnable heights of St. Nicholas. How he led this forlorn hope which would have succeeded bad they not found on reaching the topmost rock, after fearful loss, thai there was a chasm between theni and another redoubt, beyond ; and how Suleiman Pasha, seeing the Turkish flag waving on the heights, telegraphed to Constantinople that the Turks had taken the Shipka Pass, is a matter of history. For many hours, umlera piercing autumn sun. Campbell kept together his devoted band, only protected from the galling fire of the Russians by the bodies of their own slain, waiting for the reinforcements which never came, till at last, all their ammunition gone, tlm few who remained had to retreat down (he mountain sides tu the ea.inp below. For this service Suleiman Pasha offered him the command of a battalion, but this otter he refused, as ho con-idered flint his knowledge of the language: was not suiiiciout to justify him in accepting it. in November, thinking that all chance, of fighting had ceased, be went to join the army under Mehomct Ali assembled at Orehanie. for the relief of Plevna ; and with this he remained during all the hard winter's lighting at, liaiuarli. subsequently accompanying ii in its disastrous retreat, to the /Kgeuii Sea. All the Turkish soldiers who knew Campbell wen de-

voted to Li'ii ; he not onlv endeared himself to the'n by his bravery mid marvellous cnduess in times of but also by his invariable kindness and cheerfulness under the mos{ frying cirruiiisfaiicw; and (hose who did ir t know liim personally were always reiidy to follow liim anywhere, when thev heard ho was the Kugdishmiin wlio led' tlic big assault on the"" heights of Shipka. He was iii Ceylon when the Zulu war broke out, and unable to go there owing to an accident to his leg ; but. even before he was convalescent, he started, and arrived in time to lea I the Kwav.ies in tin: attack. where he met that soldier's death ho had so keenly courted. Perhaps, owing to his not being in the regular aniiy, in reading the, list of the killed the name of this Scotch volunteer ma v have been passed over; but no more ehivalric spirit has passed away during the late war, and the many who know hi in, both at home and abroad, on hearing of the death of Campbell, will feel they have lost, a friend and comrade in arms whom they can never replace."