Date Published:
July 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

James Abercrombie

(1706-1781)

Abercromby, James (1706-1781), soldier, was born in Scotland, in 1706. He entered the British army as an infantry officer; in 1756 was promoted to the rank of major-general, and appointed second-in-command of the British forces in North America. In 1758 he became commander-in-chief in North America ; and was in command of the British force which marched on Ticonderoga in June of that year. Here his incapacity for supreme command showed itself clearly; and he was compelled, after repeated assaults on the French position, to fall back. In the autumn of 1758 he was recalled to England. In 1772 he was appointed deputy-governor of Stirling Castle ; and he died on April 23, 1781.

[Consult the biography of Abercrombie at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography]

Return to the Seven Years' War home page

Source: W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. I, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 398p., p. 3.