British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Waterloo medal awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel J. J. Snodgrass, who served with the 52nd Foot in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, and was Military Secretary to Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell during the whole of the campaigns of 1824-26 in Ava, of which he subsequently published an important narrative

Waterloo 1815 (Lieut. Jno. Ja. Snodgrass, 1st Batt. 52nd Reg. Foot) fitted with steel clip and silver bar suspension, contact marks, otherwise very fine and better £5000-6000

John James Snodgrass entered the service as an Ensign in the 52nd Foot on 9 March 1812, becoming Lieutenant in April 1813. He served in the Peninsula, France and Flanders with the 1st Battalion, 52nd Foot, from June 1812 to the end of the war, including the battles and affairs of San Munos, Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Vera, the Bidassoa, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Tarbes, Toulouse and Waterloo. Promoted to Captain in December 1825, he became Major in the following year and served as Military Secretary to Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell, commanding the forces, during the whole of the campaigns of 1824-26 in Burma, and as Political Agent in Ava. His Narrative of the Burmese War, Detailing the Operations of Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell’s Army, from Its landing at Rangoon in May 1824, to the conclusion of a Treaty of Peace at Yandaboo, in February 1826, was published by John Murray, London, in 1827.

Snodgrass was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1826, and married, in March 1829, Maria Macdonald, eldest daughter of General Sir Archibald Campbell, G.C.B. He became Major 94th Foot in August 1830, was placed on half-pay in June 1833, and was appointed Deputy Quarter-Master General to the troops in Nova Scotia and its dependencies from September 1834 until his death, which occurred at Halifax, N.S., on 14 January 1841. For the medals awarded to his son, Archibald Campbell Snodgrass, see Lot xxx.