Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Peninsula War Gold Medal group of four awarded to Major Charles Campbell, C.B., 26th Foot and 3rd Portuguese Regiment, later a Colonel in the 1st Foot (Royal Scots), severely wounded at the assault of St Sebastian

Field Officer’s Gold Medal 1808-14, for Vittoria, 1 clasp, St Sebastian, the clasp a good quality contemporary copy in silver-gilt (Major Charles Campbell); Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Corunna (C. S. Campbell, C.B. Capt. 26th Foot) fitted with silver ribbon buckle; Portuguese Peninsular War Cross, for 2 Campaigns, English pattern in silver-gilt with swivel-ring straight bar suspension; Portuguese Commander’s Medal, for 2 actions, circular gold medal, the obverse with two green enamelled lozenges inscribed ‘Vittoria’ and ‘St Sebastian’, reverse plain, with gold swivel-ring straight bar suspension, good very fine (4) £18000-22000

Charles Stuart Campbell was born in New York, America, on 12 April 1779. He was aged 17 upon his first appointment to the Army on 7 December 1796 as an Ensign in the 26th Foot, being advanced to Lieutenant in December 1797, to Captain in May 1804, and to Brevet Major in September 1813. He served in Canada from 1796 to 1800, and in Egypt in 1801-02. Campbell next served with the 26th Foot in Portugal and Spain in 1808-09, including the battle of Corunna, where he commanded the piquets of his brigade. Later in 1809 he took part in the expedition to Walcheren and the siege of Flushing. Returning to the Peninsula in 1811, Campbell commanded the 3rd Portuguese Regiment at the battle of Vittoria, and also at the siege and assault of St Sebastian, being severely wounded in the thigh at the assault, the ball remaining lodged. He was mentioned in Graham’s St Sebastian dispatch, dated Oyarzun, 1 September 1813, and also in Lord Lyndoch’s dispatch and Marshal Lord Beresford’s order of the day. In respect of his wound at St Sebastian he received one years pay and a Pension of £250, and was appointed a Major by Brevet in the 26th Foot and a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Portuguese Army.


Campbell was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in the 26th Foot in 1822, and in the same rank in the 1st Foot (Royal Scots) on 24 January 1829. Created a Companion of the Bath in September 1831, he was placed on Half-pay in October 1838, was promoted to Colonel in November 1841 and to Major-General in June 1854. Campbell died at Reading on 30 August 1854.