Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The unique Peninsula and Waterloo group of three awarded to Colour-Sergeant Alexander Campbell, 77th Foot, General Picton’s orderly at Waterloo and considered to be ‘one of the best Non-Commissioned Officers in the service’; Picton was killed on 18th June at Waterloo but had been severely wounded at Quatre Bras on the 16th - this painful wound had been bound up and none but his manservant knew of it

Military General Service 1793-1814, 2 clasps, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz (A. Campbell, Serjt. 77th Foot.); Waterloo 1815 (Serj. Alex. Campbell, 77th Regiment Foot.) fitted with replacement steel clip and ring suspension; 77th Foot Medal 1818, silver, obverse: ‘77’ with Prince of Wales’s plume above and ‘Peninsula’ on branches of laurel below; reverse: engraved ‘El, bodon Ciudad Rodrigo Badajos’, edge engraved in upright capitals (Sergeant Alexander Campbell) fitted with steel clip and small ring suspension, the second with edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine, otherwise good very fine and better (3) £6,000-£8,000

Needes Collection 1915, Glendining’s, February 1940.

The Waterloo medal was issued to three men of the 77th Foot, Sergeant Campbell and two privates, neither of whom had the M.G.S. medal.

Alexander Campbell was born in Edinburgh and enlisted into the 77th Foot at Cochin, East Indies, on 25 March 1798, aged 18, for unlimited service. He served in the East Indies until 14 September 1807, having been promoted to Corporal in 1803 and to Sergeant in 1805. He was discharged as a Colour-Sergeant at Sunderland on 23 October 1821, in consequence of a reduction in the Establishment of the Regiment, having 30 years service, including East Indies service and 2 years allowance for Waterloo, where he served as orderly to Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton, who was killed.

Picton’s death occurred whilst he was haranguing the men of his fifth division, during Count Drouet d’Erlon’s 1st Army Corps threatening assault on the right centre of Wellington’s line. Picton was shot by a French soldier. The musket ball flew into his left temple and he fell lifeless to the ground. On stripping his body for burial, it was noticed by a surgeon that he had been injured quite severely on the 16th June during the action at Quatre Bras. Another musket ball had scoured his abdominal wall, causing much bruising and breaking two ribs. This painful wound was bound up and none but his manservant knew of it.

Sold with copied discharge papers which carry a particular note of high praise which states ‘I consider him to be one of the best Non-Commissioned Officers in the service.’