GB 0099 KCLMA Alison - ALISON Gen Sir Archibald, 2nd Bt (1826-1907)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0099 KCLMA Alison

Title

ALISON Gen Sir Archibald, 2nd Bt (1826-1907)

Date(s)

  • 1851-1919 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

3 boxes or 0.03m3

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born, Edinburgh, 1826; educated at Glasgow University; commissioned into 72 Foot, 1846; Lieutenant, 72 Foot Headquarters, Barbados, 1849; Nova Scotia, Canada, 1851; Captain, 1853; Crimea, Russia, May 1855; service with Highland brigade, Sevastopol (Sebastopol), Russia, Jun 1855; Major, 1856; Military Secretary to Lt Gen Sir Colin Campbell (later General Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde), Commander in Chief, Indian Mutiny expedition, 1857; wounded, losing his left arm at second relief of Lucknow Garrison, India, 1857; Lieutenant Colonel, 1861; Assistant Adjutant General in office of Inspector General of Infantry, 1862-1864; Assistant Adjutant General, South Western District, 1864-1867; Colonel, 1867; succeeded father as Baronet, 1867; Assistant Adjutant General, Aldershot, 1870; Commander, British troops, second Anglo-Asante War, Ghana, 1873-1874; battle of Amoaful (Amoafo), capture of Bequah (Bekwai) and capture of Kumasi, Ghana, 1873-1874; Deputy Adjutant General, Ireland, 1874; Major General, 1877; Commandant, Staff College Camberley and Deputy Quartermaster General, Intelligence, 1882; Commander, British troops, Suez Canal, Egypt, 1882; Lieutenant General, 1882; Commander, British Force in Egypt, 1882-1883; Commander, Aldershot Division, 1883-1888; General, 1889; retired, 1893; died, London, 1907.

Archival history

GB 0099 KCLMA Alison 1851-1919 Collection level 3 boxes or 0.03m3 Alison , Sir , Archibald , 1826-1907 , 2nd Baronet , General

Born, Edinburgh, 1826; educated at Glasgow University; commissioned into 72 Foot, 1846; Lieutenant, 72 Foot Headquarters, Barbados, 1849; Nova Scotia, Canada, 1851; Captain, 1853; Crimea, Russia, May 1855; service with Highland brigade, Sevastopol (Sebastopol), Russia, Jun 1855; Major, 1856; Military Secretary to Lt Gen Sir Colin Campbell (later General Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde), Commander in Chief, Indian Mutiny expedition, 1857; wounded, losing his left arm at second relief of Lucknow Garrison, India, 1857; Lieutenant Colonel, 1861; Assistant Adjutant General in office of Inspector General of Infantry, 1862-1864; Assistant Adjutant General, South Western District, 1864-1867; Colonel, 1867; succeeded father as Baronet, 1867; Assistant Adjutant General, Aldershot, 1870; Commander, British troops, second Anglo-Asante War, Ghana, 1873-1874; battle of Amoaful (Amoafo), capture of Bequah (Bekwai) and capture of Kumasi, Ghana, 1873-1874; Deputy Adjutant General, Ireland, 1874; Major General, 1877; Commandant, Staff College Camberley and Deputy Quartermaster General, Intelligence, 1882; Commander, British troops, Suez Canal, Egypt, 1882; Lieutenant General, 1882; Commander, British Force in Egypt, 1882-1883; Commander, Aldershot Division, 1883-1888; General, 1889; retired, 1893; died, London, 1907.

Deposited by the family in July 2004.

Papers, 1851-1919, relating to the military career of Sir Archibald Alison, including: detailed sketch map of Lucknow Garrison, India, 1851; memoranda to Alison from Lt Gen Sir Colin Campbell, Commander of British expedition to suppress Indian Mutiny, concerning troop movements, India, and operations at Lucknow for the relief of Lucknow Garrison, India, 1857; correspondence relating to British military operations in India, 1858-1862; records of service and correspondence relating to Alison's appointments, 1858-1892, with correspondents including Sir Henry Thurston Holland, 1st Lord Knutsford, Secretary of State for the Colonies, George William Frederick Charles, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, Commander in Chief of the British Army, and Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Secretary of State for War; press cuttings relating to Alison's career, 1863-1907, including article, 'The brains of the Army', The Word, 17 Nov 1880, detailing the work of the Intelligence Department under Alison; official correspondence, 1868-1892; lithograph map of the battle of Amoaful (Amoafo), Ghana, printed by the Topographical Department of the War Office, 1874; letter from Alison's cousin, Gen Sir Montagu Gilbert Gerard, with detailed account of the capture of Kabul, Afghanistan, 1880; official correspondence relating to the campaign in Egypt, 1882-1883, chiefly concerning appointments, the state of the troops, organisation, and the necessity of retaining a permanent force in Egypt; memoranda by Alison, 1885-1886, on subjects including the Government of India proposals for a permanent increase in British troops in India, demobilisation in Egypt, Colonel Sir Charles Wilson's failure to reach Khartoum in time to relieve General Charles Gordon, and the importance of mounted infantry; notes [1889], by Alison on his career, 1845-1881; correspondence and press cuttings relating to Alison's death and funeral, 1907; correspondence between the Alison family and Blackwoods publishers, 1914-1918, concerning a possible biography of Alison; article, 'The European Brigade under Brigadier General Sir Archibald Alison in the Ashanti War, 1873-1874' by Major General Sir Charles Walker Robinson, Alison's son-in-law, [1919].

The collection is broadly arranged in chronological sections as outlined above.

In order to view archive material you will need to sign a reader's undertaking form and provide two forms of identification.

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.

English

Detailed box list available in the Reading Room.

Letter books, 1849-1916, held by Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections and Western Manuscripts (MSS Eng lett c 448-52, d 419-20, e 151); 1843-1898: correspondence with Blackwoods held by National Library of Scotland, Manuscript Collections (MSS 4063-4709 passim), 1870-1871: correspondence with Sir Frederic Goldsmid in the British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections (MSS Eur F 134 no. 10); c1840: mathematical notes in the National Library of Scotland, Manuscript Collections (MSS 9585 Passim).

Compiled by Katie Mooney in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Jan 2005 Anglo-Afghan wars Empires Afghanistan Africa Alison , Sir , Archibald , 1826-1907 , 2nd Baronet , General Armed forces Asian history British Empire Colonial armies Colonial conflicts Colonial countries Egypt Ghana India Indian history International conflicts Maps Middle East Military engineering Military operations Military organizations National history North Africa Organizations Political systems Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880) South Asia Visual materials War West Africa Social systems Wars (events)

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited by the family in July 2004.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers, 1851-1919, relating to the military career of Sir Archibald Alison, including: detailed sketch map of Lucknow Garrison, India, 1851; memoranda to Alison from Lt Gen Sir Colin Campbell, Commander of British expedition to suppress Indian Mutiny, concerning troop movements, India, and operations at Lucknow for the relief of Lucknow Garrison, India, 1857; correspondence relating to British military operations in India, 1858-1862; records of service and correspondence relating to Alison's appointments, 1858-1892, with correspondents including Sir Henry Thurston Holland, 1st Lord Knutsford, Secretary of State for the Colonies, George William Frederick Charles, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, Commander in Chief of the British Army, and Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Secretary of State for War; press cuttings relating to Alison's career, 1863-1907, including article, 'The brains of the Army', The Word, 17 Nov 1880, detailing the work of the Intelligence Department under Alison; official correspondence, 1868-1892; lithograph map of the battle of Amoaful (Amoafo), Ghana, printed by the Topographical Department of the War Office, 1874; letter from Alison's cousin, Gen Sir Montagu Gilbert Gerard, with detailed account of the capture of Kabul, Afghanistan, 1880; official correspondence relating to the campaign in Egypt, 1882-1883, chiefly concerning appointments, the state of the troops, organisation, and the necessity of retaining a permanent force in Egypt; memoranda by Alison, 1885-1886, on subjects including the Government of India proposals for a permanent increase in British troops in India, demobilisation in Egypt, Colonel Sir Charles Wilson's failure to reach Khartoum in time to relieve General Charles Gordon, and the importance of mounted infantry; notes [1889], by Alison on his career, 1845-1881; correspondence and press cuttings relating to Alison's death and funeral, 1907; correspondence between the Alison family and Blackwoods publishers, 1914-1918, concerning a possible biography of Alison; article, 'The European Brigade under Brigadier General Sir Archibald Alison in the Ashanti War, 1873-1874' by Major General Sir Charles Walker Robinson, Alison's son-in-law, [1919].

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection is broadly arranged in chronological sections as outlined above.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

In order to view archive material you will need to sign a reader's undertaking form and provide two forms of identification.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Detailed box list available in the Reading Room.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Letter books, 1849-1916, held by Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections and Western Manuscripts (MSS Eng lett c 448-52, d 419-20, e 151); 1843-1898: correspondence with Blackwoods held by National Library of Scotland, Manuscript Collections (MSS 4063-4709 passim), 1870-1871: correspondence with Sir Frederic Goldsmid in the British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections (MSS Eur F 134 no. 10); c1840: mathematical notes in the National Library of Scotland, Manuscript Collections (MSS 9585 Passim).

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled by Katie Mooney in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area