Orders, Decorations and Medals

42nd Highlanders Medal 1801, silver circular engraved medal with raised rim (Balmer R329), 45mm, the obverse with standing figure of St Andrew, legend above ‘Forty Second Royal Highland Regt.’, in exergue ‘Battle of Alexandria 1801’; the reverse inscribed ‘Presented to Andrew Dowie by Major Jas. Stirling A Reward for his Gallant conduct in assisting to Capture a Stand of Colours from the Enemy’, fitted with watch fob suspension, very fine and an important regimental award £300-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The collection of Medals formed by the Late Clive Nowell.

View
Collection

Ex W. P. Dawson collection, who purchased it from Spink & Son in April 1960.

The following account of the battle of Alexandria by Private Andrew Dowie is taken from the history of the 42nd by Archibald Forbes, published in 1896.

On the morning of March 21st, an hour before daylight, the French made a grand attack upon our line; in making a feint upon our left the real attack was made upon our right. The 28th Regiment went into a battery on our right, and we occupied the ground in front of their tents. We warmly engaged a column in front. The morning being very calm, and not a breath to carry the smoke away, a French regiment passed our right and formed in our rear. This being observed by Major Stirling, who, hearing the officers dressing their line in the French language, instantly ordered the right wing to the right-about, gave them a volley, and charged. We pushed them forward at the point of the bayonet, and in spite of every effort on their part, we forced them towards the ruins of Cleopatra's Palace, where they made for a breach of the wall and chocked themselves like cattle forced in at a gate; we were obliged to force forward to get at those in the inside. By this time it was daybreak; the carnage was dreadful - in fact they were almost annihilated. While I was inside the ruins I observed an officer with a stand of colours, surrounded by a groupe of some thirty men. On looking round I noticed Major Stirling coming in at another breach accompanied with a number of men. I ran and told him what I saw, and followed him to the French groupe. He advanced towards the French officer, having his sword concealed by his right thigh; he grasped the colours and carried them off with little resistance. Major Stirling then called Sergeant Sinclair of the grenadier company, and handed the colours to him. Sinclair asked if he should take them to headquarters. 'No,' replied the major, 'take them to the rear of the left wing and display them there and show the villains what you have got!' The left wing then closely engaged, Lieutenant Hillas was left with a guard to escort this groupe of French to the boats. The major then ordered all out of the ruins to support the left wing, which was done as quickly as possible, and commenced firing.

The general commanding the French cavalry, seeing our irregular formation, made a charge on us. Sir Ralph Abercromby seeing the cavalry coming, called us to come to the rear of the tents; in proceeding thither my foot got entangled with a cord, and I was prisoner for nearly a quarter of an hour. During that time I saw Sir Ralph engaged with three of the French cavalry, cutting behind and before just like a youth of twenty. One of our grenadiers named Barker, having spent his ammunition, charged his piece with the loose powder from his cartouch, fired his ramrod, and killed one of Sir Ralph's assailants while Sir Ralph struck down another; the third made off. Sir Ralph thanked Barker for having saved his life and asked his name, and when taken to headquarters, ordered his son to remember Barker. During that charge, some of the French, seeing Sinclair with the colours, made after him and attacked him, who defended himself to the utmost, until he got a sabre-cut on the back of the neck. He fell with the colours among the killed and wounded. The German regiment, commanded by Sir John Stuart from the rear line, came to our support, and in passing through the killed and wounded one Anthony Lutz picked up the colours and stripped them off the staff and wound them round his body, and in the afternoon carried them to headquarters and delivered them to Sir Ralph's son; and I heard that he received some money for them. In 1802 the German regiment arrived at Winchester Barracks, where this Anthony Lutz, in a quarrel with one of his comrades, stabbed him with a knife, was tried by civil law, and sentence of death passed upon him. His officers, to save his life, petitioned the proper authorities, stating that it was he who took the ‘Invincible’ colours. Generals Moore and Oakes (who commanded our brigade in Egypt), then in London, wrote down to Lieutenant-Colonel Dickson, who was then with the 42nd in Edinburgh Castle, and a Court of Inquiry was held. Sergeant Sinclair was sent for from Glasgow, and was examined in the matter, and I likewise underwent an examination, and the result of this examination was in substance what I have narrated. How Lutz's business ended I do not remember. The following were among the officers on this Court of Inquiry in Edinburgh Castle in 1802 - Major Stirling, Major Alex. Stewart, Lieutenant Robert Campbell, Lieutenant Rose, Captain Mutter, etc. Sergeant Sinclair - the last time I saw him was in Sicily in 1810 - was then captain in the 81st Regiment.