The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent

Waterloo 1815 (Lieut. Alex. Carmichel, 1st Line Batt. K.G.L.) fitted with steel clip and ring suspension, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent.

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Alexander Carmichael was born at Kinrara, Inverness-shire, on 10 April 1790, and was first commissioned as an Ensign in the 8th Line Battalion K.G.L. on 22 December 1812. He transferred to the 1st Line Battalion in March 1813, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 6 May 1814. He took part in the ‘battle of Nive on 9th, 10th, & 11th Decr. 1813; Taking the position before the Citadel of Bayonne, 27th Feby. 1814; Sortie of the day after and the bombardment of that City; Battle of Waterloo 18th June 1815, the whole under the Duke of Wellington.’ Carmichael was placed on half pay on 26 February 1816, and was transferred to the half pay of the 97th Foot on 25 March 1824, becoming a Captain in December 1830 and retired in 1837.

There are several mentions of this officer in The Wheatley Diary, edited by Christopher Hibbert: ‘... He [Wheatley] seems to have made no close friends in his own battalion other than Llewellyn and apparently spent his leisure hours, when he could, with Englishmen who were officers in other units in his Brigade - Lieutenants Alexander Carmichael, George Boyd, and William Drysdale of the 1st Line Battalion K.G.L., Ensign John Henderson of the K.G.L. Artillery, and Charles Beverley, a Deputy Assistant Commissary-General.’ He was the brother of Lieutenant Lewis Carmichael, 59th Foot, who accompanied the Storming Party at St Sebastian and was severely wounded at the Nive. Sold with full research.