Neil Douglas
{{Short description|British army general}}
{{For|the Scottish physician|Neil Douglas (physician)}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Sir Neil Douglas
|birth_place=Glasgow
|birth_date= 1779
|death_place=
|death_date=1 September 1853
|image= Sir Neil Douglas.jpg
|caption= Sir Neil Douglas
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears=
|rank=Lieutenant-General
|unit=
|commands= Commander-in-Chief, Scotland
|battles=Napoleonic Wars
|awards= Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order
|laterwork=
}}
Lieutenant-General Sir Neil Douglas {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCB|KCH}} (1779 – 1 September 1853) was a British Army officer who fought at the 1815 Battle of Waterloo and later became Commander-in-Chief, Scotland.
Life
He was born in Glasgow the fifth son of John Douglas a merchant and descendant of the Earls of Angus.{{cite web|url=http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/neildouglas.htm|title=Lt General Sir Neil Douglas|publisher=Douglas History|access-date=5 February 2021}}
Douglas was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the 95th Regiment of Foot on 28 January 1801.{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7913?docPos=1|title=Neil Douglas|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/7913|accessdate=29 October 2014}} Promoted to captain in the 79th Regiment of Foot on 19 April 1804, he took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in August 1807, the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 and Battle of Bussaco in September 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. In the last he was almost killed, being found on the battlefield with seven bayonet wounds but nevertheless surviving.
In May 1813 he took command of the whole regiment in place of Lt Col Fulton. At the Battle of the Pyrenees he had his horse shot out from under him.
He went on to fight in the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813, the Battle of the Nive in December 1813 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 3 December 1812, he commanded his regiment at the Battle of Quatre Bras in June 1815 and the Battle of Waterloo also in June 1815 during the Hundred Days.
He served as Commander-in-Chief, Scotland{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/224/dalry_cemetery|title=Dalry Cemetery|publisher=Edinburgh City Council|accessdate=29 November 2014}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vafPAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Sir+Neil+Douglas%22+Commander-in-Chief+Scotland&pg=PA540|title=The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 174|year=1843|page=540}} and also as Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 1842{{London Gazette|issue=20095|page=1172|date=29 April 1842}} to 1847 at the rank of Major General.
He died during a trip to Brussels on 1 September 1853.
Family
In 1816 he married Barbara Robertson, daughter of George Robertson, a banker in Greenock. They had a son, General Sir John Douglas of Glenfinart GCB (7 July 1817 – 8 September 1888), a British Army officer who became Commander-in-Chief, Scotland.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/historicalrecord00grearich|title=Historical records of the 79th Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders|last1=Great Britain. Army. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders|last2=Mackenzie|first2=Thomas Arthur|last3=Ewart|first3=John Spencer|last4=Jameson|first4=Robert|date=1887|publisher=London, Hamilton, Adams|others=University of California Libraries}} His nephew was Sir James Douglas, 1st Governor of British Columbia.[https://hcmc.uvic.ca/confederation/pdfs/british-columbia-national.pdf Handout: Sir James Douglas], Confederation Debates 1865-1949, British Columbia National Edition, University of Victoria, B. C., p. 298, Accessed February 8, 2024
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|rows=2|before=Lord Greenock}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander-in-Chief, Scotland|years=1842–1847}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=Henry Riddell}}
|-
{{s-ttl|title=Governor of Edinburgh Castle|years=1842–1847}}
|-
{{s-bef|before= Paul Anderson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Colonel of the 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot | years=1851–1853}}
{{s-aft|after=Sir William Chalmers}}
|-
{{s-bef|before= Sir Colin Campbell}}
{{s-ttl|title=Colonel of the 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders | years=1847–1851}}
{{s-aft|after=John Aitchison}}
|-
{{s-bef|before= Sir George Henry Frederick Berkeley}}
{{s-ttl|title=Colonel of the 81st Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers) | years=1845–1847}}
{{s-aft|after=Thomas Evans}}
|-
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Neil}}
Category:British Army lieutenant generals
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class
Category:Recipients of the Waterloo Medal
Category:Knights Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Category:Rifle Brigade officers
Category:Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders officers
Category:British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
Category:British Army personnel of the Peninsular War