James Abercrombie British Army general [edit] Early life Abercrombie was born in Glassaugh, Banffshire, Scotland [1] to a wealthy family, and purchased a major's commission to enter the army in 1742. He was promoted to colonel in 1746, and major-general in 1756. Abercrombie commanded a brigade at Louisbourg in 1757 and became commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America after the departure of John Campbell in March 1758 (see Commander-in-Chief Hollister Pas cher, North America). That summer, he led an expedition against Fort Carillon (later known as Fort Ticonderoga). Abercrombie was a genius at organization, but vacillated in his leadership to the point where his troops called him Mrs. Nanny Cromby. He managed the remarkable feat of assembling 15,000 troops and moving them and their supplies through the wilderness. Then, on July 8, he directed his troops into a frontal assault on a fortified French position, without the benefit of artillery support. More than 2,000 men were killed or wounded. Eventually his force panicked and fled Hollister Bruxelles, and he retreated to his fortified camp south of Lake George. This disaster caused his replacement by General Jeffrey Amherst and his recall to Great Britain in 1759. On his return to Britain, he sat as a member of parliament, and supported the coercive policy toward the American colonies.