Alexander Gordon

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon (1786 – 18 June 1815) was a Scottish officer in the British Army. He was the third son of George Gordon, Lord Haddo, who was the son of George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen, and Charlotte Baird. His siblings included Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, and Sir Robert Gordon.

Gordon joined the military campaign against Napoleon in 1808 during the Battle of Corunna, serving as aide-de-camp to his uncle, General Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet. Subsequently, he served as aide-de-camp (ADC) to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, a position he held for six years until his death at the Battle of Waterloo.

During his military service, Gordon received brevet promotions to Major and Lieutenant-Colonel. These promotions were awarded as recognition for carrying despatches to London that announced victories at Corunna and at Ciudad Rodrigo. Following Napoleon's exile to Elba in 1814, Gordon was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).

Gordon was mortally wounded at the Battle of Waterloo while rallying Brunswick troops near La Haye Sainte. He died during the night in Wellington's headquarters. An account by John Robert Hume, who was visiting the Duke of Wellington after the battle, describes amputating Gordon's leg on the battlefield and his subsequent death in Hume's arms in the early hours of June 19, 1815. According to Hume's account, Gordon died around 3:30 a.m., and Wellington expressed profound grief in a letter to Lord Aberdeen, Gordon's brother.

Wellington’s letter to Lord Aberdeen following Gordon’s death expressed his admiration for Gordon’s service and his grief over the loss. Wellington highlighted Gordon’s active and useful service, his distinguished conduct during the recent actions, and the circumstances of his mortal wound while rallying troops.

The bed in which Gordon died is preserved at the Wellington Museum in Waterloo. Additionally, a monument in the form of a severed column was erected on the battlefield in 1817 to commemorate him.

A collection of Gordon’s letters, edited by Rory Muir and titled *At Wellington's Right Hand: The Letters of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon, 1808-1815*, was published in 2003. The volume contains correspondence exchanged with his brother, Lord Aberdeen, providing insights into the campaign and Gordon’s perspective on the military operations.

References:

- Muir, Rory (2003). *At Wellington's Right Hand: The Letters of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon, 1808-1815*. Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-3380-1.

- Mallinson, Allan (6 March 2004). "Book Reviews: Full, frank and fraternal". *The Spectator*.