Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/385

374 life, short but brilliant. Indeed, had he survived this fatal siege, he would have been immediately appointed a general, and also chamberlain to their imperial majesties, as appears by letters since received by his brother, Sir James. The regret felt by such a man as General Laudohn, for his death, is the best proof of his worth; we shall therefore conclude this article by the following translation of a letter from that general to Colonel Lockhart, on the subject.

“Notwithstanding the frequent sallies that have been made since the beginning of the siege, our loss has not been very considerable; the greatest that we have suffered is by the death of Colonel Chevalier de Caldwell, who, in one of the sallies, which was conducted by him, as well as many others, had the misfortune to be wounded, of which he died in three days after.

“I have no occasion to represent to you the very great and just affection I have suffered on account of his death. You know very well how much I honoured and esteemed that worthy officer, who, by his intrepidity and courage, which was so natural to him, as well as by his amiable qualities, had gained the friendship of all the generals of the army, as w ell as the universal esteem of the public. His memory shall be for ever dear to me; indeed he is universally lamented.

“As I know the friendship which subsisted between you, I am persuaded this account will give you the greatest affliction. I entreat that you would acquaint his family, and in particular his brother the count, with this melancholy event; it gives me the greatest pain to be obliged to acquaint them with it, and I myself, on this occasion, am very much to be pitied.”

“Dated at Shiobe, the 27th of August, 1762.” 



grandson of Sir James, and brother of Hume Caldwell, served as captain of the 36th regiment of foot,