Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/54

 the battle of Amoaful, the capture of Bequah, the action at Ordashu, and the taking of Coomassie. At Amoaful the fire was very hot, and the dense growth made direction difficult, but his staff were struck by his self-possession and the precision of his orders. When abscesses in his only hand made him nearly helpless, he bore his suffering with 'sweet. . . serenity.' He was repeatedly mentioned in despatches (Lond. Gaz. 6, 7 and 17 March 1874), received the thanks of parliament and the medal with clasp, and was made K.C.B. on 31 March 1874. After a few months at Aldershot, Alison went to Ireland as deputy adjutant-general on 17 Oct. 1874. He received a reward for distinguished service on 6 Oct. 1876, and was promoted major-general on 1 Oct. 1877. After four months as commandant of the Staff College at Camberley, he was deputy quartermaster-general for intelligence, and helped at the headquarters staff (1878-82) to meet the Egyptian crisis of 1882.

On 6 July Alison left England to take command of a force which was assembled at Cyprus to secure the Suez Canal. The bombardment of Alexandria took place on the llth, and Alison landed there on the 17th with two battalions which were soon reinforced. On the 24th he occupied Ramleh, and receiving instructions to 'keep Arabi constantly alarmed,' he made repeated demonstrations towards Kafr-ed-Dauar, especially on 5 Aug. Thus Arabi was led to expect that the British advance on Cairo would be from Alexandria, and not from Ismailia, as was intended. In that advance Alison commanded the highland brigade, consisting of the highland light infantry, Camerons, Gordons, and black watch. This was the leading brigade of the second (Hamley's) division in the storming of the intrenchments at Tel-el-Kebir; and Alison took a personal part, revolver in hand, in the confused fighting inside. After the surrender of Cairo he was sent to occupy Tanta with half a battalion of the Gordon highlanders (17 Sept.). He found there an Egyptian force of all arms disposed to resist; but by coolness and tact he induced them to lay down their arms (, p. 103). He was mentioned in despatches (Lond. Gaz. 29 July, 6 Oct., and 2 Nov.), received the thanks of parliament, and was promoted lieut.-general for distinguished service on 18 Nov. 1882. After Lord Wolseley's departure Alison was in command of the British force in Egypt till 17 May 1883. On his return to England a sword of honour was presented to him by the citizens of Glasgow, with a tiara for Lady Alison.

Alison held the command of the Aldershot division from 1 Aug. 1883 till the end of 1888, with the exception of part of 1885, when he acted as adjutant-general during Lord Wolseley's absence in Egypt. He received the G.C.B. on 21 June 1887, and was placed on the retired list under the age rules on 12 Jan. 1893. He was given the colonelcy of the Essex regiment on 24 Nov. 1896, and was transferred to his old regiment, the Seaforth highlanders, on 30 March 1897. He was also honorary colonel of the 1st volunteer battalion of the highland light infantry, 25 July 1883, and was made honorary LL.D. of Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. In 1889 he was appointed a member of the Indian council, and remained on it for ten years. He died at 93 Eaton Place, London, on 5 Feb. 1907, and was buried at Edinburgh with military honours, the Seaforth highlanders taking part in the ceremony. On 18 Nov. 1858 he married Jane, daughter of James Black of Dalmonach, a Glasgow merchant. She died on 15 July 1909. She edited her father-in-law's autobiography, and was a woman of many gifts. They had two sons and four daughters. The eldest son, Archibald (the third baronet), was born on 20 May 1862. At his residence, Possil House, Copse Hill, Wimbledon, there are portraits of Alison by S. West (1865) and by Miss Munro (1900).

'Modest and self-effacing to the very verge of humility, he never asserted his individuality until duty summoned him to the front'; but he knew how to combine courtesy with insistence on duty. Among contributions to 'Blackwood,' besides those mentioned, were articles on the British army and its organisation (1869 and 1892) and on 'Armed Europe' (1893-4).

 ALLAN, WILLIAM (1837–1903), engineer and politician, born at Dundee on 29 Nov. 1837, was third son of James Allan (d. 1883), machine maker and proprietor of Seabraes Foundry, Dundee, by his wife Margaret Dickson (d. 1879). Allan served his apprenticeship as an engineer at his father's foundry. As a 