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Abercromby the two candidates, fortunately without any mishap to either side, and Colonel Abercromby was returned by the influence of his relative, Sir Lawrence Dundas. The plunge into politics was not a fortunate one for Colonel Abercromby. He refused to vote for the interests and at the bidding of his powerful relative, and by his opposition to the American war forfeited all chance of professional advancement. This opposition was the more creditable to him, as he longed to see service at the head of his regiment. His brothers did not feel as he did, and, while James Abercromby fell at Brooklyn, Robert fought his way to high honour and the command of his regiment. At last, disgusted with political life, Ralph Abercromby gave up his seat in parliament and retired in favour of his brother Burnet, who had made a fortune in India, and then, retiring to Edinburgh, devoted himself to the education of his children.

The war with France destroyed the chance of his ending his life as a colonel on half-pay. He had no hesitation in applying for a command, and, having a great military reputation and much parliamentary influence, he was at once promoted major-general and ordered to proceed with a brigade to Flanders. It is not necessary to go into the details of the disastrous campaigns in Flanders under the Duke of York, but in every engagement General Abercromby distinguished himself. He first made his mark at Furnes, commanded the storming column at the siege of Valenciennes, and was publicly thanked by the Duke of York for his conduct at Roubaix. It was in the retreat, however, that he was most conspicuous. When the Duke of York returned to England, his successors, General Harcourt and General Walmoden, proved incompetent, and on General Abercromby, who commanded the rear column, fell the real burden of the retreat of the dispirited troops before the impetuous onset of the republican army. Under him Lieutenant-colonel Wellesley commanded the 33rd regiment, and learned his first lesson in the art of war. On his return to England in the beginning of 1795 he was made a knight of the Bath, and, almost to his own surprise, found himself considered his country's greatest general. He had learned from this disastrous retreat the terrible deterioration in the military discipline of the English army. His last campaigns had been those of Minden and the Seven Years' war, and he had no difficulty in understanding the causes of the failure of the English. The American war of itself would have been enough to sap the discipline of any army, but there were yet further causes. The American war, like all civil wars, had made the soldiery more ferocious and less easy of control, and, like all wars abounding in defeats, had deprived them of confidence in victory; and at the beginning of the French war they had no strong feelings to animate them, and no esprit de corps to take the place of strong feelings. The army was like a neglected machine; its officers knew they owed their grades to political influence, and the ministers were not slow to use these grades for political purposes; while the soldiers were regarded as an unimportant factor in an army, and were secured and provided for as cheaply as possible. The result of such corruption and false economy appeared in Flanders. Sir Harry Calvert, a keen observer, who afterwards became adjutant-general, remarked that Abercromby's own brigade consisted of old men and weak boys, and reminded him of Falstaff's ragged ruffians.

In November 1795 Abercromby was ordered to start for the West Indies at the head of 15,000 men to reduce the French sugar islands. He was at first driven back by a storm, but reached Jamaica early in 1796. He at once set about his task. He first reduced the island of St. Lucia, with its great and hitherto impregnable fortress of Morne Fortunée, and left his ablest lieutenant, Moore, to govern his acquisition. He then took Demerara, relieved St. Vincent, and reorganised the defences both of that island and of Grenada. He also examined the condition of the health of soldiers in the West Indian climate, had the uniform altered for the hot climate, forbade parades in the heat of the sun, established mountain stations and sanatoria, and encouraged personal valour and self-reliance both in men and officers, by giving the former pecuniary rewards and small civil posts, and by placing the latter on the staff, even when not recommended by the authorities. He went home for the summer, but returned at the end of 1796 and took Trinidad, of which he made Colonel Picton governor. He failed, however, at Porto Rico, through the inadequacy of the force at his command, and then threw up his command from ill-health.

His fame was more assured than ever, and he was sent to Ireland in December 1797 to command the troops there. He had had a great experience of the state of Ireland when his regiment was stationed there, and, knowing what he did, refused to be hoodwinked by the officials at Dublin Castle, or to connive at their schemes. The situation was a perilous one. The English cabinet and Irish officials had fixed their attention on the intrigues of the leading patriots and club