Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Campbell, Patrick
CAMPBELL, Sir PATRICK (1773–1841), vice-admiral, was a son of Colonel John Campbell of Melfort in Argyllshire, and elder brother of Lieutenant-general Sir Colin Campbell (1776–1847) [q. v.] He was made lieutenant 25 Sept. 1794, and commander 4 Sept. 1797. In 1799 he was appointed to the Dart sloop, a vessel of an experimental character, designed by Sir Samuel Bentham, and carrying a very remarkable and formidable armament, of thirty 32-pounder carronades. On the night of 7 July 1800 the Dart, with two gun-brigs and four fireships in company, was sent into Dunkirk, to attempt the destruction of four large French frigates. The Dart ran close alongside of one, the Désirée of 38 guns, fired a double-shotted broadside into her, carried her by boarding, and brought her out over the shoals. The other frigates succeeded in evading the fireships by running themselves ashore, and were afloat again the next day; but the capture of the 38-gun frigate was a tangible witness of the success, which seemed the more brilliant as the Dart was rated as a sloop, and the extraordinary nature of her armament was not generally known. The achievement won for Campbell his post rank, 11 July, and his immediate appointment to the Ariadne frigate. In September 1803 he was appointed to the Doris, which on 12 Jan. 1805 struck on a rock in Quiberon Bay, and had to be abandoned and burnt a few days later, the officers and men being received on board the Tonnant of 80 guns, commanded by Captain W. H. Jervis. On joining the admiral off Brest, 26 Jan., the boat in which the two captains were going on board the flagship was swamped; Captain Jervis was drowned, but Campbell was fortunately rescued.
In 1807 and following years Campbell commanded the Unité frigate in the Adriatic, and in 1811 was moved into the Leviathan of 74 guns, also in the Mediterranean. He was nominated a C.B. at the peace, but had no further service till 1824, when he commanded the Ganges on the home station. In March 1827 he commissioned the Ocean for the Mediterranean, but manning a ship was at that time a work of many months, and he had not joined the fleet when the battle of Navarino was fought. The Ocean was paid off in the spring of 1830, and on 22 July Campbell attained the rank of rear-admiral. From 1834 to 1837 he was commander-in-chief at the Cape of Good Hope, with his flag in the Thalia frigate. He was made a K.C.B. on 12 April 1836, became a vice-admiral 28 June 1838, and died 13 Oct. 1841. He married in 1825 Margaret, daughter of Captain Andrew Wauchope of Niddrie, by whom he had two sons: the elder, Patrick John, now (August 1886) major-general in R.H.A.; the younger, Colin, as a lieutenant in the navy, commanded the Opossum gunboat in China 1857–1859, was captain of the Bombay when she was burnt at Monte Video, 14 Dec. 1864, and died at sea on board of the Ariadne in 1869.
[Marshall's Roy. Nav. Biog. iii. (vol. ii.) 290; Notes communicated by General P. J. Campbell.]