General John Campbell, 17th Chief of MacArthur Campbells of Strachur (1727 – 28 August 1806) was a Scottish soldier and nobleman, who commanded the British forces at the Siege of Pensacola, and succeeded Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester as Commander-in-Chief in North America in 1783 following the end of the American War of Independence.

[1] The expedition from Cork, Ireland arrived off the coast of Cape Fear, North Carolina in April and May 1776 after a very rough voyage.

Campbell and other senior officers quickly realized that the water was chest to shoulder level, which meant that no one could wade to Sullivan's Island.

On 23 September 1776, Campbell led his regiment against the fortifications at Paulus Hook, New Jersey; however, the American garrison of approximately 100 had evacuated only hours earlier.

In October 1778 John Campbell, recently promoted to brigadier general, received an order from Lord George Germain to proceed to Pensacola in the Province of West Florida and take command of His Majesty's troops there.

In January 1779 Campbell sent a report back to London stating that he found himself "without money or credit for Contingent Expenses, without Vessels proper for Navigation or even Batteaux ... without artificers wherewith to carry on Works ... without any Provisions or Materials to Work upon, without any Prospect of their being procured ... but by the labour of the Troops, without Tools for accommodating the few Artificers that could be found among the army, without Engineers Stores, without even adequate Provisions."

Auxiliary forces (of Native Americans) had been raised by Colonel John Stuart, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Southern District.

On 19 February 1779, Campbell was promoted Major General, and on 22 March 1779, he was given complete authority over all troops in the Province of West Florida.

Campbell correctly concluded that Pensacola's downtown fort was too dilapidated and too close to the water to provide suitable defense.

The acuteness of conditions in West Florida prodded Lord Germain to action: supplies and provisions had left England in January 1779 in a convoy for Pensacola via Jamaica.

His preparations included: (1) secure from Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Parker as many armed vessels as could be spared from Jamaica, (2) collect all forces which could be drawn together in the province, (3) take as many faithful Indians as the Superintendent could supply, (4) draw on the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for all expenses.

Because they successfully interfered with British communications, Gálvez secured the surrender of most of western West Florida before Campbell was aware of it.

On 14 September 1779 Campbell was ready to embark with five vessels and two flatboats and with five hundred men, ample provisions, and a large supply of gifts for the Indians.

With the loss of the Mississippi area, General Campbell and Lord Germain, quite naturally, centred their attention on the defence of the eastern part of the province.

Efforts were made by General John Campbell to negotiate with the Chickasaws with the Cherokees and Creeks to act jointly on behalf of the English.

The very day in which Campbell informed Clinton of the latest developments in West Florida, the Spanish were approaching Fort Charlotte and Mobile.

Campbell had left Pensacola with reinforcements on 5 March 1780, but heavy rains, swollen streams and muddy roads retarded his progress.

When his scouts reported the display of Spanish colors over the fort, Campbell turned back to Pensacola, returning on 18 March 1780.

Instructed to attack on Hanxleden's signal, the British's Choctaw allies failed to envelope the Spanish forces during the battle's climax due to their commander's premature death.

With one of his favorite commanders dead, his forces in retreat, and his Choctaw allies failing to deliver their promised effectiveness, Campbell found himself utterly and continuously frustrated with the military situation on the Gulf Coast in 1781.

Campbell was initially taken to Havana where he was paraded around the city, an act for which the Governor Juan de Cagigal was later imprisoned by the Spanish authorities.