He advanced to senior rank as lieutenant-colonel on 4 December 1887, and was promoted to colonel on 29 August 1893.

[2] As colonel, he was in charge of the British garrison during the siege of Malakand in northern India from 26 July to 2 August 1897 and later led a relief force to the besieged fort of Chakdara along with Sir Bindon Blood,[3] fighting against 50,000–100,000 Pashtun tribesmen[4][5] and suffering only 206 casualties.

Meiklejohn was later credited for his skills in providing such a victory in dispatches sent to the military government in British India.

[6] He was appointed in command of a district in the Bengal Army on 8 December 1898, and posted to Rohilkhand, where he stayed in command until February 1900, when he returned home for a prolonged leave for medical reasons.

[8] Meiklejohn had been appointed in command of the district at Derajat in August 1901,[9] but it appears he did not take up this position as he officiated in Lucknow.