John Dyke Acland
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Major John Dyke Acland (18 February 1746 — 31 October 1778 [1]), son of the 3rd Baronet, was a British officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Acland served under General Burgoyne in his invasion of northern New York in 1777 [2]. On October 7, 1777, he was shot through the legs[2] and taken prisoner at the Battle of Bemis Heights, near Stillwater, New York. His wife, Lady Harriet [1], was allowed to attend in the American camp and was well-treated by the American forces[2].
Acland was grateful for the treatment received when recuperating as a prisoner of war. Upon returning to England he challenged a Lieutenant Lloyd to a duel when the latter spoke poorly of Americans at a dinner party. Although he survived the duel, he caught a cold during it from which he died in 1778.
His only son was the 4th Baronet but as he died young (1778–1785), the 5th Baronet was his father's brother.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Batty-Smith, Nigel. John Dyke Acland Of Pixton. West Country Genealogy, Heraldry, and History. Retrieved on March 22, 2006.
- ^ a b c "John Dyke Acland". Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History Volume 1: pp. 14–15. (1905). New York: Harper & Brothers.
