Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Ross, John
ROSS, Sir JOHN (1829–1905), general, son of field-marshal Sir Hew Dalrymple Ross [q. v.] by his wife Elizabeth Margaret, daughter of Richard Graham of Stone House, near Brampton, Cumberland, was born at Stone House on 18 March 1829. He entered the army as second lieutenant of the rifle brigade on 14 April 1846. In 1847 he proceeded to Canada with his regiment, being promoted lieutenant on 29 Dec. 1848. Returning home in 1852, he was promoted captain on 29 Dec. 1854. He accompanied the rifle brigade to the Crimea in 1854; was present at the battles of Alma and Inkerman and siege of Sevastopol, and remained at the seat of war until Feb. 1855. He was mentioned in despatches and received the medal with three clasps, the brevet of major (6 June 1856), the Turkish medal and the fifth class of the Medjidie. He was nominated A.D.C. to Major-general Lawrence at Aldershot in 1856. Proceeding to India in July 1857, he served throughout the Mutiny. He took part in the action of Cawnpore, and the siege and capture of Lucknow, where he helped to raise the camel corps (10 April 1858), consisting of volunteers chiefly from the rifle brigade. Joining Sir Hugh Rose's force in central India, he commanded the corps at the actions of Gowlowlie and Calpi (23 May 1858), in the operations in Central India, and at Jugdespore (20 Oct.). The camel corps was finally disbanded at Agra in April 1860, after having marched over 3000 miles (cf. Despatches, Lond. Gaz. 25 May 1858, 22 Feb., 18 April, and 9 Sept. 1859). Ross was awarded the medal with two clasps, a brevet of lieut.-col. (20 July 1858), and the C.B. (28 Feb. 1861). In the campaign on the north-west frontier of India (1863-4) Ross served with the rifle brigade, and was in the action of Shubkuddar (2 Jan. 1864). He received the medal with clasp, and was promoted colonel on 3 April 1865. Subsequently he commanded the Laruf field force as brigadier-general during the operations in the Malay Peninsula in 1875-6, and took part in the capture of Kota-Lana (4 Jan. 1876). On bringing the operations to a successful issue he was mentioned in the general orders of the government of India (Lond. Gaz. 18 Feb. and 23 Feb. 1876), and was given the medal with clasp.
Ross held the command of the Saugor district at Jubbulpore in 1874, and of the Presidency district at Fort William (1875 and 1876–9). He became major-general on 1 Oct. 1877 (antedated in 'London Gazette,' 1 March 1870). The Indian expeditionary force which was sent to Malta by Lord Beaconsfield's orders in 1878 during the Eastern crisis was under Ross's command. During the Afghan war of 1878-80 he led the second division of the Kabul field force which defeated the enemy at Shekabad, and was accorded for the service the thanks of the governor-general in council and of the commander-in-chief in India. He accompanied Sir Frederick (afterwards Lord) Roberts in the march from Kabul to Kandahar in command of the infantry division, and was present at the battle of Kandahar (Lond. Gaz. 30 July and 3 Dec. 1880). He received the thanks of both houses of parliament, was nominated K.C.B. on 22 Feb. 1881, and was awarded the medal with clasp and bronze decoration. From 1881 to 1886 he held the command of the Poona division of the Bombay army, and in the latter year was promoted lieut.-general (12 Jan.). In 1888 he was appointed commander-in-chief in Canada, and in the following May served as administrator pending the arrival of the governor-general, Sir Frederick Stanley (afterwards sixteenth earl of Derby) [q. v. Suppl. II]. He was nommated G.C.B. on 30 May 1891. He was appointed colonel of the Leicestershire regiment on 6 Feb. 1895, and colonel commandant of the rifle brigade on 29 July 1903. He received the reward for distinguished service, and retired on 18 March 1896. He died on 5 Jan. 1905 at Kelloe, Berwickshire. He married in 1868 Mary Macleod, daughter of A. M. Hay, but obtained a divorce in 1881. He had issue one son and one daughter.
[The Times, 6 Jan. 1905; H. B. Hanna, The Second Afghan War, vol. ill. 1910; Dod's Knightage; Hart's and Official Army Lists; Pratt's People of the Period; Rifle Brigade Chronicle, 1905.]