Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie (?-1775) began his military career on 15 May 1742 as 2nd lieutenant in the 1st Royal regiment of foot in General James St. Clair’s battalion in Ireland. James Grant (1720-1806), who led a British military expedition against the Cherokees in South Carolina in 1761, was also commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the same battalion the day before James Abercrombie.

Abercrombie was in Dublin on 29 March 1753 when he wrote a precept of sasine and on 5 February 1754 he sold properties in Scotland [Over and Nether Auchinderrin, Hilton of Auchinderrin, Aldekarm Littlefield and Mills] to Colonel James Abercrombie (1706-1781) of Glassaugh.

He was promoted on 16 February 1756 to Captain in the 42nd regiment of foot with which he went to New York, North America that year. The 42nd was with General James Abercromby (1706-1781) at Ticonderoga when the French defeated the British there in July 1758.

On 5 May 1759, when a captain of a company of the 42nd at Fort Edward, New York, he was made aid-de-camp to General Jeffrey Amherst, who had replaced General Abercromby, and was with the British forces that took Canada in 1760, after which he was promoted to Major of the 78th Highlanders on 25 July 1760.

He made his will at Glassaugh, Scotland on 5 October 1765, when he was Major to the 78th regiment commanded by Col. Simon Fraser, and named General James Abercromby, “his friend and relation,” as executor and beneficiary.

He retired from military service in 1763 when the 78th was disbanded, but in 1770 re-entered active military service as Lieutenant Colonel of the 22nd regiment of foot.

He was in Ireland in 1773-1774 whence he corresponded with John Campbell (1705-1782), fourth earl of Loudoun [Lord Loudoun].

He arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on 23 April 1775 and on May 7 was ambushed by forty men on the Cambridge River. On 17 June 1775 he led the grenadiers during the battle of Bunker Hill during which he was mortally wounded in the right thigh. He died June 22 at the Boston home of army engineer John Montresor (1736-1799) and was buried the next day at King’s Chapel, Boston.

His will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, London on 17 October 1775. His birth date and parents are unknown.