Campbell entered the army as an
ensign in the
6th Regiment of Foot in 1795, of which his father was then
lieutenant-colonel, and was promoted
lieutenant on 4 April 1796. He served in all the regiment's engagements under his father's command during the
Irish Rebellion of 1798. Campbell, with the rest of the regiment, went to
Canada in 1803, and he was promoted
captain on 14 September 1804. (By this time, his father had been promoted to major-general and held a command in Ireland). Campbell again saw action with the 6th during the
Peninsular War, fighting at
Roliça and
Vimeiro, and taking part in the advance and retreat of
Sir John Moore. Promoted
major on 1 April 1813, Campbell and the 6th fought at
Vitoria (21 June 1813), and owing to the wounding of the colonel, took command of the regiment. During the subsequent campaigns, Campbell led the 6th during the
Battle of the Pyrenees, and was badly wounded while leading the regiment, on 2 August 1813, to the storming of the Heights of
Echalar, a feat which won the commendation of
Wellington for the regiment. Campbell was
breveted lieutenant-colonel on 26 August 1813 as a result. After the war, he received a
gold medal for his conduct at the Battle of the Pyrenees and was awarded the
CB. He was created a baronet on 22 May 1815 in recognition of the services of his father, the remainder being to his father's heirs-male. He rejoined the 6th in 1815, and served as a staff officer at the
Battle of Waterloo, going on half-pay in 1816. Campbell was appointed deputy
quartermaster-general in
Ireland in 1830, and was promoted
major-general in 1841, receiving command of the
Athlone district. On 24 October 1848, he was appointed colonel of the
3rd West India Regiment. ==Personal life==