Alexander Knox joined the Bengal Army as a cornet on 6 Oct 1780 and had a distinguished career in the Indian Army. He fought at Benares in Nov 1781, in Bundlekund and the storming of Khytul in March 1783, and Chowkundee in May 1783. He was in the campaign from Futteghur to the Coramandel Coast under Colonel Cockerell from Dec 1790, and the siege of Bangalore in March 1791. He fought in the campaign against Tipu, and Baird’s siege of Seringapatam on 6 Feb 1792. He was with Cornwallis in the coast campaign and the battle of Cutterah on 23 Oct 1894. He fought the Rohillas under Sir Robert Abercrombie. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 15 Aug 1800 and commanded the 3rd Bengal Native Cavalry in Lake’s campaigns in 1803, the action at Allyghur on 29 Aug 1803 and subsequent capture of that fortress. He had his horse killed under him at Delhi on 11 Sep 1803. He was at Agra on 18 Oct 1803 and Laswaree on 1 Nov 1803. He was also at Deig and Bhurtpore and throughout the whole of Lake’s campaigns against the Maharattas and Holkar.
He commanded a brigade in the army of Sir David Ochterlony in 1817 against the Nawab Jumsheer Behaunder, and captured the Nawab’s artillery at Sambur Lake. He was then ordered to proceed to Ajmeer which surrendered to him in June 1818 for which he was warmly praised by the Commander-in-Chief. He was then sent to take the fort of Lamba in the Jevdoor territory in March 1823, and after promises of surrender were broken he laid siege and captured it on 17 March. He left Rajputana and was then given command of the Dinapore Division but retired from the army at Barrackpore. He was promoted to major-general on 22 July 1830 and appointed Knight Commander of the Bath on 27 Sep 1831. Sir Alexander Knox died on 1 Sep 1834 at Barrackpore after 54 years military service.
