Alexander Leslie of Auchintoul (1590–1663) was a Scottish soldier in Swedish and Russian service,[1] Russia's first General and reformer of the Muscovite army in cooperation with BoyarBoris Morozov. He was the son of William Leslie, third laird of Crichie, a branch of the Balquhain Leslies.[2] In 1618 he was an officer in Polish employ, captured by the Russians, but released. He was the owner of Gerchikovo [ru] manor and voivode of Smolensk.[3]
Military career
In Sweden and Russia
In 1629 he was a colonel in Sweden, sent by KingGustav II Adolf on a mission to Moscow and entered the Tsar's service.[4] During the audience by king Michael I of Russia as a member of Swedish mission in Russia he gave a petition for military service in Russia in January 1630. Since March 1630 Colonel Leslie in Russian service. Leslie returned to Sweden in April 1631 to inform Gustav Adolf that war between Russia and Poland was imminent. In 1631 he recruited thousands of soldiers in western countries including Scotland and supervised the first regiments of "foreign order" ("Полки нового строя" or "Полки иноземного строя", Polki novovo (inozemnovo) stroya), that was the Russian term that was used to describe military units organised and armed along western lines. After the capitulation of Mikhail Shein in the Siege of Smolensk (1632-33) to the Commonwealth army his regiment was the only one to leave the battlefield with flags and arms.[5] During that siege he accused an Englishman, Colonel Sanderson, of treason, and killed him in a fight.[6]
He subsequently advanced to the rank of a Russian General.[7] Leslie returned to Scotland after the unhappy outcome of the Smolensk War. Charles I of England wrote to RussianTsarMikhail Fyodorovich on behalf of Leslie in March 1637 saying that he was returning to Britain on private business. He writes:
Charles, be the Grace of God, King, &c., To the Most high, mightie, and right noble Prince, The Great
Lord Emperour and Great Duik Michaell Pheodor, M'rch of All Russia, sole Commander of Volodomer, Moskoe, Novogarod, King of Cazan, king of Astroean, King of Siberia, Lord of Vobskey, and great Duik of Smoleskey, Tueskey, Vgorskey, Pannskey, Vatskey [ru], Bolgaskey, and of the other ountreyis; Lord and Great Duik of Xovogored in the Lower Cuntreyis, of Cheringo, Rezan, Polotzkey, Eostone, Yares, Lanskey, Belozeisky, Leuslandskey, Yondeskey, Obdoiskey, Condinskey, And of all the northerne parts Lord and
Commander ...
Greeting.—Most Excellent Prince, and dear brother and freind. We have sene and pervsed your iniperiaU Letters of Commission and credance that your Ma. our dear brother, hath gevin to your Maj. Genera Major Sir Alex. Leslie, one of our faythfull subjects of our kingdome of Scotland, of noble and illustrous descent;
Which letteris thrughout all our dominions, according to our imperiall requeist, shalbe in all brotherlie requeist observed and performed; And that so much the more becaus your Emperial affection hath bene most enclyned to have our faythfull subjects' armes and valoris imployed in your Ma. warres,
And in consideration thairof hath made our said subject Sir Alexander Leslie Major-Generall of your Mjesteis warlyk forces, which preferment is by ws most kyndlie accepted and greatlie esteamed, in preferring one of our Scotts subjects to such high diguitie, assureing your Ma (our dear brother) from ws that ther is no subject in our dominions, who ar willing to serve your Maj. in the qualitie of commander or souldier, bot we will give them our frie leave, consent, and libertie to serve your Maj, which we have [thought] good to certifie vnto your highnes by these our letteris, not doubting bot your Maj. will at our requeist continew towards your Maj. servants our subjects all perfection and promotion; Whom we desire your Ma'j. will continew as yow have begun to advance him, as lykwyse to performe vnto him, and all others our subjects vnder your Maj. Command, as ar mentionat in your Maj. imperiall Commission and letteris of Credence gevin vnto him:
Moreover, we have, in regard of your Emperial Commission gevin to your Maj General, Sir Alexander Leslie, granted libertie vnto our faytlit'ull subject Captan David Leslie for to retume him selff vnto your Maj. emperiall court ther, to attend your Maj service, of whois wisdome, valour, and faythfulnes we have thought good to certifie your Maj, as descendit from noble, illustruous, and marschall parentage, and quho in his owin persone hath gained to him selff great honour, and hath gevin sufficient proolf thairof for many yeires that he hath caryed charge in the qualitie of a Commander in the VVarres of France, Germanie, Sweden, and the Low Countreyes :
Therfor [having] thought good to recommend him with these our saids letteris of recommendation vnto your Maj, that he may be employed according to his qualitie, worth, and merite. Our part shalbe to doe the lyk. And to answer your Maj, our dear brother, gratious inclination and disposition by all princelie offices of love and respects, to manteane and preserve the amitie and mutuall correspondencie [of] long and happie continuance between our Crounes and Kingdomes : And
so we leave your Maj. to the protection of Almigbtie God.—
From our Palace of Westminster, the 26 of Feb., in the 7 yeir of our regne of Great Britane, France, and Irland.
Subscribitur, Charles R."
— Edward VI, Earl of Stirling's Register of Royal Letters, Vol II, pp.579-580
Civil War
Auchintoul fought with James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose in the Civil War. He was captured at Philiphaugh[8] and, by the direct intervention of Lieutenant General David Leslie, whom he had served with in Russia,[9] was dealt with leniently compared to other prisoners (most of whom were executed after the battle). Auchintoul was spared (along with Lord Gray), but was banished from Scotland for life.
Back in Russia from 1647
So sentenced, Auchintoul returned to Russia at some point after that, with a recommendation from King Charles I and finally settled in Muscovy in 1647. He converted to Orthodoxy in September 1652, his Godfather was PrinceIlya Miloslavsky, after that act he received 23 000 silver rubles.[citation needed] Auchintoul was commander of the Russian forces during the Siege of Smolensk (1654), one of the first great events of the Russo-Polish War (1654–67). After the victory he was nominated governor of Smolensk by the tsar.
John Leslie of Balquhain, son of General Alexander Leslie, was a Scottish cavalry colonel in Russian service killed in the storming of Igolwitz castle on 30 August 1655,[11] he married a daughter of Colonel Crawford in Muscovy, though there are at least three Crawfords with that rank in the Russian service, so it's not entirely clear who is meant.[12]
^D. Fedosov in the Caledonian Connection in Aberdeen, 1996 and Dukes in "Aberdeen and North-east Scotland: some archival and other sources", in The Study of Russian History from British Archival Sources, 1986, p.54
