Alexander Leslie of Auchintoul
Military career. In Sweden and Russia. In 1629 he was a colonel in Sweden, sent by King Gustav II Adolf on a mission to Moscow and entered the Tsar's service. 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. He subsequently advanced to the rank of a Russian General and was commander of Russian forces during the Siege of Smolensk (1654), one of the first great events of the Russo-Polish War (1654–67). Leslie went abroad after the unhappy outcome of the campaign of Smolensk War. Charles I of England wrote to Russian Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich on behalf of  Leslie in March 1637 saying that he was returning to Britain on private business. He writes: Civil War. Auchintoul fought for the Montrosians in the Civil War. He was captured at Philiphaugh and, by the direct intervention of Lieutenant General David Leslie, was dealt with leniently compared to other prisoners (most of whom were executed after the battle). With David Leslie vouching for him directly, Auchintoul avoided execution. When David Leslie's petition was read, by Argyll among others, 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. Converted to Orthodoxy in September 1652, his Gods father was Prince Ilya Miloslavsky, after that act he received 23 000 silver rubles. After capitulation of Mikhail Shein in Siege of Smolensk (1609–11) to Poles his regiment was the only that leave the battle with flags and arms.