Commissioned: Ensign (HEIC - Madras Presidency) 20 April 1774; Lieutenant 7 October 1780; Captain 12 April 1785; Major 1 June 1796; Lieut. Colonel 4 October 1798; Colonel 21 September 1804; Major-General 4 June 1811.

Agnew acted as ambassador to the Dutch in July and September 1795. At this time he was also involved with Hugh Cleghorn in the defection of the de Meuron Regiment (of Swiss mercenaries) from the Dutch forces to the British army. In January 1796 as Deputy-Adjutant General of the British invasion force he again negotiated with Governor van Angelbeek - this time for the surrender of Colombo and the complete capitulation of all Dutch forces on the island. He served afterwards as Paymaster-General in Ceylon, was a member of the Committee of Investigation, and gained promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Agnew returned to India in 1799.

Died: 7 January 1813, at Bath, England.

Sources:
Ceylon Literary Literary Register Vol.1 No.2 February 1931 p.55; Dodwell, Edward and Miles, James Samuel. Alphabetical List of the Officers of the Indian Army at the Madras Presidency from the year 1760 to 1834 inclusive, corrected to the year 1837. pp. 2-3.

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