JOURNAL OF A SOLDIER OF THE 71ST OR GLASGOW REGIMENT FROM 1806 TO 1815

The anonymous author of this worm's-eye view of the Napoleonic wars certainly got his king's shilling's worth of the action - being present at many of the great victories as well as several of the great disasters of the conflict. After enlisting he sailed to the River Plate on Whitelock's unsuccessful expedition against the Spanish colonies of Uruguay and Argentina before having his first taste of the Peninsular War and taking part in the retreat to Corunna. His next unfortunate experience was the equally disastrous Walcheren Expedition of 1809 in which he falls ill with a fever that carried off thousands of his comrades - but recovers. After that things start to look up. The author returns to Iberia and takes part in Wellington's victories at Fuentes d'Onoro; Albuera and Vittoria. Crossing the Pyrenees into France he is present at the battles of Bayonne and Toulouse. His military career climaxes with the battle of Waterloo and the occupation of Paris after which he obtains his discharge.