Rough Notes Of Seven Campaigns In Portugal, Spain, France and America, During the Years 1809-10-11-12-13-14-15

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A much sought-after volume of reminiscences from the British Army, taken by a sergeant in the 7th Regiment of Foot, or the Royal Fusiliers. Sergeant Cooper was an educated man and, inspired by the spectre of the Napoleonic invasion fleet sitting in the famous Boulogne camps, he volunteered to serve his country. He chose to transfer to a regular army regiment which would allow him to fight the French overseas, as the threat of invasion had been removed as Napoleon concentrated on further continental conquests.

His account of the campaigns in which he fought, from Talavera until Toulouse (Talavera, Busaco, Albuera, Vittoria, Orthez, Toulouse, as well as the sieges of Badajoz and Cuidad Rodrigo and the abortive campaign to New Orleans), are tightly edited by the Author to omit details and accounts to which he was not an eye-witness. He wrote his notes at the time and, except for one volume going missing whilst he was in hospital, they offered a contemporaneous source of insight into the daily lives of the rank and file. His descriptions of the actions and battles he engaged in are intelligent, vivid and full of interesting details.

An excellent memoir, warmly recommended.


Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1914 second edition, published G. & T. Coward Ltd, Carlisle.


Original –150 pages

Author – John Spencer Cooper (1787-????)

Illustration – Portrait of the Author

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