Drummer Richard Bentinck of the 23rd of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers) was a rarity: he survived many sanguinary experiences and recorded his adventures. His writings provide an evocative portrait of an ordinary soldier’s perception of living with one of the most experienced Napoleonic infantry battalions.

He was discharged in 1823 for ill health, but lived a full life, dying in 1878 as an old man. Jonathan Crook has meticulously researched his ancestor’s life, finding unpublished first-hand accounts from Bentinck of desperate conflict across the globe, from Copenhagen to Martinique, throughout the Peninsular Campaign and culminating at the battle of Waterloo. These accounts are drawn from interviews that Bentinck conducted with a journalist just before his death.

The title of the book is taken from the Battle of Aldea de Ponte: Wellington identified a tactical vulnerability and called for infantry to conduct an immediate manoeuvre. On being informed that the 23rd of Foot was best disposed, he smiled and said, ‘Ah, the very thing,’ demonstrative of his hard-earned confidence.

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
  • List of Illustrations and Maps
  • Foreword by Donald E. Graves
  • Introduction
  • Chapter One Early Life and Joining the Army
  • Chapter Two The Copenhagen Expedition
  • Chapter Three North America and Martinique
  • Chapter Four Deployment to the Peninsula
  • Chapter Five Battle of Albuera
  • Chapter Six Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz
  • Chapter Seven Salamanca and the Offensive of 1813
  • Chapter Eight Vitoria, the Pyrenees and Sorauren
  • Chapter Nine Battles on the Road to Toulouse
  • Chapter Ten Peace and Waterloo
  • Chapter Eleven Final Combats and Peacetime in France
  • Chapter Twelve Leaving the Army and Civilian Life
  • Chronology 1st Battalion, 23rd Foot, 1807-1823
  • Bibliography
  • Index