Recollections of Sir George B. L’Estrange

Sir George L’Estrange was only an ensign when he started on his Peninsular career in the 31st or Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot, joining the war in 1812. Arriving in Portugal and meeting with his cousin, who had escaped from French capture at Verdun, Sir George recounts his cousin’s story before returning to his own narrative and his first major engagement at the battle of Vittoria in 1813. His experiences of the fighting after Vittoria until the end of the war make up the majority of the book: encompassing snow-bound bivouacs in the Pyrenees; hard fighting at Orthez; and his trials at the forefront of the fighting. The finale details various anecdotes that he must have heard from brother officers whilst on duty in Spain and Portugal.
A solid memoir with much to recommend it to the reader.
Author — Sir George B. L’Estrange (1796-1878)