A boy in the Peninsular War

A young subaltern recounts roughly a decade of service with the 28th Regiment during the Peninsular campaigns, beginning as a fifteen-year-old recruit. The narrative combines vivid accounts of marches, bivouacs, and set-piece battles with intimate anecdotes from mess life, language-learning on the road, and close friendships formed under fire. The author praises commanders and comrades while candidly describing fear, courage, and the harsh realities of combat, including the brutal aftermath of stormed towns. Personal reflection and straightforward reporting alternate with moments of enthusiastic admiration for the soldierly virtues he witnessed.