JOURNAL OF A SOLDIER OF THE SEVENTY-FIRST, OR GLASGOW REGIMENT, HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY, FROM 1806 TO 1815. EDINBURGH: PRINTED FOR WILLIAM AND CHARLES TAIT, 78, PRINCE’S STREET; ADAM BLACK, 57, SOUTH BRIDGE; G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER, LONDON; AND JAMES BRASH AND CO. GLASGOW. 1819. ADVERTISEMENT _The Publishers have taken pains to ascertain the accuracy of the statements in the following Journal, and the result has confirmed them in the belief, that the Writer of it has related nothing but what passed under his own observation._ _His education sufficiently accounts for his expressing himself better than could have been expected from a private soldier. No alteration has been made upon his language, farther than the correction of a few of the more obvious verbal inaccuracies._ _Edinburgh_, 29_th_ _March_, 1819 CONTENTS. The Writer’s parentage and education, _page_ 1. Attempts the stage, and fails, 5. Joins a recruiting party, and sails for the Isle of Wight, 9. Adventure there, 16. Sails for South America, 18. Arrival at Madeira, 19. Arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, and account of Cape Town, _ib._ Arrival at the River la Plata, and situation of the English army, 24. Battle of Monte Video, 25. Account of the inhabitants, 31. Conversation with a Spanish priest, 36. Arrival of General Whitelock, and departure for Buenos Ayres, 37. Attack of the town, 40. Taken prisoner, 42. Anecdotes of the battle, and prisoners, 43. Generous behaviour of the Spanish priest, 44. Arrival at Cork, 46. Sails in an expedition under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley, 52. Battle of Rolleia, 54. Description of Vimiera, 56. Battle of Vimiera, 57. Behaviour of the peasants at night, after the battle, 59. Marches to Abrantes, 61. Kindness of the Spaniards at Badajos, _ib._ Arrival at Escurial, and retreat to Salamanca, 62. Dreadful state of the weather, _ib._ Commencement of the retreat to Corunna, 64. Duke of Ossuna’s Palace at Benevente much destroyed, 67. Skirmish at Benevente, 68. Arrival at Astorga, Description of General Romana’s army, 69. Sufferings of the army between Astorga and Villa Franca, 70. March from Villa Franca, 73. Cruelty of the French, 74. Arrival at Castro, 77. March to Lugo, bravery of the stragglers, _ib._ Skirmishes at Lugo, 84. Desperation of the men, 86. Arrival at Corunna, 87. Battle of Corunna, 90. Noble conduct of the Spaniards, 95. Arrival in England, and kindness of the people, 98. Sails for Flushing, 99. Bombardment of Flushing, 100. Takes the fever, and sent back to England, 104.