"This is an excellent and amusing book; and although it neither gives, nor pretends to give, lessons in strategy, or a true history of the great operations of our armies, we hold it to be a very instructive work. Napier, it is true, continues to be our textbook in the art of war; but, even in his work, there is something awanting, something which a due attention to historical etiquette prevents his conveying to us. He shows most satisfactorily the talents of our generals, and the _morale_ of our army; but there is an insight into its composition which he cannot give us, and which, indeed, nothing can give but a wide personal acquaintance with military men, and lots of volumes like the present."--_Edinburgh Literary Journal._ * * * * * "Il est rare que les aventures arrivées à un seul personnage et racontées par lui intéressent le public au point de faire obtenir à ses mémoires un véritable succès; mais il en est autrement quand l'auteur a su habilement accompagner son histoire du récit de faits et d'événemens qui ont déjá fixé l'attention publique. L'ouvrage du Capitaine Kincaid est intéressant sous ces deux points de vue et sera favorablement accueilli. En même tems qu'on suit avec plaisir la marche de ses aventures, on recueille une foule de détails ignorés sur les campagnes de 1809 à 1815."--_Furet de Londres._ RANDOM SHOTS FROM A RIFLEMAN. BY J. KINCAID, _Late Captain in, and Author of "Adventures in the Rifle Brigade."_ SECOND EDITION. LONDON: T. AND W. BOONE, 29, NEW BOND STREET. M DCCC XLVII. TO MAJOR-GENERAL LORD FITZROY SOMERSET, K.C.B. &c. &c. &c. THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY HIS VERY OBEDIENT AND VERY OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT, J. KINCAID. NOTICE. When I sent my volume of "Adventures in the Rifle Brigade" into the world, some one of its many kind and indulgent critics was imprudent enough to say that "it had one fault, the rarest fault in books--it was too short;" and while I have therefore endeavoured to acquit myself of such an unlooked-for charge by sending this additional one, I need only observe that if it also fails to satisfy, they may have "yet another." Like its predecessor, this volume is drawn solely from memory, and of course open to error; but of this my readers may feel assured, that it is free from romance; for even in the few soldiers' _yarns_ which I have thought fit to introduce, the leading features are facts. Lastly, in making my second editorial bow to the public, let me assure them that it is with no greater literary pretensions. I sent forth my first volume contrary to my own judgement; but rough and unpolished as it was, it pleased a numerous class of readers, and I therefore trust to be forgiven for marching past again to the same tune, in the hope that my _reviewing generals_ may make the same favourable report of me in their orderly books. ERRATUM.