Adventures of a Soldier, Written by Himself: Being the Memoirs of Edward Costello, K.S.F. Formerly a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Rifle Brigade, Late Captain in the British Legion, and Now One of the Wardens of the Tower of London

In Short

This memoir records the military life of Edward Costello, an Irish-born non-commissioned officer who served in the famous 95th Rifles during the Peninsular War and later as a captain in the British Auxiliary Legion. It traces his journey from a green recruit to a hardened veteran, detailing famous battles, perilous outposts, violent sieges, and the grim logistical realities of 19th-century warfare. It has endured because it bypasses high-command strategy to provide a rare, vivid, and deeply honest perspective from the dirt and smoke of the front lines.

The Story

The narrative begins with a young, impressionable Costello lured away from his peaceful home by the allure of military uniform and martial glory. Enlisting in the Rifle Brigade, he is quickly disabused of romantic notions as he enters the brutal crucible of the Peninsular War. His early entries capture the disorientation of a novice under fire, where the terrifying whiz of French musketry and sudden night attacks break his initial lethargy and force a swift transformation into a practical, shelter-seeking rifleman.

As the Peninsular campaign unfolds, Costello participates in major engagements, including the sieges of Rodrigo and Badajoz, and battles such as Fuentes d'Onor and Vittoria. He chronicles the extreme horrors of storming breached fortresses, detailing the horrific aftermath where discipline collapses into drunkenness, looting, and violence, alongside acts of unexpected mercy. Wounded on multiple occasions—including a musket ball caught in his waistbelt buckle and severe hits that permanently mark him—he continues serving through severe weather, poor rations, and constant skirmishes against French light troops.

Between major engagements, Costello highlights the intimate routines of camp life. He observes the unique subculture of the 95th Rifles, where officers earn authority through courage rather than mere rank, and where soldiers bond over stolen meals, rough pranks, and shared dangers. He records encounters with local Spanish and Portuguese civilians, guerilla bands, and enemy sentries, often revealing moments of casual camaraderie across pickets.

Decades later, disabled for future regular service, Costello joins the British Auxiliary Legion to fight in the First Carlist War in Spain. This second period of service proves far more bitter. Facing harsh winters, inadequate supplies, unpaid wages, disease-ridden convents, and draconian discipline enforced by incompetent command, his initial pride turns to disillusionment. He contrasts the mistreatment of British troops with the better management of the French Foreign Legion. He eventually secures a medical discharge, ending his journey not in glorious retirement, but as a wounded veteran navigating the hardships of civilian return, ultimately finding a peaceful posting as a warden at the Tower of London.

How It Unfolds

The call to arms Driven by youth and lured by the pageantry of war, Costello leaves home to join the Rifles, quickly encountering the sharp reality of battlefield fire during a sudden midnight skirmish on a Portuguese bridge.

Trial under fire In the heavy smoke of Peninsular battles like Fuentes d'Onor, Costello learns the vital art of taking cover, observing both the fatal mistakes of green recruits and the stubborn bravery of seasoned comrades.

The horrors of the siege Surviving the brutal assault on Badajoz, Costello experiences the chaotic collapse of military order, participating in the frantic division of looted dollars while intervening to save a helpless landlord from murder.

Campaigning across Spain Advancing through Vittoria and into the Pyrenees, Costello skirmishes constantly with French voltigeurs, taking severe hits to his body and witnessing the sudden loss of long-time messmates like Tom Crawley.

Despair in the auxiliary legion Years later, returning to Spain with the British Auxiliary Legion, Costello witnesses his men succumb to severe frostbite, fatal hospital disease, and draconian floggings under negligent officers.

The return home Broken in health and empty of pocket, Costello arrives back on English soil, narrowly avoiding a desperate act of highway robbery before finally securing a quiet post as a warden at the Tower of London.

The People

• Edward Costello: The narrator and author. He seeks honor and comradeship, faces constant physical danger and poverty, and evolves from an easily startled recruit into an observant, battle-scarred veteran critical of military cruelty.
• Tom Plunket: A legendarily brave private in the Rifles. He wants military distinction and extra rations; despite his heroic actions at Corunna and his public promotion, he later ends up a broken bone-picker in London.
• Tom Crawley: A rough, humorous rifleman and messmate. He wants food and plunder above all else, constantly getting into absurd scrapes until he is wounded while fighting a French grenadier over a hut's contents.
• Colonel Beckwith: A stern, hands-on commander. He wants strict discipline and tactical success; he leads from the front—sometimes throwing rocks at ascending French troops—while protecting his men from unnecessary harm.
• Josias Hetherington: An eccentric former showman turned rifleman. He wants entertainment and extra meat, using his ventriloquism to terrify local Portuguese hosts into thinking the devil is in their cooking pots.

In Its Own Voice

"The chilly hour of the night and peculiar inclination to sleep, at the time, had sunk my senses below zero. But I was speedily startled out of my lethargy by the whizzing of the enemies’ bullets, as they greeted my astonished hearing."

— Costello describes his initial shock during his very first night under French fire on a contested bridge.

"The shouts and oaths of drunken soldiers in quest of more liquor, the reports of fire-arms and crashing in of doors, together with the appalling shrieks of hapless women, might have induced any one to have believed himself in the regions of the damned."

— Reflecting on the violent breakdown of discipline following the fall of Badajoz.

"An old rifleman will seek shelter, if there be any near his post, while the inexperienced recruit appears as if petrified to the spot by the whizzing balls, and unnecessarily exposes himself to the enemy’s fire."

— Observing the stark difference between raw replacements and veteran soldiers in battle.

What It's Really About

Beneath its march routes and battle reports, the book is a study of survival and human nature under extreme stress. Costello examines the stark contrast between the official romanticism of war and the raw experience of the common soldier, who is driven far more by hunger, warmth, and peer loyalty than by abstract patriotism. The text raises sharp questions about class, command responsibility, and the arbitrary nature of military justice. It exposes how thin the veneer of civilization becomes during the sack of a town, while simultaneously highlighting how humor, practical jokes, and small acts of cross-enemy empathy allow men to preserve their humanity amidst relentless slaughter.

Why Read It Today

Costello’s memoir appeals to military historians and general readers alike because it offers an unvarnished view of history from the bottom up. Unlike the polished accounts written by generals, Costello writes with the grounded vocabulary of the enlisted soldier, combining visceral battle descriptions with dry, dark comedy. The reading experience feels remarkably direct and unpretentious, instantly pulling the reader into cold bivouacs, smoky pub quarters, and muddy retreat lines.

Readers should be prepared for period difficulties. The text reflects 19th-century attitudes, containing candid depictions of battlefield gore, horrific surgical outcomes, and the unedited prejudices of its era. Furthermore, the narrative occasionally wanders into episodic anecdotes without strict thematic transitions, reflecting its origins as remembered stories. Yet what stays with you long after reading is Costello's deep affection for his fallen comrades—the forgotten line soldiers whose "stubborn spirits and perforated bodies formed key-stones for the fame" of commanders who took the glory. It remains a deeply moving testament to the resilience of ordinary men.