A Soldier's Life: Being the Personal Reminiscences of Edwin G. Rundle

Born in a modest Cornish town and trained as a carpenter, Edwin Rundle’s early chapters trace a young man’s sudden draw to military life after a chance encounter with a marching parade in Plymouth. He recounts the nervous excitement of signing his enlistment papers in 1858, the disciplined mentorship of his first sergeant‑major, and the rugged training that shaped his character as he joined the 17th Leicestershire Regiment.

The memoir then moves to the regiment’s deployment across the Atlantic, where Rundle witnesses the daily rhythm of garrison life in Quebec and later participates in frontier actions such as the Trent affair and Fenian raids. His narrative shifts to a calmer yet impactful role as an instructor at Toronto’s Military School, where he molds future Canadian leaders, and culminates with his involvement in the Red River expedition that opened the west for settlement. Rundle’s straightforward, vivid prose offers a rare glimpse into the ordinary soldier’s world as the British Empire expanded, blending personal ambition with loyalty to crown and country.