author

George Simmons

1785–1858

A vivid firsthand voice from the Napoleonic Wars, his letters and journals bring the Peninsular campaign and Waterloo to life with unusual immediacy. Writing as a serving rifle officer, he recorded battlefield action, hardship, and daily military life in striking detail.

1 Audiobook

A British Rifle Man The Journals and Correspondence of Major George Simmons, Rifle Brigade, During the Peninsular War and the Campaign of Waterloo

A British Rifle Man The Journals and Correspondence of Major George Simmons, Rifle Brigade, During the Peninsular War and the Campaign of Waterloo

by George Simmons

About the author

Born in Beverley, Yorkshire, on May 2, 1785, he became a British Army officer in the 95th Regiment of Foot, later the Rifle Brigade. He served through the Peninsular War and was wounded at Waterloo, experiences that shaped the journals and correspondence for which he is remembered.

His best-known work, A British Rifle Man, was published after his death from the notebooks, letters, and journals he kept during the campaigns. Readers value it for its clear, direct account of military life, not just major battles but also the routines, dangers, and personalities of the army around him.

He died on March 5, 1858. Although he was a soldier rather than a professional man of letters, his writing has lasted because it offers a rare combination of eyewitness detail, honesty, and narrative energy.