A Memoir of a Soldier of the 38th Foot

One of the joys of historical research is coming across unpublished letters or memoirs. While searching the National Army Museum collection for material for my forthcoming book on the campaign to liberate Portugal in 1808 I found a memoir written by a soldier of the 1st Battalion, 38th Foot. The 38th were amongst the troops that sailed with Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur Wellesley from Cork in July 1808, and they took part in the battles of Roliça and Vimeiro in August.

The unnamed memoirist was born in Hartshill, Warwickshire in 1789. He was apprenticed in nearby Hinckley, and seems to have become involved with the methodist movement. He ran away from his apprenticeship to Leicester and soon after he enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the 38th aged 17, so probably 1806 or 1807. He served on Guernsey, and then in Ireland. Historian Gareth Glover has identified the probable author of the memoir as Private Joseph Cooley.

I began transcribing the memoir from the point he arrived in Ireland. For the purpose of this blog I’ve added some punctuation, as it was entirely lacking.

We had not been long in Ireland before there came an order for a draft to join the first battalion of the Regiment, it was then laying in another part of Ireland. A parade was ordered and every other file of men was taken but it did not fall to my lot to be one of them but I was of a roving mind and had a great desire to see different scenes and different places. Volunteered to go in another’s stead as soon as we got to the first battalion we got the rought [sic. route] for Portugal where we landed on the 2nd of August and on the 17th of the same month we engaged the French Army. As soon as the enemy appeared in sight I began with myself in this may hem I prepared to dye for this day many will be huried out of time into Eternity and I perhaps may be one of them. My sins stood in aray before me and put me in far greater dread than the French that stood armed with their Weapons of War. I then began to pray that the Lord would spare me and if he did I thought I would strive to to be different for the future. The scene of slaughter that day wass dreadfully terefick, one might think enough to soften the most obdurate heart but alas such is the depravity of the human heart that it is not the scenes of human whoes that we behold, tho in their Nature are so dreadful and affecting, that is sufficient to change the heart for when we had caused our enemy to retreat and the action had subsided I considered myself safe and went on in my mad career of sin. On the 22 day of the same month [it was actually the 21st] we fell in with them again and at the commencement of the action I thought I have been spared 4 days since the last engagement wherein I had promised such resolutions to amend my life and in looking back on that time I though I had been worse in stead of better and if I should this day fall my soul must be miserable forever, but through mercy I was spared and the action terminated in our favour for we made them retreat and they marched into Lisbon and gave themselves up as prisoners and they wass from thence by the order of Sir Hue Dalrimple our Commander in Chief conducted home to France instead of being sent prisoners to England. We in a few days marched into Lisbon after them. We stayed in that place abought a month.

Although short on details I think you get a great sense of the impact of the battles on him. You can read the entire original memoir on the NAM website here, and Gareth Glover’s transcription here. The passage I quoted is on the 7th image of the original. Cooley went on to serve in the Corruna campaign, and then returned with the 38th to the Peninsula. In 1812 he was wounded and then taken prisoner. He was released in 1814 and then soon after discharged from the army. Garry Wills also used portions of Cooley’s memoir in Wellington at Bay.