324 MI LIT Alt V MEMOIRS. 



vantages or the amusement for which we stand indebted in this respect 

 to the military historians, memoir writers, novelists, story tellers, &c. 

 of the present day. There are few persons, we apprehend, who will 

 not feel that the literary distinctions obtained by English soldiers of 

 late years add considerably to the enlightened character of the pro- 

 fession ; and with that single remark, we introduce to our readers 

 another soldier author, from whose pages we have derived much 

 satisfaction. 



Lieut.-Col. Charles Cadell, of the 28th foot, is a gentleman who, 

 like Othello, " doth a plain unvarnished tale deliver," for which we 

 particularly commend him. In truth, a more unaffected narrative, or 

 one more distinctly marked by good sense arid a clear judgment, we 

 have seldom met with. This is a work about which there is no glare 

 or glitter, although occasions for display presented themselves at 

 every page ; and notwithstanding many temptations to digress, the 

 author has had the tact to preserve unity, and, we might almost add, 

 a distinct individuality in his book, which has struck us as being 

 peculiarly meritorious. Having but lately left the gallant corps in 

 which he proudly owns he has spent the happiest days of his life ; 

 and being in possession of many anecdotes of officers and men, which 

 he thought worthy of being made known to their country, he has 

 employed his leisure in drawing up a brief account of campaigns, of 

 which he has been an eye-witness and participator for nearly thirty 

 years, during fourteen of which he commanded the grenadiers. His 

 is a soldier's narrative simple, correct, and orderly ; and it would be 

 injustice were we to notice it without reporting that the author ad- 

 vanced himself, by valour and exemplary conduct alone, from an 

 ensigncy to his present rank. To those who know how hard it is at 

 all times, and under all circumstances, to climb the hill of fame but 

 still more arduous, how extremely difficult it is for an English officer 

 to obtain promotion without purchase or patronage the great praise 

 which Lieut.-Col. Cadell deserves for having thus plucked his ho- 

 nours from the reluctant hands of the Horse-Guards, will be well un- 

 derstood. It is further to his credit that, during the long period of 

 his services, whenever his regiment fired a ball-cartridge he stood by 

 and shared the danger. 



Lieut.-Col. Cadell begins with the return of the 28th regiment to 

 Portsmouth Harbour, on Christmas-day, 1802, after the expedition to 

 Egypt. Details of the subsequent expedition to the North of Ger- 

 many, Copenhagen, and Gottenburg follow, from which we take a 

 rather interesting anecdote : 



" On our march we had reached the main road, leading from Copen- 

 hagen to Holstein. The brigade of guards were already upon it, and the 

 music of the 28th regiment ; when a part of the royal family were seen, 

 coming from Copenhagen, in their royal carriages. The moment they 

 were known, the guards wheeled into line, opened ranks, and presented 

 arms, the band playing ' God save the King/ What must have been their 

 feelings to have been received in that way by a hostile army, on the way 

 to besiege their capital ! They were all females, and seemed much afflicted. 

 It appeared afterwards that they were the two princesses, nieces to the 

 king, who had solicited and obtained passports to quit the city. The khig 



