Benjamin Randell Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Randell Harris
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| Born | 28 October 1781 Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
British Army |
| Years of service | 1803 - 1814 |
| Rank | Rifleman |
| Unit | 66th Regiment of Foot 95th Rifles |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards | Military General Service Medal |
Benjamin Randell Harris (born October 28, 1781 – lived until at least 1848) was a British soldier. He served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Today, he is best known for his book, The Recollections of Rifleman Harris. This book, published in 1848, shares a rare look into the life of an ordinary soldier. Most war stories from that time were written by officers. It was unusual to hear from regular soldiers, as many could not read or write.
Benjamin Harris himself could not read or write. His memories were written down in the 1830s by an officer named Captain Henry Curling. Curling said he kept Harris's story until 1848, when he helped get it published.
Contents
Who Was Benjamin Harris?
Benjamin Harris didn't write much about his early life. But researchers found he was born in Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire. His family were shepherds and farmers from Stalbridge in North Dorset. Benjamin grew up there with a large family until 1803.
Joining the Army
In 1803, Benjamin was made to join the 66th Regiment of Foot. He was marched to Winchester for training. This was because the Peace of Amiens, a peace treaty, was ending. Britain was getting ready to fight France again. While training, he was chosen for a difficult duty. He later said this event stayed with him for many years. Soon after, he went to Ireland as a soldier. He served in Cork and Dublin. There, he joined a new group: the famous green-jacketed 95th Regiment of Foot.
After serving in Ireland, Harris returned to England. He quickly got used to army life. He even learned to be a cobbler (someone who repairs shoes). This skill helped him earn extra money. This money later saved his life by paying for medical care.
First Battles
Benjamin Harris first saw real fighting in 1807. He took part in a short land battle during the Bombardment of Copenhagen. He fought in a small fight at Køge. This was also the first battle for the Duke of Wellington after he returned from India. Soon after, Harris and his unit went back to England on captured Danish ships.
Fighting in the Peninsular War
Harris soon moved again. He sailed to Portugal to join the British forces in the Peninsular War. Harris was in the very first fight at Óbidos. He saw Lieutenant Ralph Bunbury fall, who was the first British soldier to die in that war.
On August 17, 1808, he was in a tough fight at the Battle of Roliça. He said it was both exciting and scary. Many of his friends died in this battle and the next one, the Battle of Vimeiro. But Harris was not hurt. He continued marching towards Salamanca.
Later, his army, led by Sir John Moore, got stuck in northern Spain. Harris's group, the 2nd/95th, marched to Vigo instead of Corunna. The terrible sights of that march stayed with him for years. He was lucky to escape. He said he was the very last soldier picked up from the beaches at Vigo. He sailed back to England, very weak and ill.
The Walcheren Expedition
A big event in Harris's life was the difficult Walcheren Expedition in 1809. British soldiers were sent to the islands of Walcheren off the Dutch coast. Their goal was to destroy the dikes and gates there. This would stop the French navy from using the port of Antwerp.
The mission failed completely. The soldiers couldn't capture the main towns. They camped in very bad conditions during the summer. This led to a terrible outbreak of malaria and typhoid. Over 4,000 soldiers died, and 12,000 more were permanently disabled. Harris was one of those who became very sick. He spent months in hospitals and was not expected to live. He survived only because he had money for extra medical care.
Even though he was called back to his unit in 1810, he couldn't go. He kept getting sick with malaria. From 1809 to 1814, he spent most of his time in hospitals or at his father's home. The Duke of Wellington had decided that no soldiers from Walcheren should be sent to Spain. They were too sick to fight. The few months Harris was well, he spent in London with groups of unfit and wounded soldiers.
Life After the War
Since Harris was too sick to fight in the Hundred Days campaign in 1815, he lost his army pension. This meant he had to go back to work as a cobbler in London. In the 1830s, Captain Henry Curling met him. Curling convinced Harris to share his war stories. Curling then wrote them down into a book.
Harris's life after this is not well known. But we know he owned his own cobbler shop in London from 1836 to 1839. He was alive when his book was published in 1848. In that year, he received the Military General Service Medal. This medal had two special clasps for his service at Roleia and Vimiera in 1808.
Nothing more is known about when Harris died. His book was not very famous at the time. It only became well-known much later, when historians in the 1900s read it. Harris did write a short message at the end of his book. It said:
- "I enjoyed life more whilst on active service than I have ever done since, and I look back on my time spent on the fields of the Peninsula as the only part worthy of remembrance."
Benjamin Harris in Stories
The TV show based on the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell features a soldier named Harris. This character is shown as a smart rifleman who loves reading French books. He dies at the Battle of Waterloo in the show.
This character was not meant to be the real Benjamin Harris. However, there are some small details in the show that refer to the real person. For example, the character is shown fixing his friends' shoes. Also, his officer suggests he write a book about his soldier days to get rich.
The Recollections of Rifleman Harris was also made into an audio book. It was read by Jason Salkey, who played the Harris character in the Sharpe TV series.
