Memoirs of the Late War. Comprising the Personal Narrative of Captain Cooke; the History of the Campaign of 1809 in Portugal; and a Narrative of the Campaign of 1814 in Holland. COOKE, John Henry; George Fitzclarence, 1st Earl of Munster; J. W. Dunbar Moodie.

First edition of these recollections of the Napoleonic wars. It largely consists of Cooke's memoirs followed by Fitzclarence's history and Moodie's description of the disastrous siege and defeat at Bergen op Zoom. Captain John Cooke (1791-1870) was present at Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, and Salamanca, all recounted in his narrative. Fitzclarence (1794-1842) fought throughout the Peninsular War, notably as aide-de-camp to General Slade at Corunna and in Portugal with General Charles Stewart. His account of the latter campaign was originally published anonymously in the United Service Journal and is praised by the editor for being a "soldier-like sketch" that forms "a valuable addition to the military memoirs of the British Army" (p. 138). John Wedderburn Dunbar Moodie's (1797-1869) account was also first published in the same journal. He was a second lieutenant with the 21st Fusiliers until he was wounded at Bergen op Zoom, after which he relocated to South Africa. In 1832 he moved to Canada with his wife, where he served in the Upper Canada Rebellion. Provenance: John Frederick Campbell, 1st Earl Cawdor, with his supralibros to the boards. Campbell's father, the 1st Baron Cawdor, was the commander of the force that defeated Napoleon's invasion of Britain in 1797. Bruce 3595; Sandler 847. 2 vols, octavo (193 x 116 mm). Near-contemporary calf, twin sheep spine labels, raised bands and compartments tooled in gilt, double-fillet border to boards in gilt, board edges and turn-ins tooled in gilt, marbled endpapers and edges, binder's stamp of Clarke & Bedford to endpapers verso. Boards sunned and foxed, some staining and stripping, moderate foxing internally: a very good set.