Sharpe is a series of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

stories by

Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...

centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. Director Tom Clegg filmed the television series '' Sharpe'' based on the novels by

starring

Sean Bean Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a theatre production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983. Retaining his Yorkshire ac ...

as Richard Sharpe. The series originally ran from 1993 to 1997. In 2006,

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

premiered ''

Sharpe's Challenge ''Sharpe's Challenge'' is a British TV film from 2006, usually shown in two parts, which is part of an ITV series based on Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction novels about the British soldier Richard Sharpe during the Napoleonic Wars. Contra ...

'', a two-part adventure loosely based on his time in India, with

continuing his role as Sharpe. In both the novels and television series, Sharpe encountered many characters, some real and some fictional. Below are some of the characters mentioned in the novels by

and the television series directed by Tom Clegg.

Richard Sharpe

Richard Sharpe first appears in

Sharpe's Tiger ''Sharpe's Tiger'' is the fifteenth (though first in chronological order) historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell and was first published in 1997. It acts as a prequel to the "original" Sharpe series, which begins ...

as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in the 33rd Regiment of Foot. He later earns the rank of Sergeant by the end of the book. He soon gains promotion to Ensign in the 74th Regiment but is then transferred to the newly formed

95th Rifles The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

as a second lieutenant during

Sharpe's Trafalgar ''Sharpe's Trafalgar'' is the fourth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 2000. It is the first of the novels in the wars against Napoleon, putting the army ensign at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1 ...

. He is gradually promoted through the ranks, finally becoming a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Sharpe's Waterloo ''Sharpe's Waterloo'' is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. Originally published in 1990 under the title ''Waterloo'', it is the eleventh novel of the Sharpe series and the twentieth novel in chronological or ...

. The stories dramatise Sharpe's struggle for acceptance and respect from his fellow officers and from the men he commands. Sharpe was born a guttersnipe in the

rookeries A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally gregarious birds. Coming from the nesting habits of rooks, the term is used for corvids and the breeding grounds of colony-forming seabirds, marine mammals (true seals and sea lions), and ev ...

of London but grew up in Yorkshire. He joined the army at an early age to avoid the penalty of crime. He is a good soldier and his abilities resulted in him being commissioned as an officer on the battlefield. He overcomes class in an army where an officer's rank is often bought. Unlike many of the officers with whom he serves, Sharpe is an experienced soldier. Sharpe is described as "brilliant but wayward" in

Sharpe's Sword ''Sharpe's Sword'' is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. It is the fourth in the series, being first published in 1983, though the fourteenth chronologically. Set in the summer of 1812 including the Battle of ...

, and is portrayed by the author as a "loose cannon". A highly skilled leader of light troops, he takes part in a range of historical events during the Napoleonic Wars and other conflicts, including the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

. The earliest books chronologically (they were published in non-chronological order) are set in India, and chronicle Sharpe's years in the ranks and as an ensign. He is known as a dangerous man to have as an enemy; he is a skilled marksman and grows to be a good swordsman. In most of the novels he is a Rifle Officer, armed with a 1796 pattern heavy cavalry sword and

Baker rifle The Baker rifle (officially known as the Pattern 1800 Infantry Rifle) was a flintlock rifle used by the rifle regiments of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. It was the first standard-issue, British-made rifle accepted by the British ...

, although by ''Sharpe's Waterloo'' he has also acquired a pistol. Sharpe's first command happened by misfortune in Sharpe's Rifles. He found himself in command of fifty rifleman after Sharpe's battalion, acting as rearguard to the army, are cut down by a squadron of French regular cavalry. The small band of surviving riflemen (from the 95th Rifles) join with Spanish Major Don Blas Vivar, not realizing at first that he has his own agenda. They try to stir the Spanish in the city of Santiago de Compostela to fight for the cause of Spain against Napoleon. In

Sharpe's Eagle ''Sharpe's Eagle'' is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1981. The story is set in July 1809, in the midst of the Talavera Campaign during the Peninsular War. It was the first Sharpe novel ...

, Sharpe and his thirty odd surviving riflemen are attached to the Light Company of the South Essex. It is with the South Essex later named Prince of Wales Own Volunteers that Sharpe spends the rest of his army career until he attains the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in

. He is described as being six feet tall, having an angular, tanned face, long black hair and blue eyes. His most obvious physical characteristic is a deep scar on his right cheek, which pulls his right eye in such a way as to give his face a mocking expression when relaxed, but which disappears when he smiles, which is not too frequently. By the end of the series he has had three children and two wives, although not at the same time.

95th Rifles

Bradshaw

Rifleman Bradshaw first appeared in ''

Sharpe's Gold ''Sharpe's Gold'' is the second (though ninth in chronological order) historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell first published in 1981. The story is set in August 1810 and features the destruction of Almeida during th ...

''. He was a quiet rifleman, rarely speaking. He was often seen with Rifleman Tobias Moore. He appeared in '' Sharpe's Battle'' as well, and also took part in the Franco-Spanish Border towards where Brigadier General Loup. He also helped Lord Kiley and the Irish Company be trained before the attack. Bradshaw was also friends with Hagman, Moore and Harris, he was often seen with them. He survived Loup's village along with Harper, Hagman, Harris, Moore and Millerson, unfortunately Perkins was killed at the hands of Irish Company Guardsman O'Rourke. He appeared in ''

'', and partook at El Mirador's place, but with a stay at the town Villafranca. He stayed at Father Curtis' church for the night, then later one night he partook in the battle at the French fortress, which resulted in the deaths of half of Col. Berkeley's men and Col. Berkeley himself. He survived but Sharpe was severely wounded. After Sharpe had recovered, he partook again attacking the fortress and he survived the battle. He had a cameo in ''

Sharpe's Regiment ''Sharpe's Regiment'' is the seventeenth historical novel in the Sharpe (novel series), Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1986. The story is set in England as Sharpe looks for the missing Second Battalion of the Sout ...

'', but was seen only at the start and end. Bradshaw also appeared in ''

Sharpe's Siege ''Sharpe's Siege'' is the eighteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1987. The story is set on the Atlantic coast of France in the Napoleonic wars during the British Invasion of France in ...

'', and was there before they would head to France, partook in the battle of Bordeaux and survived it. Rifleman Bradshaw also appeared in ''

Sharpe's Mission ''Sharpe's Mission'' is a British television drama, the 11th of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Unlike most of the other installments of the series, this episode was not based o ...

'' and participated in the Battle of France.

Cameron

Rifleman Cameron first appeared in '' Sharpe's Rifles'' where he accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna where he was wounded. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Cameron fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in ''

''. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but was not mentioned in ''

'' and also partook in

Sharpe's Escape ''Sharpe's Escape'' is the twenty-third (tenth in chronological order) historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2004. Sharpe is embroiled in the British retreat through Portugal in 1810 from the defence ...

during the battle of Bussaco. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in and went to fight with Sharpe in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in ''

'' and alongside Sharpe in ''

Sharpe's Enemy ''Sharpe's Enemy: Richard Sharpe and the Defence of Portugal, Christmas 1812'' is the fifteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1984. The story is set in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars. ...

'', but was not mentioned. with In battle Cameron partnered fellow rifleman and friend Rifleman Harvey. Cameron never appeared in the TV series adaptions.

Carter

Rifleman Carter first appeared in ''

Sharpe's Havoc ''Sharpe's Havoc: Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Oporto'' is the seventh historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 2003. The story is set largely in Portugal during General Arthur Wellesley's Opo ...

''. He fought in the First Battle of OportoCornwell, B. 2003: Sharpe's Havoc. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 154. and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Carter fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in ''

''. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida and also partook in ''

'' during the battle of Bussaco. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro and fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. Carter was described as being a Catholic, a quiet individual who was lucky. His best friend is Rifleman Matthew Dodd who he partnered in battles. Rifleman Carter never appeared in the TV series adaptions.

Francis Cooper

Rifleman Francis Cooper was a Chosen Man who served in the 95th Rifles. He was born in the London slums, where he learned his trade in thieving and pick pocketing. While he has a reputation for being unintelligent and impulsive at times, he is one of the best shots, rarely missing an opportunity, whether its to leave the column to shoot a rabbit for supper, or to eye up any pretty lady. In the novels Cooper first appeared in

Sharpe's Prey ''Sharpe's Prey'' is the fifth historical novel in the Sharpe (novel series), Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 2001. The story is set in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars . Second Lieutenant Richard Sharpe is sent to ...

and was one of the original men of Major Dunnett participating in the Battle of Copenhagen alongside Harper, and Harris. He made an appearance in Sharpe's Rifles and on the retreat to Corunna. He featured in

during the victory at Oporto and the

Second Battle of Porto The Second Battle of Porto, also known as the Battle of the Douro or the Crossing of the Douro, was a battle in which General Arthur Wellesley's Anglo-Portuguese Army defeated Marshal Soult's French troops on 12 May 1809 and took back the ...

.Cornwell, B. 2003: Sharpe's Havoc. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 58. He also appeared in Sharpe's Battle during the

Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro In the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro (3–5 May 1811), the British–Portuguese Army under Wellington checked an attempt by the French Army of Portugal under Marshal André Masséna to relieve the besieged city of Almeida. A bloody stalema ...

and went to appear in the last novel

Sharpe's Skirmish "Sharpe's Skirmish" is a historical short story by Bernard Cornwell in the Richard Sharpe series. "Sharpe's Skirmish" was first written in 1998. British bookseller W. H. Smith devised the idea of giving away a Sharpe short story with every copy ...

during the Defense of

Tormes The Tormes is a Spanish river, that starts in Prado Tormejón, in the mountain range of Gredos, Navarredonda de Gredos, province of Ávila (province), Ávila. It crosses the provinces of Avila and Salamanca (province), Salamanca, ending at the Do ...

. He is referred to as one of Sharpe's best marksmen along with Hagman, Thompson and Harris.Cornwell, B. 1995: Sharpe's Battle. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 25. In the TV Series adaption he is played by

Michael Mears Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

. He first appears in Sharpe's Rifles and goes to fight with Sharpe until

. Cooper was supposed to have appeared as a full-time Chosen Man and was originally going to be a long living member of Sharpe's Chosen Men, presumably to feature in either

. He was to have been and would have been the last of Sharpe's Chosen Men along with Harper to survive Waterloo, but plans changed when Michael Mears was called onto other films. His role-play was replaced with Richard Rutherford-Moore playing as Rifleman Moore, a new Chosen Man, whom had no dialogue.

Christopher Cresacre

Rifleman Christopher Cresacre first appeared in

however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. Cresacre fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Cresacre fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera where Sharpe captured a French Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida in

and also partook in Sharpe's Escape during the battle of Bussaco. Cresacre featured in Sharpe's Battle.Cornwell, B. 1995: Sharpe's Battle. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 158. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de OñoroCornwell, B. 1995: Sharpe's Battle. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 344. and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. Cresacre was unfortunately killed in the siege of Badajoz in Sharpe's Company. Sharpe was angered by the death of Cresacre indicating he valued the rifleman. Cresacre was described as a moaner and a grumbler. He was also one of the rifleman who was considered to be troublesome. Rifleman Cresacre never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Matthew Dodd

Rifleman Matthew Dodd is a fictional character who appears in several of the Sharpe books by

. Rifleman Dodd is a quiet individual of Sharpe's chosen men, based on C.S Forester's novel

Death to the French ''Death to the French'' is a 1932 novel of the Peninsular War during the Napoleonic Wars, written by C. S. Forester, the author of the Horatio Hornblower novels. It was also published in the United States under the title ''Rifleman Dodd''. Ove ...

fictional character, Dodd fights along with Sharpe from '' Sharpe's Rifles'' until being promoted to Corporal in

where he goes missing in action and separated from the group, however Bernard Cornwell never mentioned Dodd returning with the company at the end of the book however in C.S Forester's novel

he does find his way back to the regiment. Matthew Dodd isn't related to William Dodd nor are they family. He never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Sean Donnelly

Rifleman Sean Donnelly is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles though he was not mentioned in the novel. He was mentioned in

but was unfortunately killed. He was born in Derry in Ireland. He is described in the novels as being a little evil person who could shoot straight when not drunk. Donnelly was one of the trouble makers in the company along with Sims, Gataker, Cresacre, Williamson and Tarrent though Sharpe regarded him as a good man. Rifleman Donnelly never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Warren Dunnett

Major Warren Dunnett of the 95th Rifles appears in

and then in Sharpe's Rifles as Richard Sharpe's commanding officer. On the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles, Dunnett is captured by the French in the skirmish that separates Sharpe and the fifty surviving riflemen from Sir John Moore's army. Dunnett has the misfortune to then spend the remainder of the War languishing in captivity, while the Lieutenant he despised rises through the ranks. He was given the freedom of the town of Verdun, and his captivity was not harsh, but had no money for bribes or luxuries, and he stated he'd much rather die than ever see that town again. When he and Sharpe meet again at Waterloo, he is thin and worn, and is incredulous Harper had survived, expecting the man should have died long since, and calling him a rogue. He then apologizes to Sharpe, saying he had been wrong in his opinion of the man from the ranks, and that it was good to see him again; so few of the old battalion still lived, so many had died at New Orleans. In the television series Dunnett was played by

Julian Fellowes Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, (born 17 August 1949) is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, and a Conservative peer of the House of Lords. He is primarily known as the author of s ...

, who would go on to also play the Prince of Wales in Sharpe's Regiment. The character of Dunnett did not reappear in the film adaptation of

as he was shown as killed in the action depicted in Sharpe's Rifles.

Finn

Rifleman Finn first appeared in Sharpe's Battle however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Finn fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

but he wasn't mentioned. Finn went onto fight alongside Sharpe in

but he wasn't mentioned at all. Finn wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Finn did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Finn was part of the Irish contingent of Sharpe's Riflemen along with Harper, Slattery and Donnelly. Rifleman Finn never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Gataker

Rifleman Gataker is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles. He was not considered for a promotion to sergeant as Sharpe saw him as being too fly ernacular?for his own good. He may not have been one of the best shots of the riflemen, as in

he was asked to keep reloading for Hagman.Cornwell, B. 1981: Sharpe's Eagle. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 126. Rifleman Gataker was mentioned in

where he fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. He also featured in

where Gataker fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera. Gataker was unfortunately killed at the beginning of the battle when a shell landed next to him and exploded. Rifleman Gataker never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Green

Rifleman Green first appeared in Sharpe's BattleCornwell, B. 1995: Sharpe's Battle. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 30. however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Green fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

but he wasn't mentioned. Green went on to fight alongside Sharpe in

but he wasn't mentioned at all. Green wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Green did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Rifleman Green never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Daniel Hagman

Rifleman Daniel Hagman is the oldest man in Sharpe's company and, over the entire course of the novels, its best marksman. Hagman is one of the Chosen Men and appears in nearly all the original Sharpe novels and television series. Sharpe initially thought of Hagman as being too lazy to be considered for sergeant.Cornwell, B. 1988: Sharpe's Rifles. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 127. Although he doesn't know exactly when he was born, he is described as being between forty and fifty years old, and missing most of his teeth. He has "a face like a grave-digger, hair down to his shoulder blades" (

). He had been a poacher in Cheshire, as had been his father. When caught, he was given the choice of prison or the army. He chose the army, leaving his wife, a "God-damned sawney mouthed bitch of a sodding witch" behind ( Sharpe's Rifles). Sharpe wondered how he'd ever been caught since he had an uncanny ability to find his way in the dark and assumed he must have been drunk (

). Hagman was one of the very few who had not got insensibly drunk with the rest of the company in Sharpe's Rifles. He was seriously wounded at a skirmish outside Barca d'Avintas in Portugal, taking a ball to the chest. Sharpe refused to leave him behind, and as luck would have it, they billeted in one of the English merchant's houses for almost a month, giving Hagman the chance to heal. While delirious he muttered the name "Amy," and was later surprised he had, since he had not thought of her in years. He explained she had been the rector's daughter - who did things no rector's daughter ought to do. He then recommended a poultice of spider webs, moss, and vinegar backed on brown paper and tied tight to the wound. Apparently it worked because he marched out with his company (

). While the company was under siege at San Isidro in Sharpe's Battle, he reveals that as a boy he spent a year down a coal mine in Derbyshire. He hated the mine, and was frightened from the moment he entered the shaft. He also said working girls used to come down the mine and work their trade among the men. A girl called Dwarf Babs who charged a penny, was his first woman, "And she didn't even charge me." He figured that if his father had not died about then, which had his mother moving to Handbridge to live with her sister, he'd have been there still - or dead, since life expectancy in the mines was about thirty. In

he offers to play valet for Sharpe, but is refused. The amused Hagman told Sharpe he was a bloody awful Major, "You have to learn to have things done for you, sir, like the nobs." That if he ate with quality, he couldn't look like a tinker. Although for himself, he could not see the point of a fork when the good Lord gave you fingers. In

Sharpe's Christmas "Sharpe's Christmas" is a short story by historical fiction author Bernard Cornwell. It features Cornwell's fictional hero Richard Sharpe. It was originally written for the British newspaper ''The Daily Mail'', which serialised it during the 19 ...

, it was Hagman who was called upon to deliver the baby of a French camp follower, "Isn't the first baby I've done, sir.... I'll see her right." He is also apparently the alternate barber to Sally Clayton, cutting Sharpe's hair when needed (

). He can neither read nor write, but he is the best marksman among the Rifles. He was a careful and deliberate shot, precise, preferring using the finest loose powder to charge his weapon rather than the prepared cartridges. He often follows each shot with a softly spoken "got him." During the battle of Waterloo, after Sharpe takes command of the Prince of Wales' Own, Hagman takes a bullet through the chest and is fatally wounded. Sharpe kneels beside him, holding his hand, as the older man bleeds out. Sharpe offers to get him to the surgeons, but Hagman's last words were, "Bugger them surgeons, Mr Sharpe." Hagman then dies in Sharpe's arms (

). After the Battle he is buried by Harper and Sharpe along with Sharpe's rifle (

Sharpe's Assassin ''Sharpe's Assassin'' is the twenty-first historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2021. The story is set in June 1815, immediately after the Battle of Waterloo, and during the occupation of Paris. Plot ...

). In the TV adaptations he was played by

John Tams John Tams (born 16 February 1949) is an English actor, singer, songwriter, composer and musician born in Holbrook, Derbyshire, the son of a publican. He first worked as a reporter for the '' Ripley & Heanor News'' later working for BBC Radio De ...

, a noted English folk musician and composer, who arranged and sang much of the music used in the series. A number of differences exist between the character in the book and the TV character, notably that in the TV adaptation he is killed at La Haye Saint rather than at Sharpe's side. In Sharpe's Rifles it was with Hagman that Sharpe made his first inroads toward connecting with his new command. He stopped to speak with the former poacher and helped him through a boggy ground. He served a chief midwife for Ramona when she gave birth to Harper's son in

Sharpe's Honour ''Sharpe's Honour'' is the sixteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1985. In the Vitoria Campaign of the Peninsula War in 1813, Sharpe is framed for murder. He must find a way to clear ...

. He was calm and cool throughout, but admitted he'd never helped a human give birth before. In

, Matthew Robinson, a young rifleman from the 60th Rifles reckoned he was the best shot in the company, and like Hagman liked to grind his powder fine, and load with loose powder rather than the prepared cartridges when there was time. Upon observing Robinson's grind, Hagman commented drily, "If ye grind it too fine, it'll blow yer bloody head off, then nobody'll know who's best shot; thee or me." When Robinson later had the opportunity to act as sniper, his target survived, so Hagman backed him up and delivered a fatal shot. The two marksmen shook hands and agreed that Robinson was second best shot. At Waterloo, he and Harris rejoin Sharpe and take positions as sergeants on the Prince of Orange's roster. At the defense of La Haye Sainte, they ran out of ammunition, and in his effort to abandon the location, Orange knocked Hagman to the ground. A French infantryman then shot him in the head, and he died instantly. Sharpe came near tears when he heard, and attempted to assassinate Orange to prevent any more unnecessary deaths among the men. There are similarities between Hagman & Joseph Almond, a 95th Riflemen who, like Hagman, was a Cheshire man, although Joseph Almond was executed at Ciudad Rodrigo for desertion and betrayal to the French side.

Patrick Harper

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...

Patrick 'Pat' Harper is a fictional character created by

in the "Sharpe" series of novels. Harper is a large, fierce-seeming man from Donegal, Ireland, recruited in the early years of the 19th century into the British Army and eventually the 95th Rifle Regiment. Harper is initially an antagonist, as he leads a mutiny against Sharpe's command and conspires to murder him in '' Sharpe's Rifles''. Over the course of the series Harper becomes one of Sharpe's closest friends and his most reliable companion (to the point where the duo privately address each other by their first names), sharing most of his exploits and rising in rank beside him to

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

and

regimental sergeant major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by warrant officers class 1 (WO1) in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, including Australi ...

. Along with Sharpe he is one of the principal protagonists of the series and appears in the majority of the books. Patrick Harper was born i
Tangaveane
an agricultural

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

in 1784, one of many children born into a farming family in the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

peasantry that predominated in rural Ireland at the time. Hunger and rural poverty drove him to join the British army, despite his antipathy to the British in Ireland. This ambivalence at his role led to frequent rebellion against authority and a reputation as troublemaker, one of the wildest men in the army. Consequently, he was transferred from regiment to regiment, until he settled in the newly formed

Rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...

Harper got his first taste of battle when, in 1806, he was part of the disastrous attempt to capture Buenos Aires and the following year saw action at the Battle of Copenhagen (''

''). In 1808 the Rifles were posted to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

and fought in the opening campaigns of the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

, at the Battles of

Roliça Bombarral () is a municipality in the District of Leiria in Central Portugal. The population in 2011 was 13,193, in an area of . It includes four civil parishes ( pt, freguesia) that provide local services. History It is known that the area of ...

and

Vimeiro Vimeiro () is a freguesia (civil parish) in the municipality of Lourinhã in west-central Portugal. It is in the District of Lisboa. The population in 2011 was 1,470,Corunna Harper was among a small group of Riflemen trapped behind enemy lines and led an unsuccessful

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...

against the only surviving officer – Richard Sharpe ('' Sharpe's Rifles''). Harper's growing respect – eventually deep and lasting friendship – for Sharpe and his promotion to

finally provide Harper with a stability that allow him to flourish in the army. He transfers with Sharpe to the

South Essex Regiment The South Essex Regiment, later the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, is a fictional infantry line regiment in the British Army that was created by Bernard Cornwell in the ''Sharpe'' novel series. Fictional history The regiment first appears in ...

(''

'') and serves throughout the

with great courage, a ferocious and adept soldier and natural leader of infantry. Among the exploits he shares with Sharpe, Harper is credited with the capture of a

French Imperial Eagle The French Imperial Eagle (''Aigle de drapeau'', lit. "flag eagle") refers to the figure of an eagle on a staff carried into battle as a standard by the ''Grande Armée'' of Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars. Although they were presented with ...

at the

Battle of Talavera The Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809) was fought just outside the town of Talavera de la Reina, Spain some southwest of Madrid, during the Peninsular War. At Talavera, a British army under Sir Arthur Wellesley combined with a Spanish ar ...

in 1809 and storming of one of the breaches at

Badajoz Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The population ...

in 1812 ('' Sharpe's Company''). He is discharged from the army in 1814, but is present at the

as a civilian (

). He enjoys a successful second career in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

as a horse dealer (many of which are stolen) and owner of a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

. Despite his ferocity in battle, where he seems to embody the

berserker In the Old Norse written corpus, berserker were those who were said to have fought in a trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the modern English word '' berserk'' (meaning "furiously violent or out of control"). Berserkers ...

energy of legendary Irish heroes such as

Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster (Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, ...

, Harper is a kind and gentle man, with a passion for

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

. His weapon of choice is a

Nock gun The Nock gun was a seven-barrelled flintlock smoothbore firearm used by the Royal Navy during the early stages of the Napoleonic Wars. It is a type of volley gun adapted for ship-to-ship fighting, but was limited in its use because of the powerful ...

, given to him by Sharpe as a "Christmas present" (''

''). Harper is flogged during the siege of

as a result of the machinations of Sharpe's enemy

Obadiah Hakeswill Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

. Harper protects Isabella, a young Spanish girl, through the horrific hours of

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ag ...

and

looting Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...

that follow the capture of Badajoz. They subsequently marry and settle in Dublin, where they raise many children. (In the television adaptations Harper's wife is called Ramona and their meeting during the sack of Badajoz is not depicted.) Harper speaks fluent

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, his native tongue, in addition to English. Five years after Waterloo in ''

Sharpe's Devil ''Sharpe's Devil'' is the twenty-second -- and, to date, final -- historical novelin the Sharpe (novel series), Richard Sharpe series written by Bernard Cornwell and published in 1992. The story is set in 1820, with Sharpe and Harper en route t ...

'' he had grown very fat. Ironically, as Harper was not wounded throughout the Peninsular War, he is wounded for the first time in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

while there with Sharpe attempting to locate Blas Vivar, the Spaniard who rescued them in '' Sharpe's Rifles''. Harper is played by

Daragh O'Malley Daragh Gerard Marion O'Malley (born 25 May 1954) is an Irish actor, director and producer. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. Among many TV appearances O'Malley is known for his portrayal of Patrick Harper in the series '' Sharpe'' (1993–2009), ...

in the ''Sharpe'' TV series. In the Sharpe novels, Harper's middle name is given as Augustine. But in the ''Sharpe'' TV series, it was changed to Michael.

Harris

Rifleman Harris is a fictional character from

's Sharpe series of novels, an alcoholic scholar who enlisted because of debt. In the

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

, he is a

rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...

, one of Sharpe's Chosen Men or lance corporals and is played by

Jason Salkey Jason Salkey (born 24 April 1962) is an English actor, best known for playing Harris, the "educated rifleman", in the television series '' Sharpe''. Salkey has also published a book and video diaries about working in ''Sharpe'' alongside Sean Be ...

. In Sharpe's Rifles, he claims to be from

Wheatley Wheatley may refer to: Places * Wheatley (crater), on Venus * Wheatley, Ontario, Canada * Wheatley, Hampshire, England * Wheatley, Oxfordshire, England ** Wheatley railway station * Wheatley, South Yorkshire, England * Wheatley, now Ben Rhydding, ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

. This is contradicted in the novel

, written after the television adaptations, where Harris tells Sharpe he is from

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

, "where

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

came from". He enjoys reading books, especially philosophy and is the intellectual member of the company. In the books the educated Rifleman was Isaiah Tongue, killed in

. He was eventually promoted to sergeant but was killed alongside his friend Sergeant

Daniel Hagman Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

at the

in 1815. In the books, Harris is absent from the battle. He first appeared in

and, including Harper, was one of the only two men remaining from Major Dunnett's original company, from the Battle of Copenhagen. He is referred to as one of Sharpe's best marksmen, along with Hagman and Thompson. Harris last appears in

, but he may be alive as of

, as he is likely to be one of the last nine from the retreat to Corunna left at the time. He possibly fought with Sharpe at the

Battle of Vitoria At the Battle of Vitoria (21 June 1813) a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, eventually leading to ...

and presumably the

Battle of Nivelle The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20,0 ...

. He most likely fought with Sharpe at the final Battle of Toulouse, and may still be alive as of

Sharpe's Revenge ''Sharpe's Revenge'' is the nineteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series written by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1989. The peace of 1814 formally ends the Peninsular War, but it does not end all hostilities among individua ...

, though Harris is absent in

. He does not appear at Waterloo and is absent from the battle. His first name is never revealed in the series and in fact a joke is made of this in his final scene, with Hagman asking him what it is. The character was named in tribute to

Benjamin Randell Harris Benjamin Randell Harris (28 October, 1781- after 1848) was a British infantryman who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He is most widely remembered today as the author of a memoir of his time in the army entitled ''The Recoll ...

, of the

, whose memoir,

The Recollections of Rifleman Harris ''The Recollections of Rifleman Harris'' is a memoir published in 1848, which claims to reflect the experiences of an enlisted soldier in the 95th Regiment of Foot in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. The eponymous soldier was Benjam ...

, about his experiences during the peninsular campaign, was a major source for Cornwell's original research for the Sharpe novels (an audio version of the book was recorded by Salkey).

Harvey

Rifleman Harvey first appeared in

but he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Harvey fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

where he was asked to keep reloading for Hagman, maybe indicating that he was one of the weaker shots of the riflemen. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

but he wasn't mentioned. Harvey went onto fight alongside Sharpe in

but he wasn't mentioned at all. Harvey wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Harvey did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Harvey was best friends with Rifleman Cameron, with whom he partnered in battle. Rifleman Harvey never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Nicholas Hine

Rifleman Nicholas Hine is one of the original 50 riflemen cut off from Sir John Moores army during the retreat to Corunna though he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. Rifleman Hine was first mentioned in

where he fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. In

it is revealed that just over 30 rifleman survived the retreat to Corunna and Hine would have been one of them. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but also was not mentioned in

where it states that there are 20 surviving riflemen. Hine also partook in the battle of Bussaco in

where it is mentioned that Sharpe only has 18 riflemen left. Hine was mentioned in Sharpe's Battle where he was involved in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro. In Sharpe's Company Sharpe has 11 surviving riflemen and in

he has ten which included Harper. Hine wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Hine did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. He is described as being born in Staffordshire, over six feet tall, and popular with the other men. Despite being a very competent and reliable rifleman, Hine is also known to be over-confident and on occasions arrogant. Rifleman Nicholas Hine never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Hobbes

Rifleman Hobbes is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna though he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. Hobbes would have fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. He would have been with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but also was not mentioned in

and also partook in the battle of Bussaco in

. Hobbes wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas or Siege. He however featured in

. He was killed in the Battle of Toulouse while creating an opportunity for the South Essex to attack the French.

Jedediah Horrell

Rifleman Jedediah Horrell first appeared in

however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Horrell fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

.Cornwell, B. 1981: Sharpe's Eagle. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 292. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Horrell featured in Sharpe's Battle. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

but he wasn't mentioned. Horrell went onto fight alongside Sharpe in Sharpe's Enemy but he wasn't mentioned at all. Horrell wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Horrell did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. He is described as a good man, a sturdy labourer from the Midlands. Rifleman Horrell never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Parry Jenkins

Rifleman Parry Jenkins was a Welsh rifleman and chosen-man that served in the 95th Rifles. He was five feet and four inches tall and he was one of the best fishers amongst the men. He was considered in Sharpe's Rifles as a candidate for Sergeant but Sharpe thought he lacked the necessary ruthlessness. He got on well with Sharpe and the rest of the men. Jenkins first appeared in Sharpe's Rifles, he was one of the original men from the retreat to Corunna. After the death of the senior officers leaves Sharpe in charge, Jenkins was one of those willing to listen to Sharpe. Jenkins partook in the battle of St. Jones, Santiago de Compostela, and managed to survive the battle and become one of the new Chosen Men with Sharpe. In

Jenkins was one of only twenty rifleman out of the thirty-one survivors from Corunna remaining at the time. He participated in the Siege of Almeida in search of Claud Hardy, however they were too late and he was already dead. During the mission, one of Jenkins's closest friends, Rifleman Isaiah Tongue, was killed by a French sharpshooter.Cornwell, B. 1981: Sharpe's Gold. Great Britain: HarperCollins, pp. 197-198. Jenkins blamed himself for Tongue's death and had to be reassured by Sharpe. Jenkins survived the Siege of Almeida. In Sharpe's Company Jenkins participated in the

Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo Sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo are a series of sieges of the Spanish town Ciudad Rodrigo. Specific sieges are: * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1370) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1707) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1810) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812) ...

and the Siege of Badajoz. Jenkins survived the assault. His final appearance was in

where he had a minor role but participated in the

Battle of Salamanca The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of Arapiles) on 22July 1812 was a battle in which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles, so ...

and survived. Jenkins presumably went on to fight with Sharpe during the Defence of Tormes, where it is mentioned that only nine from the retreat to Corunna were left at this time. He may have fought in the

and followed Sharpe during the Invasion of France, perhaps even up to the final battle of

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

as of

. Jenkins wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Skirmish, Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Jenkins did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Parry Jenkins never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Latimer

Sergeant Latimer first appeared in Sharpe's Battle. Although he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna, was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First and Second Battles of Oporto, which he survived. Latimer fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera, although he was not mentioned in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

; he also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. He fought in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro and went on to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz ( Sharpe's Company). He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

but he wasn't mentioned. Latimer went on to fight alongside Sharpe in

but he wasn't mentioned at all.

lease explain how the character could be present in literature in which he was not mentioned A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

Latimer wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Latimer did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. It is unknown when Latimer became a Sergeant, as in Sharpe's Rifles Sharpe only saw Harper as a suitable replacement for Williams. It may be fair to assume that when the Rifles were drafted into the South Essex, Sharpe needed more Sergeants and as such Rifleman Latimer was suitable for the role. Sergeant Latimer never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

McDonald

Rifleman McDonald first appeared in Sharpe's Battle. He would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in and survived the First and Second Battles of Oporto. McDonald fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in Sharpe's Escape during the battle of Bussaco. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. McDonald wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy, Sword, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either McDonald did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Rifleman McDonald is not to be confused with Ensign McDonald in ''

''. He never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

McNeill

Rifleman McNeill first appeared in

but would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. McNeill fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

but he wasn't mentioned. McNeill went onto fight alongside Sharpe in

but he wasn't mentioned at all. McNeill wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either McNeill did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. He is described in the novels as being a Catholic. Rifleman McNeill never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Millerson

Rifleman Millerson first appeared in

when Rifleman Skillicorn was accused by provosts of stealing a chicken. He appeared in Sharpe's Battle as well, and also took part in the Franco-Spanish Border towards where Brigadier General Loup

his last sentence phrase is nonsensical His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, i ...

He also helped Lord Kiley and the Irish Company train before the attack. He survived Loup's village along with Harper, Hagman, Harris, Moore and Bradshaw. He appeared in Sharpe's Sword, and partook at El Mirador's place, but with a stay at the town Villafranca. He stayed at Father Curtis's church for the night, but then later one night he partook in the battle at the French fortress, which resulted in the deaths of half of Col Berkeley's men and Berkeley as well. He survived but Sharpe was severely wounded. After Sharpe had recovered, Millerson partook again in attacking the fortress, and he survived the battle. He had a cameo appearance in Sharpe's Regiment but didn't get seen through the whole story, only in the beginning and the end. Millerson also appeared in Sharpe's Siege, and was there before they would head to France, where he fought in the battle of Bordeaux and survived. Rifleman Millerson also appeared in Sharpe's Mission and partook in the Battle of France.

Tobias Moore

Rifleman Tobias Moore first appeared in Sharpe's Company with the forlorn hope at the siege of Badajoz which he survived and was rewarded a laurel wreath. He then appeared in

and partook in the Battle of Vitoria, he was hiding in the bushes and gave Sergeant Harper his 7 barrel gun to him who also offered him a rifle, he welcomed him aboard, possibly meaning he was one of the new Chosen Men, he survived and managed to take the cannons and the Battle of Vitoria was won, he was seen later with an unnamed girlfriend at camp dancing with her for the victory of Vitoria as well. He appeared in Sharpe's Battle as well, and also took part in the Franco-Spanish Border towards where Brigadier General Loup. He also helped Lord Kiley and the Irish Company be trained before the attack, he was friends with Hagman, Bradshaw and Harris because he was often seen at times with them. He survived Loup's village along with Harper, Hagman, Harris, Bradshaw and Millerson, unfortunately Perkins was killed in the hands of Irish Company Guardsman O'Rourke. He appeared in Sharpe's Sword, and partook at El Mirador's place, but with a stay at the town Villafranca. He stayed at Father Curtis's church for the night, but then later one night he partook in the battle at the French fortress, which resulted in the deaths of half of Col Berkeley's men and Berkeley as well. He survived but Sharpe was severely wounded. After Sharpe had recovered, he partook again attacking the fortress and he survived the battle. He cameoed in Sharpe's Regiment but didn't get seen through the whole story, only in the start and end. Moore also appeared in Sharpe's Siege, and was there before they would head to France, partaken in the battle of Bordeaux and survived it. Rifleman Moore also appeared in Sharpe's Mission and partook in the Battle of France.

John Murray

Captain John Murray of the 95th Rifles first appears in

. He is Sharpe's immediate superior and was mortally wounded during the Corunna retreat. Before he dies, he gives Sharpe his heavy cavalry sabre, hoping the men will accept Sharpe, thinking Murray favored him. Sharpe eventually manages to do this, and the two men form a bond becoming the most effective team in the battalion. When the sword Murray gave to Sharpe broke in

, it was Harper who found and modified a replacement blade. In the television movie Sharpe's Rifles, he was played by actor Tim Betinck (who is also the actual 12th Earl of Portland, Viscount Woodstock and Baron Cirenceste).

Pendleton

Rifleman Pendleton is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles though he was not mentioned in the novel. Rifleman Pendleton was mentioned in

where he fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. He also featured in

where Pendleton fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera. Pendleton was unfortunately killed during the battle. Pendleton was the youngest in the company being only seventeen years of age. He was a thief, pick pocket and a purse snatcher from Bristol. Rifleman Pendleton never appeared in the TV Series adaptions.

Ben Perkins

Rifleman Ben Perkins is a fictional character in the Richard Sharpe stories written by

. Rifleman Ben Perkins also appeared in episodes of the ''Sharpe'' television series, played by Lyndon Davies. Rifleman Ben Perkins first appeared in

however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. Perkins was from London and was an unappealing street rat who swept horse manure out of the way for pedestrians in hope of a coin. He was the second youngest of the riflemen however neither Perkins nor Rifleman Pendleton knew the day or the year of their birth. Both were young enough to not yet need to shave. Perkins was only a young rookie alongside Pendleton at the time of Havoc. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Perkins fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Gold and also partook in Sharpe's Escape during the battle of Bussaco. He returned again in Sharpe's Fury, alongside, Sharpe, Harper, Hagman, Harris, and Slattery, however in the Battle at Barrosa it cost the life of Slattery. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro and his major role in Sharpe's Battle was he had a romantic relationship with Miranda after she was raped by the French soldiers in Grey uniform led by Brigadier-General Guy Loup. He was also accused when his green coat was missing when Juanita stole his jacket. perkins was touchy about the loss of his jacket and the loss of his armband denoting he was a chosen man, a compliment that was paid to the most reliable and best riflemen. He also survived the battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. Perkins was not mentioned in the novel Sharpe's Company however he went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in Sharpe's Sword but he wasn't mentioned. He reappears in Sharpe's Skirmish in the defence of the Tormes. He survived the defence of the Alba de Tormes, and he went onto fight alongside Sharpe in Sharpe's Enemy but he wasn't mentioned at all. Perkins wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. In Sharpe's Waterloo it is noted that Rifleman Hagman is Sharpe's only remaining riflemen left from the retreat to Corunna, suggesting that Perkins did not fight at Waterloo or that he was killed prior to the battle or whether he survived the Peninsular War possibly to marry Miranda is concurrently unknown. Riflemen Ben Perkins appears in the TV adaptation played by Lyndon Davies. Like the Novels, Perkins is the youngest of the Sharpe's Riflemen. He appeared in all the Sharpe films until he was eventually killed off in Sharpe's Battle.

Sims

Rifleman Sims appeared in Sharpe's Rifles where he accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Sims fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

where he was asked to keep reloading for Hagman indicating that he may have been one of the weakest shots of Sharpe's rifleman. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

but he wasn't mentioned. Sims went onto fight alongside Sharpe in

but he wasn't mentioned at all. Sims wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Sims did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Sims was often referred to in the novels as the usual grumbler and a troublemaker along with his friends Williamson, Tarrant, Cresacre, Donnelly, Gataker and once upon a time Harper. Rifleman Sims never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Skillicorn

Rifleman Skillicorn appears in

. Skillicorn was born in Liverpool and had a distinctive scouse accent. In the novels, the role of Skillicorn stealing a chicken is given to Private Batten. In the TV episode Sharpe's Gold, the role of Skillicorn was portrayed by Philip Dowd. Rifleman Skillicorn was executed by hanging for the stealing of a chicken by the Provost under Lieutenant Ayres.

Fergus Slattery

Rifleman Fergus Slattery is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles though he was not mentioned in the novel. Rifleman Slattery was mentioned in

where he fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. He also featured in

where Slattery fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also appeared in

where he was almost put under arrest for looking at Captain Slingsby funny. In

Sharpe's Fury ''Sharpe's Fury'' is the eleventh historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2006. The story is set in 1811 during Wellington's campaign in the Iberian peninsula. Plot summary In the spring of 1811, the Pe ...

Slattery along with Sharpe, Harper, Hagman, Harris and Perkins were involved in the battle of Barrosa where Slattery was shot in the throat and died. Slattery was described as being a quiet and softly spoken man from County Wicklow. The novels also described him as a very capable rifleman who attended Mass on a regular basis even though he was not Catholic. He previously served in the 48th Northamptonshire regiment as a servant to Captain Murray. When Murray transferred to the 95th Rifles, he took Slattery with him. Rifleman Slattery never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Smith

Rifleman Smith first appeared in Sharpe's Battle however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Smith fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

but he wasn't mentioned. Smith went onto fight alongside Sharpe in Sharpe's Enemy but he wasn't mentioned at all. Smith wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Smith did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Rifleman Smith never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Ned Tarrant

Rifleman Ned Tarrant is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles though he was not mentioned in the novel. Rifleman Tarrant was mentioned in

where he was wounded in action after the French victory at Oporto. He was shot in the hip and was unable to walk. Sharpe made the decision to leave him behind believing Tarrant would slow them down. Tarrant's fate is unknown either being killed or captured by the enemy or left to die. Ned Tarrant was described as being a trouble maker and a sullen man from Hertfordshire who never lost a chance to become drunk or vicious, but when he was sober he was a good marksmen who did not lose his head in battle.Cornwell, B. 2003: Sharpe's Havoc. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 41. It is noted that Tarrent was the ring leader of the troublemakers which included Sims, Williamson, Donnelly, Cresacre, Gataker and once upon a time Harper. Rifleman Tarrant never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Thompson

Rifleman Thompson first appeared in Sharpe's Battle however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. Thompson fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto in

which he survived. Thompson fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera where Sharpe captured a French Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Thompson was killed in Sharpe's Battle where he was shot in the head by a sharpshooter whilst on watch at a fort. Sharpe classed Thompson as one of his four best marksmen along with Hagman, Cooper and Harris. Rifleman Thompson never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

Isaiah Tongue

Rifleman Isaiah Tongue first appeared in Sharpe's Rifles where he accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna. He is described as being from London, educated but the worst drunkard in the company; expressed once as "educated in books and alcohol." Tongue fought in the First Battle of Porto and also partook in the Second Battle of Porto in

which he survived. Tongue fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera where Sharpe captured a French Eagle. He also appeared in

where he was killed during an ambush by the French; while trying to shout a warning to Sharpe and the rest of the rifles, he was shot in the ribs. His best friend and partner in battle Parry Jenkins felt awful about Tongue's death, however Sharpe did his best to tell Jenkins it was not his fault. In the TV series, Tongue was played by Paul Trussell, appearing in the first two episodes, Sharpe's Rifles and

Williams

Sergeant Williams is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles. He was killed in action being shot in the eye during the retreat (unlike in the book, where he is strangled). He is described as being nervous, unable to assert authority, and caring too much about being liked. Sharpe believed he did not possess the qualities to be sergeant. After his death, Rifleman Patrick Harper was promoted to sergeant to replace him. In the television adaption Sergeant Williams was played by Richard Ireson.

John Williamson

Rifleman John Williamson is one of the original riflemen who was involved in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles though he was not mentioned in the novel. Rifleman Williamson was mentioned in

where he disagreed with Sharpe's decision to leave behind his friend Rifleman Tarrant who has been wounded and unable to walk. This left Williamson resenting Sharpe and eventually deserting. Williamson was eventually killed by Sharpe for his betrayal. Rifleman Williamson was described as a grumbler and a troublemaker alongside his friend Ned Tarrant. Rifleman Williamson never appeared in the TV series adaptations.

60th Royal American Rifles

William Frederickson

William Frederickson comes from

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

. Nicknamed 'Sweet William' by his men, Frederickson has suffered a serious facial wound which has destroyed his left eye, broken his jaw, knocked out several teeth, and caused nerve damage giving him an uncontrollable and permanently smug look. When fighting he takes out his false teeth (taken from dead French soldiers) and removes his wig and eye patch, to terrifying effect. He is however a cultured and sensitive man, with an informed knowledge of European architecture. He is of German and English descent and speaks both languages fluently, as well as competent French in

and

and passable Italian in

. He is a close and loyal ally of Sharpe until the fallout over the affections of

Lucille Castineau Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, who rejects Frederickson's proposal of marriage before taking Sharpe as a lover, as she is carrying his child in

. This makes Frederickson angry at Sharpe, and ends their friendship, so he ends up leaving Sharpe. A discussion between Sharpe and Harper in the lead-up to the Battle of Waterloo indicates that Sweet William has been posted to Canada to serve in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. In the Sharpe adaptation, Frederickson was played by

Philip Whitchurch Philip Whitchurch (born 30 January 1951) is an English stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for playing Captain William Frederickson in three episodes of the Sharpe series between 1994-1997 and the role of Chief Inspector Philip ...

. Instead of leaving Sharpe, he forgives him at the end of the episode.

Robinson

Rifleman Robinson only appeared in the television series and was not mentioned by Cornwell in the novels.

Rifleman Robinson is distraught when his friend rifleman Reilly is killed by an intruder in the camp when they are on guard duty. Robinson is later found with a local French girl. Sharpe is required to hang him by Wellington's standing orders, but when the girl says she had been willing, Sharpe reduces the sentence to a beating from Sergeant Harper. Robinson is a keen rifleman and a crack shot. He boasts he is the best shot in the brigade but Hagman proves him wrong. When Sharpe asked his men their opinions before defending the fort, Robinson replied 'fight them to the death' still angered by the death of his friend Reilly.

Reilly

Rifleman Reilly first appeared in

when trying to fake illness so he did not have to march. He was friends with rifleman Robinson and partnered each other in battle. Reilly was unfortunately killed whilst on guard duty when Robinson took badly. Reilly was not mentioned by Cornwell in the novels.

Rossner

Sergeant Rossner was a rifleman in the 60th Royal American Rifles. He was a reliable soldier often accompanying Frederickson into battle. He was huge and tall and a good fighter. Like Frederickson he was half German, half English. In the television series he was played by Iain Glass.

Thomas Taylor

Rifleman Thomas Taylor is an American rifleman from Tennessee. During the events of

he leaves the 60th Rifles to join the American privateer Captain Cornelius Killick. In the television series he beats Rifleman Perkins in a shooting competition.

South Essex (Prince of Wales Own Volunteers)

Angel

Private Angel is a Spanish boy who acts as Sharpe's guide on his dangerous mission in ''

''. His consuming hatred for the French leads him to join the South Essex Light Company and fight until the French are finally driven out of Spain.

Batten

Private Batten is a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later renamed The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers. He is in the Light Company commanded by Sharpe. Batten first appeared in ''

'', where he is caught be a provost for stealing a chicken. He is described as a useless soldier known for his grumbling and whining, and complains about Sharpe in ''

''.

Berkeley

Colonel Berkeley is the commanding officer of the South Essex in ''

'', during the early stages of the attack on Villafranca. Berkeley is friendly towards Sharpe, a reasonable and amiable man if occasionally overly officious. He grants parole to Philippe Leroux, who poses as a French captain. Sharpe, suspicious, attempts to convince Berkeley to revoke Leroux's parole and hold him in custody until Munro can investigate his identity. Berkeley is almost convinced by Sharpe pointing out the uniform supposedly belonging to a dead colonel fits Leroux better than the one he wears, but is fooled when Leroux, with Jack Spears acting as his advocate, claiming he could not afford a uniform that fit. Approaching Villafranca, French cannon fire causes a distraction as Leroux is being escorted away by Ensign McDonald. Leroux kills McDonald and escapes to the fort. Furious at Leroux's violation of his parole, Berkeley vows to take the fortress that night and see Leroux dead by morning. After spending the rest of the day at the British-allied town, Berkeley leads a night assault on the French fort. Simmerson, however, who trades with the French, warns them they are coming. Berkeley, leading from the front, is killed almost immediately with Sharpe at his side. The character of Berkeley was created for the television adaptation, taking the place of Brian Windham from the novel. He survives slightly longer than Windham, who is killed during Leroux's escape.

John Berry

Lieutenant John Berry only appeared in ''

'' both in the novels and television series. In the novel, he is described as "overweight, with fleshy lips" and "petulant", whereas in the TV series he is reasonably fit and, although "not exactly top-drawer" (probably meaning that he's not an upper-echelon aristocrat but actually upper-middle class or even possibly a bastard son) far more worldly than his friend Gibbons, a far better gambler and far less scrupulous in getting what he wants. In the novel, Sharpe deliberately kills him the night before the Battle of Talavera in retaliation for his and Gibbons' rape of

Josefina LaCosta Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, while in the television series he ambushes Sharpe the night before the battle in an attempt to murder him but while taunting Sharpe is himself killed by Harper; in both cases, he is presumed to have been killed by the French. In the television series, he is portrayed by

Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to '' ...

Jack Bullen

Ensign Jack Bullen first appeared in ''

'', where he is transferred to the Light Company from Lawford's 9th Company as a replacement for Ensign Iliffe. Bullen's father is a judge and his brothers are barristers, but Bullen does not shine at school, so he is allowed to join the army. He is described as a tough, cheerful youngster. He proves himself to be a reliable officer. In ''

'' he translates for Sharpe in a parley with the French. Unfortunately, Bullen is made a prisoner by the French, violating the flag of truce and angering Sharpe. It is assumed that Bullen survives the war as a French prisoner or is part of a

prisoner exchange A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners: prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc. Sometimes, dead bodies are involved in an exchange. Geneva Conventions Under the Geneva Convent ...

Philip Carline

Captain Philip Carline first appeared in ''

''. He hides the fact he is one of the officers at the recruitment camp of the South Essex, a secret and brutal training camp in Foulness, run by the second battalion's commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Girdwood and the regiment's disgraced founder Sir Henry Simmerson.

Clayton

Private Clayton is a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers. A former footman at a country estate, he is part of the light company commanded by Sharpe, often assisting with company bookwork. Clayton first appeared in '' Sharpe's Company'' when Sharpe's riflemen were attach to the Light Company of the South Essex. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in ''

''. He also participates in the destruction of Almeida but is not mentioned in ''

'' and also partakes in ''

'' during the Battle of Bussaco. Clayton is involved in the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz and goes on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in ''

''. In the novels, he is killed at the Battle of Waterloo alongside Rifleman Hagman.

Jack Collett

Major Jack Collett is described as a small man with a clipped mustache, cropped grey hair, with bowed horseman's legs, and leathery skin, but lacking his colonel's shrewdness. As a friend of the South Essex's new commanding officer, Brian Windham, he takes the vacant majority that otherwise would have gone to senior captain, Thomas Leroy. He agrees with Major Forrest's decision to leave Sharpe in temporary command of the Light Company after the arrival of Rymer, leaving Windham the job of demoting Sharpe to lieutenant. Collett is often seen at Windham's side, organising parades for him. He loses a watch and a silver shaving mirror when Hakeswill robs the baggage train. He led half the battalion - later increased to six companies by reinforcements - in protecting engineers making a failed attempt to blow the dam near Badajoz. He is killed early on during the assault on Badjoz, his neck severed by roundshot ( Sharpe's Company). In the television adaptation of '' Sharpe's Company'', there is no significant difference to Collett's character. Like Windham, he is friendly towards Sharpe but unsure how to treat an officer who rose from the ranks. He shakes hands with Sharpe when he is temporary assigned away from the battalion. He quickly picks up on Price's fondness for drink. During the assault on the breach at Badajoz, he is shot dead by one of the French defenders, grieving Windham.

Collip

Ensign Collip first appeared in ''

'' as Sharpe's new quartermaster. Sharpe is not impressed with Collip's abilities as quartermaster, having to watch over him constantly. Collip is described as an inexperienced plump officer.

Peter D'Alembord

Major Peter D'Alembord, nicknamed "Dally," joins the British Army after killing a man in a duel over a woman's favours. He is of French Huguenot extraction and enters the

as one of Sharpe's many Light Company subalterns. He becomes Captain of the South Essex Light Company after Sharpe's promotion to Major. He helps Sharpe during ''

'', helping Sharpe find the missing Second Battalion, and again in ''

'', finding and talking to Jane Sharpe in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. After Napoleon's return from Elba, D'Alembord returns to the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers on the hope of being promoted to Major. Just prior to the Battle of Waterloo, he has a strong premonition of his death. After receiving his hoped-for promotion, he is badly injured in the fighting and has to have his leg amputated, but survives and is granted command of the battalion after Sharpe's retirement at the end of the war despite his "gammy leg." In the Sharpe television series, his only appearance is in ''

'', where he was portrayed by the uncredited

Edward Atterton Edward Atterton (born 24 January 1962 in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England) is an English actor and businessman.https://www.manta.com/c/mmd610z/london-jigsaw Biography Atterton was born in 1962 to Dr David Valentine Atterton (1927-2002),The Fou ...

Christopher Denny

Ensign Christopher Denny first appeared in

. He accompanied Sharpe and Harper when they broke through the French lines to capture the eagle, and was killed during the fighting. In the Sharpe television series, his only appearance is in

, where he is portrayed by

Nolan Hemmings Nolan Hemmings (born 1970) is an English stage and film actor. He is known for his role as Charles E. Grant in '' Band of Brothers''. Early life Hemmings is the son of British actor/director David Hemmings and American actress Gayle Hunnicutt. ...

Dobbs

Private Dobbs was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, first appearing in

. He was part of the light company commanded by originally by Major Lennox, then by Captain Leroy and finally by Sharpe, where he was flogged on Simmerson's orders for collapsing from exhaustion while on parade. He later proved his worth by being able (while still recovering from his flogging) to fire four shots a minute in Sharpe's special musket drill and surviving the battle of Talavera while assisting in capturing the Eagle. Sharpe acknowledged Dobbs' abilities by asking if he would like to join the Rifles; while Dobbs accepted Sharpe's offer, he did not appear in any other episodes.

Joseph Ford

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Ford is not a military man, but a wealthy landowner who purchases a commission as

of the Prince of Wales Own Volunteers in the peace of 1814–1815, which he subsequently commands during the engagement at

Quatre Bras Quatre Bras (, French for crossroads; literally "four arms") is a hamlet in the municipality of Genappe, Wallonia, Belgium. It lies on the crossroad of the Charleroi-Brussels road (currently named N5) and the Nivelles-Namur road south of Genappe ...

and at the

. He is not confident in command and relies on the support of other under-experienced senior officers, Major Micklethwaite and Major Vine, both of whom are killed in the course of the campaign. Only the timely intervention of Richard Sharpe and his fellow

Peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

veteran, Major Peter d'Alembord saves the regiment from the twin threats of the incompetent command of the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The title ...

and an attack by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...

. In the television adaptation, he was portrayed by Shaughan Seymour.

Christian Gibbons

Christian Gibbons is a British Army Officer in the South Essex as a Lieutenant, and Sir

Henry Simmerson Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

's nephew. In the novel ''Sharpe's Eagle'', he appears to be the senior of the two lieutenants of the South Essex that Sir Henry Simmerson brings with him (the other being his friend Berry). In the television series, his character appears to be that a slack-jawed

dilettante Dilettante or dilettantes may refer to: * An amateur, someone with a non-professional interest * A layperson, the opposite of an expert * ''Dilettante'' (album), a 2005 album by Ali Project * ''Dilettantes'' (album), a 2008 album by You Am I * D ...

with a weak vaccilating character and he constantly loses when gambling with Berry. forcing him to go to his uncle to help pay off his losses. He and Berry rape

as a way of getting back at Sharpe, and in the book he seems to guess that Sharpe killed Berry, In the novel, he is killed by

Patrick Harper Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

after the Battle of Talavera when Gibbons ambushes Sharpe in an attempt to kill him and steal the captured Eagle, and Sharpe takes a locket from him which contains a picture of his sister Jane Gibbons whom Sharpe later marries; in the television series, he flees after his uncle at the start of the battle and is not seen or heard of again throughout the series. In the television series, he is played by

Neil Dudgeon Neil is a masculine name of Gaelic and Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. A ...

Bartholomew Girdwood

Bartholomew Girdwood is a British Army officer, the nominal commander of the

's Second Battalion and later the first Commanding Officer of the Regiment after its renaming as the "Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers." Girdwood served as a Captain in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

during the United Irish

rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced ...

. While on patrol he became lost and was ambushed. The court of inquiry at

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the se ...

dismissed him on half pay, effectively ending his military career. Some 10 years later Girdwood was recruited by

Sir Henry Simmerson Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, whom he had taken his reprimand to, and Lord Simon Fenner, who promoted him to Major, and then to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed him to command Second Battalion of the

, a cover for an extensive financial

fraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compens ...

and crimping scheme. Girdwood is also betrothed to Simmerson's orphaned niece, Jane Gibbons. The scheme is discovered in 1813 by, Major Richard Sharpe, when he returns to England seeking reinforcements for the Regiment's First Battalion in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. With the help of

Regimental Sergeant Major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by warrant officers class 1 (WO1) in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, including Australi ...

, Sharpe, under an assumed identity, tracks the South Essex's recruiting parties to a secret training camp on

Foulness Island Foulness Island () is a closed island on the east coast of Essex in England, which is separated from the mainland by narrow creeks. In the 2001 census, the usually resident population of the civil parish was 212, living in the settlements of C ...

, where he observes the new recruits being brutalised, cheated and auctioned to other, less popular regiments. When Harper intervenes to protest the

summary execution A summary execution is an execution in which a person is accused of a crime and immediately killed without the benefit of a full and fair trial. Executions as the result of summary justice (such as a drumhead court-martial) are sometimes include ...

of a

deserter Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

, he and Sharpe are hunted through the Foulness marshes by Girdwood and his fellow officers. Sharpe returns to the camp and removes Girdwood from command. Girdwood escapes and Sharpe attempts to follow his trail to evidence that will implicate Simmerson and his allies in Government. After discrediting Simmerson and saving the Battalion, Sharpe retains Girdwood as the nominal commander of the South Essex. On his first experience of battle, a relatively minor engagement in the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

, Girdwood suffers a complete

mental breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

and is invalided home. Girdwood is punctilious in his dress and military protocol, modelling himself on the reforming military king

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

, to the extent of stiffening his

moustache A moustache (; en-US, mustache, ) is a strip of facial hair grown above the upper lip. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian ''mustaccio'' ...

with hot pitch. He harbours irrational fears of the

and of

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

s and writes poetry which glorifies the art of war. The contrast between his image of himself as a great military leader and the reality of battle leads to his breakdown. In the TV adaption, Girdwood was played by Mark Lambert.

Gutteridge

Private Gutteridge was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers. He is part of the Light Company commanded by Sharpe. Gutteridge first appeared in

when Sharpe's riflemen were attached to the Light Company of the South Essex and would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in ''

'' and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Gutteridge was involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz and went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

. Gutteridge wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge or Waterloo.

Obadiah Hakeswill

Obadiah Hakeswill is a fictional character who appears in several of the Sharpe books by

. Hakeswill's early history is related in every novel in which he appears. He was raised by his mother, Biddy, in an unknown " dale" town in England, where he

sexually assaulted Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

parson A parson is an ordained Christian person responsible for a small area, typically a parish. The term was formerly often used for some Anglican clergy and, more rarely, for ordained ministers in some other churches. It is no longer a formal term d ...

's daughter. To protect the girl's reputation, he was charged and convicted of stealing a

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

and

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

by public

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

. On the day of his

execution Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the State (polity), state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to ...

, the hangman hoisted the numerous victims into the air to die by strangulation, for the amusement of the crowd, and paid little attention to the small boy struggling at the far end of the scaffold. When a heavy rainstorm scattered both executioner and crowd, Hakeswill's uncle was able to cut the boy from the scaffold "for his mother's sake". Hakeswill fled south and enlisted in the 33rd Regiment of Foot as a drummer boy. As a result of this close encounter with death, Hakeswill was convinced that he was unkillable and protected by God and the spirit of his mother. He extended this reverence to mothers in general, "Mothers were sacred... Mothers were Obadiah Hakeswill's guardian angels" (''

'') and in ''

'', he protects his hostage

when she lies that she came to a church in the town of Adrados to pray for the health of her own mother. ''Sharpe's Enemy'' also hints that Hakeswill's mother was actually abusive of him before his hanging, but those memories have been eclipsed by his belief that she sent his uncle to save him. The hanging left him with a thick dark scar around his neck and uncontrollable facial

tics A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups.American Psychiatric Association (2000)DSM-IV-TR: Tourette's Disorder.''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'', 4th ed., ...

. Hakeswill gains promotion to

by brutalising the lower ranks and pandering to the whims and vanity of less experienced

officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

. Outwardly he is punctilious in his military routine and obsequious towards officers, who find him very useful for keeping order among their soldiers. Thus protected, Hakeswill is free to terrorize the soldiers in his units, forcing them to

bribe Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corr ...

him to avoid floggings for imaginary infractions and forcing their wives to have sex with him to protect their husbands. In the early 1790s he recruits the young Richard Sharpe into the 33rd from a

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

. In subsequent campaigns in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, Hakeswill torments Sharpe, until in 1799 he conspires with Captain Charles Morris to have Sharpe

flogged Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, Birching, rods, Switch (rod), switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging ...

to death (

). Although Sharpe escapes with "only" 202 of the assigned 2000 lashes after an intervention by

Sir Arthur Wellesley Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister o ...

, Hakeswill continues to pursue a

vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), a ...

against him for the next three years, during which he betrays Sharpe and Lawford to Tipoo Sultan (''Sharpe's Tiger''), falsifies a second assault charge and murders Sharpe's friend and mentor Hector McCandless (

Sharpe's Triumph ''Sharpe's Triumph'' is the second historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1998. Sharpe is a sergeant in the army who attracts the attention of General Arthur Wellesley at Ahmednagar. Plot summar ...

). He later

kidnaps In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/ asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the ...

Sharpe and sells him to a corrupt merchant and finally

deserts A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one ...

to join the

turncoat A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party. In political and social history, this is distinct from being a traitor, as the ...

William Dodd at

Gawilghur Gawilghur (also, Gavalgadh, Gawilgarh or Gawilgad, Pronunciation: �aːʋilɡəɖ was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Mahara ...

Sharpe's Fortress ''Sharpe's Fortress'' is the third historical novel of the Richard Sharpe series, by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1998. It is the last of the Sharpe India trilogy. It tells the story of Ensign Sharpe, during the battle of Argaum and th ...

. After Gawilghur was captured by Major General Arthur Wellesley, Hakeswill rejoined the British forces. At one point, he also served in the Fever Islands, where he contracted

Yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

, the result of which stained his skin yellow. Hakeswill reappears in Sharpe's life in 1812, in the novel Sharpe's Company, as a sergeant in the new draft of the

, in which Sharpe has risen to the rank of captain. He is quick to resume the vendetta, conspiring to have Sharpe's friend and ally

flogged and demoted and disarming Sharpe's remaining

riflemen A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the ri ...

. He also attempts to rape Sharpe's wife,

Teresa Moreno Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

and plots to assault her during the sack of

, murdering

Captain Robert Knowles Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

in the process. He had also stolen the portrait of the Colonel's wife, strangely believing it to be his mother, and constantly talks into the portrait, stored in the top of his

Shako A shako (, , or ) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with an ornamental plate or badge on the front, metallic or otherwise; and often has a feather, plume (see hackle) ...

. His evil finally exposed, Hakeswill deserts from the army once again, joining a band of cross-national

deserters Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ar ...

on the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

border, led by the Frenchman, Deron, aka "Marshal Pot-au-Feu". He is captured by the now

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Sharpe during an operation to release hostages, but escapes to shoot and kill Teresa. Hakeswill surrenders to a French officer, Colonel Alexandre Dubreton who, disgusted by his actions, hands him back to Sharpe. Hakeswill is finally executed by firing squad, while Sharpe looks on. The novels record at least four unsuccessful attempts by Sharpe and/or Harper to kill Hakeswill, which lend weight to the latter's conviction that he cannot die: *Confining him in a courtyard with six tigers (

) *Ordering an elephant trained as an executioner to trample him (

) *Throwing him into a pit inhabited by venomous snakes (

) *Harper shooting him through a window in Badajoz, with a seven-barrelled

. ( Sharpe's Company). However, it can be argued that the first three incidents are not serious attempts at murder; Sharpe is aware that the Tipoo's tigers are not invariably savage after seeing Colonel Gudin stroke one some days earlier; does not give the elephant the final command needed to crush Hakeswill; and is not familiar with the snake pit at Gawilghur. He is not aware at this time that Hakeswill has murdered McCandless and seems to prefer to torment the living Hakeswill with his own continued survival. Only after the murder of Knowles and Hakeswill's threat to kill his infant daughter, does Sharpe seek Hakeswill's death and even then chooses to bring him to justice within the formal structures of the British Army. He feels that Hakeswill has victimised so many people that their families deserve to know that Hakeswill died after a fair legal process. Author

has admitted that he regrets finishing the character off, as he has struggled since to create an antagonist of equal depravity and energy. In the TV adaptations, Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill was played by

Pete Postlethwaite Peter William Postlethwaite, (7 February 1946 – 2 January 2011) was an English character actor. After minor television appearances, including in '' The Professionals'', his first major success arose through the British autobiographical film ...

. His character follows a similar arc to the later novels, including his framing of Harper, attack on Teresa, desertion and eventual capture and execution. It is revealed in

Sharpe's Peril ''Sharpe's Peril'' is a British TV film from 2008, usually shown in two parts, which is part of an ITV series based on Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction novels about the English soldier Richard Sharpe during the Napoleonic Wars. Unlike mo ...

that he has a son - Corporal Barabbus Hakeswill (portrayed by

Amit Behl Amit Behl is an Indian theatre, television and film actor. Behl began his career in 1994 with a role in India's first daily soap opera '' Shanti''. He later went on to do almost 100 TV serials in Hindi, English, Marathi, Punjabi and Urdu. He ha ...

) - whom Sharpe initially distrusts but eventually proves to be a useful ally. In the popular

post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...

role playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal a ...

Fallout 2 ''Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game'' is a 1998 role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Productions. It is a sequel to ''Fallout (video game), Fallout'' (1997), featuring similar graphics and ...

'', a character by the name of Obidiah Hakeswill resides in the town of Redding. In the side quest to aid the sheriff, you can choose to bring Obadiah to justice for cutting up the face of a

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

. Besides their somewhat sociopathic nature, Obadiah and Obidiah share a scar around their necks and obsession with their mothers and a belief in their own invincibility.

Huckfield

Colour Sergeant Huckfield was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers. He was part of the light company commanded by Sharpe. Huckfield first appeared in

as a private soldier when Sharpe's riflemen were attached to the light company of the South Essex. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Huckfield was involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz and went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

where by then he had made the rank of Sergeant. By the time of the Battle of Waterloo, Huckfield had achieved the rank of Colour Sergeant Major. Huckfield was described in the novels as being educated, previously being employed as a clerk in a foundry that made iron. He was from Shropshire and volunteered to join the army to escape encroaching industrialisation of his native Midlands.

Iliffe

Ensign Iliffe was an officer in the Light Company of the South Essex. He was the son of an Essex gentleman. To begin with Sharpe had not liked Iliffe, however Iliffe proved himself in battle by showing courage after previously being sick before battle. Ensign Iliffe was killed in

getting shot in the forehead.

Kirby

Private Kirby was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers. He part of the light company commanded by Sharpe. Kirby first appeared in

when Sharpe's riflemen were attach to the light company of the South Essex. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Kirby would have been involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in harpe's Swordbut he wasn't mentioned. Kirby wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Kirby was described as a small man who had lost most of his teeth.

Robert Knowles

Captain Robert Knowles first appears in

as an inexperienced

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the Light Company of the

. He is one of the handful of officers who sides with Lieutenant Richard Sharpe in his feud with

, quickly recognising Sharpe's abilities as a soldier and adopting him as a role model. Knowles plays a significant role in the recovery of stolen Spanish gold behind enemy lines in

and is shortly afterwards appointed as

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to Lt Colonel

William Lawford Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, the South Essex's senior officer (

). By early 1812 Knowles has purchased a

captaincy A captaincy ( es, capitanía , pt, capitania , hr, kapetanija) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule ...

45th Regiment of Foot The 45th (Nottinghamshire) (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1741. The regiment saw action during Father Le Loutre's War, the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War as w ...

, but is on hand to assist Lawford when the latter is seriously injured during the storming of

Ciudad Rodrigo Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district. The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky rise on the right bank ...

( Sharpe's Company). Knowles sympathises with Sharpe when he learns that his mentor has been demoted from captain to lieutenant and promises to protect Sharpe's lover,

, who is trapped with her young child in the besieged city of

. Subsequently, Knowles takes part in a successful

escalade {{Unreferenced, date=May 2007 Escalade is the act of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders. Escalade was a prominent feature of sieges in ancient and medieval warfare, and though it is no longer common in modern warfare, ...

of the castle at Badajoz (in this Cornwell has borrowed the real life achievement of a Lieutenant James MacPherson). He then seeks out Teresa, but is shot and killed by

. Knowles does not appear in the TV adaptations of the Sharpe series; his role in

was abandoned when the script was revised following an injury to the actor originally cast as Richard Sharpe,

Paul McGann Paul John McGann (; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial ''The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987), which was a ...

. In Sharpe's Company the character is combined with that of Lieutenant Harry Price and it is Price who is shot in the last minutes of the film, though his character re-appears in

William Lawford

Sir William Lawford is a fictional

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

and a character in

's Sharpe books. Lawford is the son of a Scottish mother and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

father and raised near

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

. He is a member of the

gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest ...

and is able, with the help of his maternal uncle, Hector McCandless, to purchase a commission as a

in the 33rd Regiment of Foot. As McCandless is an officer in the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

, it is probable that Lawford joins the regiment, then under the command of

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Arthur Wellesley sometime after its arrival in India in 1796. He is posted to the light company under Captain Charles Morris and there meets Private Sharpe for the first time. When McCandless, who acts as an exploring officer for the company, is captured by the forces of the Tipoo Sultan, Lawford is tasked with his rescue and chooses Sharpe to accompany him, thus saving the latter from execution by

flogging Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on ...

. The pair infiltrate the city of

Seringapatam Srirangapatna is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganthaswamy temple consecrated at around 984 CE. Later, under the British rule the city wa ...

and, posing as deserters, are recruited into the Tipoo's army. Lawford learns to rely on and trust Sharpe's instincts and experience as a soldier to ensure the success of their mission. Unfortunately they are betrayed by Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill and thrown into prison, where Lawford teaches Sharpe to read, using a single page of the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

. During the British assault on the city, Lawford and Sharpe escape and successfully detonate a

mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...

built into the city walls, saving many British lives and ensuring a British victory. As a result of this both men are promoted, Sharpe as a

, Lawford as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. Lawford is still in India at least as late as 1803, when his uncle is killed in the closing stages of the

Battle of Assaye The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India. An outnumbered Indian and British forc ...

, but he returns at some point in the next six years. In 1809 Lawford is part of the garrison of

in Ireland, but purchases a

cy and transfers to Wellesley's staff in Portugal (''

''). There he is reunited with Sharpe, now a

in the

. During the

Lawford is given command of the

when its commander

attempts to flee the field, thus once again becoming Sharpe's commanding officer. Lawford continues in that role until early 1812, when he is gravely wounded in the assault on

, loses his left arm and is invalided back to Britain ( Sharpe's Company). Back in England Lawford dedicates himself to his family and political career. He is knighted and elected to parliament, seeking advancement through alliance with the ruling

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

administration. He attempts to use these contacts to extricate Sharpe from the scandals that threatens to destroy their old regiment (

). He is mentioned by D'Alembord in ''

'', having spoken to him about Jane Sharpe and Lord John Rossendale, and claims they are "intimate". Lawford is the South Essex's second Commanding Officer, preceded by

and succeeded by Colonel Brian Windham.

Lennox

Captain Lennox is an officer of the South Essex Light Company in Sharpe's Eagle. Lennox was a Scotsman, who retired after returning from India. But after losing his wife, and because a pension on half pay wasn't enough, he rejoined the army as an officer of the South Essex then being raised by Sir Henry Simmerson. General Wellesley dispatches the South Essex, alongside Sharpe's Riflemen and the engineers of Major Hogan, to blow up the bridge at Valdelacasa, so as to protect the army's flank as they march. During an unnecessary action against the French ordered by Simmerson, Lennox was mortally wounded, and the King's Colour was lost. As a dying request, Lennox asks Sharpe to take a French Eagle, to erase the shame of losing their own standard. In the television adaption Lennox was a Major.

Thomas Leroy

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Leroy is a fictional character in the Richard Sharpe series of novels by

. He is an American

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

serving as an

in the

during the

. Thomas Leroy was born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

to a gentry class planter family at some point prior to the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. As Leroy's family support the Crown, they fled first to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and then to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

on the defeat of loyalist forces. In 1809, Leroy purchased a Captain's commission in the fictional

, where he first meets Richard Sharpe in the novel ''

''. During Sharpe's first mission with the South Essex, its officers quickly place themselves into one of two categories: inept, cowardly dilettantes, such as the regiment's Colonel, Sir

and his nephew, Lt. Christian Gibbons and professional, or at least competent officers, such as Leroy, Major Forrest and the regiment's only veteran officer Lennox (a captain in the novel, but a major in the television adaptation). Personality wise, he rarely talks much about emotions. Leroy remains with the South Essex throughout his military career, rising steadily in ranks through the Peninsular Campaign. He is present at the loss of the regiment's colours at the fictional engagement at Torrecastro and at the subsequent capture of a

at the

in 1809. (Sharpe's Eagle), is severely injured in the breach at Siege of Badajoz in 1812, ( Sharpe's Company), but recovers to take command of the regiment after the death of Colonel Windham shortly before the

in the same year (''

''). He dies in action at the

Battle of Vittoria At the Battle of Vitoria (21 June 1813) a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, eventually leading to ...

in 1813, leading the assault on the village of Gamarra-Mayor. Leroy is the last Commanding Officer of the South Essex, before its change of name to the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, commanded by Lt. Col

Bartholomew Girdwood Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

(

). In the TV Adaptations, Leroy was played by

Gavan O'Herlihy Gavan John O'Herlihy (29 July 1951 – 15 September 2021) was an American actor. He was known for playing Chuck Cunningham in the first episodes of ''Happy Days'', as well as his appearances in films such as ''Never Say Never Again'', ''Death W ...

. The character appears only in the episode based on

MacLaird

Regimental Sergeant Major MacLaird was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment. MacLaird would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. MacLaird was involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz and went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

. MacLaird wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy but appeared at the battle of Vitoria in

. He died in Sharpe's arms a week later as the South Essex fought off a French attempt to break up the line of march to Pasajes in

. Sharpe promoted Harper to take his place.

William Matthews

Ensign William Matthews appeared in Sharpe's Company when the South Essex received reinforcements. He was killed during the siege of Badajoz by a gunpowder charge detonated by Sharpe, intended to destroy a dam to allow for an easier attack on Badajoz. He was of a rich family, and was himself a viscount. His replacement, Ensign McDonald, was killed by Colonel Leroux when he broke his parole to escape to the French-held forts in Salamanca after being captured by Sharpe and his men.

McGovern

Sergeant McGovern was a Sergeant in the South Essex Regiment, later The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers, as part of the Light Company commanded by Sharpe. McGovern first appeared in

when Sharpe's riflemen were attached to the Light Company of the South Essex. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. McGovern would have been involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

but he wasn't mentioned. McGovern wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. McGovern was described as a strong but slow man from Scotland with children.

Mellors

Private Mellors was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers. He part of the light company commanded by Sharpe. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Mellors would have been involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

. Mellors wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. He was described as being one of the useless members of the light company along with private Batten.

Peters

Private Peters was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers. He part of the light company commanded by Sharpe. Peters first appeared in

when Sharpe's riflemen were attach to the light company of the South Essex. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Peters was involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz guarding the gates of the chapel where Teresa was being held. He and went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

. Peters wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge or Waterloo. Peters is described as a huge sensible man who was older than most. Sharpe saw Peters as a sensible man and a trust worthy reliable soldier.

Harry Price

Harry Price is a fictional character in the Richard Sharpe stories written by

. Characters named Harry Price appeared in two episodes of the ''Sharpe'' television series, played by different actors. Price makes his first appearance in the novel Sharpe's Company (although he has a small role in Sharpe's Battle, a novel written after but set before Sharpe's Company). He is a new lieutenant in the

, serving as Sharpe's second-in-command in the light company, replacing Robert Knowles from the earlier books. He is fond of alcohol but affable and well liked by the men. He was born in

, the son of a ship builder, but gambling debts and unwanted pregnancies with local women made his father sent him to the army, purchasing an Ensign's commission, and four years later, paid £550 to promote him to Lieutenant. Price has minor roles in the next few novels. In

, he is briefly placed in command of the light company after Sharpe is believed killed during the capture of

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...

. He is involved in the action on the Portuguese/Spanish border in

and is present at the

. He is given a larger role in the next novel,

, where he accompanies Sharpe,

Harper Harper may refer to: Names * Harper (name), a surname and given name Places ;in Canada * Harper Islands, Nunavut *Harper, Prince Edward Island ;In the United States *Harper, former name of Costa Mesa, California in Orange County * Harper, Il ...

and D'Alembord back to England to try to find recruits to bolster the depleted regiment. He plays a part in helping Sharpe take control of the battalion's training camp and expose a plan by corrupt officers to sell the recruits to other regiments. He then returns to

with the regiment, now known as the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, and is promoted to captain and given command of a company after Captain Thomas is killed at the

. In

, he is still with the regiment and, after they suffer casualties at

and Waterloo, the most senior officer after Colonel Ford to escape uninjured. When Sharpe takes command of the battalion, he promotes Price to major and places him in command of the light company. Despite this, the novel

, set immediately afterwards, portrays him as still being a captain. He accompanies Sharpe to Paris and takes part in his battle with a rogue French battalion attempting to avenge Napoleon's defeat. Price appears in the TV adaptation Sharpe's Company, played by

Scott Cleverdon Scott Cleverdon (born 31 July 1969) is a Scottish actor best known as the angel Pyriel in the film '' The Prophecy 3: The Ascent''. He has also done significant voice acting. He was born and brought up in Edinburgh, attending Broughton High ...

. He is given a similar role to that in the book but he is shot and apparently killed by

Sergeant Hakeswill Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

during the storming of Badajoz while trying to protect

Teresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...

, a fate that befell Captain Knowles in the book. However, a character named Harry Price appears in

, played by

Nicholas Irons Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...

. He talks to Sharpe and Harper and it is clear they know him quite well and that he is a veteran, possibly indicating that this is meant to be the same Harry Price from Sharpe's Company. When several soldiers are killed as a result of the Prince of Orange's incompetent orders at Quatre Bras, Price worries that his brother, who has just joined up, is among the dead. He is last seen in the closing seconds of the episode, standing alongside Sharpe as he turns back the French advance at Waterloo.

Read

Sergeant Read was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment. He part of the light company commanded by Sharpe. Read first appeared in

when Sharpe's riflemen were attach to the light company of the South Essex. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in

and also partook in

during the battle of Bussaco. Read was involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He was unfortunately blinded in the siege of Badajoz in Sharpe's Company. He was unable to continue as a soldier due to losing his sight and was presumably sent back home to England. Huckfield took his place as Sergeant in the light company. Read was described as a Methodist who worried about the souls of others. He never swore or drank.

Roach

Private Roach was a soldier in the South Essex Regiment, later to be known as The Prince of Wales Own Volunteers. He part of the light company commanded by Sharpe. Roach first appeared in

when Sharpe's riflemen were attach to the light company of the South Essex. In

it mentioned that Roach pimped his wife for a shilling. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in

. He also participated in the battle of Bussaco in

. Roach was involved in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz and went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in

. Roach wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge or Waterloo.

Sir Henry Simmerson

Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson is a recurring villain, portrayed as a stereotypical snobbish, petty and tyrannical minor English

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Ro ...

. He is narrow-minded, militarily inept and cowardly; while he is not presented as a clever man, he does display a certain cunning and deviousness. In his first appearance in the novels, he is described as short, squat, and red-faced giving the impression of "a pig sitting on horseback". Simmerson first appears in ''

'', as commanding officer of the

of the

, during the Talavera Campaign. Captain Michael Hogan briefly sketches Simmerson's background as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Paglesham Paglesham is a village and civil parish in the north east of the Rochford Rural District, Essex. The parish includes two hamlets of Eastend and Churchend, which are situated near the River Crouch and ''Paglesham Creek''. It is part of the ''Roa ...

, (a

rotten borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...

), and a colonel in the

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

. He is also a distant cousin of General Sir

Banastre Tarleton Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB (21 August 175415 January 1833) was a British general and politician. He is best known as the lieutenant colonel leading the British Legion at the end of the American Revolution. He later served in Portug ...

and thus has some influence at Horse Guards which serves to protect him, to a considerable extent, from the full consequences of his cowardice and military ineptitude. His considerable (inherited) wealth has allowed him to not only purchase his commission in the army, but also raise the regiment at his own expense. Simmerson is thus portrayed as the archetype of the military dilettante allowed to hold rank and responsibility in the British Army, a type which is the constant bane of professional soldiers like Sharpe. Throughout the first novel, he consistently ignores the advice of the few professional soldiers among his officers, and blames the often disastrous consequences of his own blunders on them. He also displays blatant

nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...

in favouring his nephew, Christian Gibbons, as his aide. The South Essex is assigned the relatively easy mission of linking up with an allied Spanish regiment and escorting Hogan to a point on the River

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...

to destroy a bridge that the French could use. In a minor skirmish with a French cavalry patrol, however, Simmerson's appalling judgement leads to the loss of a substantial number of men, and the loss of one of his regiment's two

colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

(presented by the king and representing the regiment's honour). At the end of the novel, when the South Essex is positioned on the British flank during the

, Simmerson panics and starts to withdraw the regiment, before he is ignominiously relieved from his post by

. He is mentioned in passing in the subsequent novels as having returned to England and resumed his political activities, in particular helping to implement the new

income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...

, and becomes "Commissioner of the Excise". In 1813, (

) Simmerson, with Lord Simon Fenner, and Lieutenant Colonel Batholomew Girdwood (whom he had promoted), uses the second battalion of the South Essex in an illegal crimping operation, recruiting men for the South Essex then selling them to posts overseas. Sharpe exposes him and presumably this is the end of his military career (Simmerson was (legally) crimping long before this and the historical notes to

reveal this is how he obtained his commission). Sharpe also snubs Simmerson by eloping with his niece, Jane Gibbons. In the first run of the television adaptations, Simmerson, played by

Michael Cochrane Michael Cochrane is an English actor. Biography Cochrane was born in Brighton, East Sussex. He was educated at Cranleigh School. He has had many television and radio roles including Oliver Sterling in the Radio 4 soap opera ''The Archers'', ...

, appears in

(1993),

(1995) and

(1996). His appearances in ''Eagle'' and ''Regiment'' remain faithful to the novel versions, while his appearance in ''Sword'' is a creation of the show's writers, since that story was largely re-vamped from the novel. Simmerson proved to be a popular character with the viewers, and was brought back for several subsequent appearances. In ''Sword'' he has renounced his military rank in favour of being a political

commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means 'commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and Eas ...

with the British Army in Spain (and reports that a court of inquiry found him innocent of losing the colour in ''Eagle''). Simmerson takes a licentious interest in "Lass" (

Emily Mortimer Emily Kathleen Anne Mortimer (born 6 October 1971) is a British-American actress. She began acting in stage productions and has since appeared in several film and television roles. In 2003, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performanc ...

), a novice

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

under Sharpe's protection, rendered

mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...

by the trauma of watching her sisters tortured for information by a French spy. Simmerson tries, on two occasions, to

Lass, but fails both times, due both to Lass's pluck, and the intervention of an Irish priest, who thrashes Simmerson in a sword fight. It is also implied that Simmerson betrayed a night attack attempted by the South Essex to the French, in the hopes that Sharpe would be killed. In the revival series, Cochrane returns as Simmerson, now an officer in the army attached to the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

, in the 2006 revival,

and its 2008 sequel

. In ''Peril'', Simmerson is found naked, staked to the ground and is saved by Sharpe, and whether it is the severe sunstroke he has suffered or an offer of genuine friendship, becomes Sharpe's ally and commands a section of musketeers during the final assault by the 3rd Native Horse. At the end of the episode, a seemingly normal Simmerson offers his gratitude to Sharpe, with the two men shaking hands before parting ways.

Cornelius Slingsby

Lieutenant (later brevet Captain) Cornelius Slingsby appeared in ''

''. At 31, he is old for a Lieutenant, but inexperienced, having served most of his army career in the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...

. He is the brother-in-law of Col. Lawford's wife, Jessica, who pressures her husband to advance Slingsby's career in the South Essex (Sharpe's friend, Robert Knowles, confides that Jessica's sister was impregnated by a lover who abandoned her, and Slingsby was hastily "recruited" by her family to marry her and avoid scandal). He is assigned as second-in-command of the Light Company under Sharpe, who detests him. At Bussaco, after Sharpe rescues a detachment of the Light Company from one of Slingsby's blunders, Slingsby demands an apology for Sharpe using harsh language towards him. When Sharpe refuses, Lawford reluctantly reassigns Sharpe as a

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In m ...

and puts Slingsby in temporary command of the Light Company. Even Lawford quickly becomes annoyed with Slingsby, silently comparing him to a dog that barks too often, just to ensure that people are still paying attention to him. Under the pressures of his new position, Slingsby quickly breaks down, getting drunk on duty with hoarded

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

. After another brief skirmish with the French in which Sharpe rescues the Light Company (again), Lawford quietly reinstates him to command, while leaving Slingsby's fate ambiguous.

Smith

Captain Smith first appeared in

. He is one of the officers at the recruitment camp of the South Essex, a secret and brutal training camp in Foulness, run by the second battalion's commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Girdwood and the regiment's disgraced founder Sir Henry Simmerson.

Michael Trumper-Jones

Lieutenant Michael Trumper-Jones first appears in

as an inexperienced

in the South Essex. He is one of the handful of officers who sides with Major Richard Sharpe. Trumper-Jones acts as Sharpe's legal representative when he is accused of murder.

Charlie Weller

Sergeant Charlie Weller first appeared in

. Charlie Weller first appeared in Sharpe's Regiment when he was recruited into the South Essex's second battalion by Sergeant Horatio Havercamp. In the brutal conditions at the training camp under Col. Bartholomew Girdwood, however, he finds army life is not how expected it. He was the rarest of recruits, something respected by fellow undercover recruit, Richard Sharpe, a man who joined the army out of patriotism rather than desperation. Sharpe and Harper, disguised as fellow recruits, can see in Charlie the makings of a good soldier, and try their best to look out for him. Weller had been promised by Havercamp that his small terrier, Buttons, would be welcome at camp, but Girdwood, who hates and fears dogs, orders it killed, earning Weller's eternal enmity. When Major Sharpe finally takes the new recruits and Col. Girdwood back with him to Spain to fill out the depleted ranks of the newly named Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, he tells the men that they may all keep dogs as pets in the ranks, making it clear who actually is in command of the Regiment. Weller survives the remainder of the war, and appears in Sharpe's Waterloo, where he is asked by Private Clayton to watch out for his wife Sally, should he fall. When Clayton does indeed die in the final hour of the battle, Weller is as good as his word. After the battle Sharpe notices Weller and Sally together and tells the young man he can be a sergeant if only he'd fetch Sharpe a cup of tea. After accompanying Sharpe on his mission to Paris in Sharpe's Assassin, Weller and Sally marry and take up employment on the Sharpe-Lassan farm in Normandy, where they are expecting their first child.

Brian Windham

Colonel Brian Windham first appears in Sharpe's Company as the new commander of the South Essex, replacing the injured Colonel William Lawford. He is described as a bluff man, not unkind, with cropped grey hair. Sharpe thought his was a face one might expect to see sitting on the bench in a county court; a knowing face, experienced. He is obsessed with hunting and brought both hunters and hounds with him to Spain. He is utterly devoted to his wife Jessica, whose portrait shows a rather stern, somewhat chinless woman. Initially he wants a regular inspection of the wives attached to the South Essex, saying he wants no girls like the one he'd seen Sharpe arguing over. Sharpe, anticipating future events, named Teresa his wife. That the wedding had been private nearly 16 months previously, and that they had a seven month old daughter. He further informed the Colonel that his wife was employed outside the Regiment - as a partisan. Flustered, Windham apologized for mistaking Sharpe's wife. He then, however, fell back on accepted lore. That officers from the ranks never succeeded except in administration. Taking pains to ease Sharpe into the reality of his situation, he informs him that the captaincy he'd been hoping for had been purchased by another, and his gazette rank denied. He then sends Lieutenant Sharpe back to quartermaster duties, so that the new captain of the Light Company would not have to compete with Sharpe for the men. When Sharpe then immediately asks for the Forlorn Hope at Badajoz, Windham calls him unbalanced, that there will be vacancies a plenty after the attack. When his wife's portrait is stolen, the silver frame for it is found in Harper's kit. The furious Windham demands to know where the portrait was, but Harper, innocent of the crime, could not tell him. Windham, in his fury, breaks Harper back to private and sentences him to 100 lashes. After the intervention of Michael Hogan, Windham reduces the sentence to 60 lashes. After Badjoz, Sharpe returns Jessica Windham's portrait to him, and explains where it had been found. That Harper had been innocent. Windham, to his credit, offers Harper an apology. Harper brushed off the need by telling him a striped back was very attractive to the ladies. He returns the command of the Light Company to Sharpe after the death of the new captain. In Sharpe's Sword, he was murdered by a Philippe Leroux, a man he thought was a paroled French officer, who then broke parole, killed his ensign and then the Colonel before escaping into the forts outside Salamanca.

British

Ayres

Lieutenant Ayers was a British Army Provost officer, military police responsible for military discipline among British troops in Portugal and Spain. He was one of three provosts on duty in a small deserted Portuguese village. Their equipment was new, and their faces burned red, indicating that they had newly arrived on the Peninsula. After some verbal sparring with Captain Sharpe, Lieutenant Ayes and the two other Provosts went to examine Sharpe's men, and he caught Private Batten with a stolen chicken. Ayers determined that Private Batten must hang and only armed intervention by Sharpe and Harper stopped it happening (''

''). Subsequently, Sharpe was forced to apologize to an embarrassed Lieutenant Ayers, in the company of the Provost Marshal and Colonel Williams. Sharpe's smart apology caused Ayers to agree to his own regret over the incident, to the confusion of Colonel Williams (Sharpe's Gold : Chapter 3). But the matter was dropped. In the television movie of the same name, but of a wildly divergent plot, it was a private Skillicorn who had the chicken, and things played out exactly the same - save that Ayers re-arrested the rifleman after the incident was over, and apparently hanged him. He then accompanied Sharpe on a mission to trade rifles to the partisans for deserters in their camp. He was killed during a raid into the partisan's lair by a knife that was thrown at him.

Horace Bampfylde

In the novel series, Horace Bampfylde is the captain of the HMS ''Vengeance''. Sharpe first meets him at the Officer's club in St Jean de la Luz during the events of ''

''. He is described as young, plump, and confident, but wisely backs down from confrontation with Sharpe. Afterwards, both Sharpe and Bampfylde become involved in an expedition into Bordeaux near the Bassin d'Arcachon. While Sharpe and his forces try to take the Teste de Buch fortress guarding the mouth of the Bassin d'Arcachon, Bampfylde is tasked with capturing three dozen '' chasee-marées'' to be used as a boat bridge for crossing the

Adour River The Adour (; eu, Aturri; oc, Ador) is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High- Bigorre (Pyrenees), in the commune of Aspin-Aure, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean ( Bay of Biscay) near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost ca. ...

, and stirring up a monarchist rebellion. Upon arrival at the Teste de Buch, Bampfylde changes strategy, instead using the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

under his command to attack the fortress, while Sharpe's men ambush a military convoy on the south road. However, Bampfylde's attack on the fortress is countered by American auxiliaries led by Captain Cornelius Killick in a nearby wood, leading to numerous casualties. In the end, Sharpe's forces manage to take the fort via a ruse, while Captain Frederickson's

60th Rifles The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

capture the Americans. Bampfylde planned to have the Americans executed as pirates and Royal Navy deserters, ignoring Killick's letter of marque. Sharpe, however, releases the Americans under an oath of non-aggression, infuriating Bampfylde. Nonetheless, Bampfylde dictates a report for the Admiralty in London over-glorifying himself and ignoring the pivotal role played by Major Sharpe. He then sent Sharpe's men and Marine Captain Palmer's forces on reconnaissance further inland and track down Killick's Americans. While Sharpe and Palmer were out, Bampfylde arranged for the ''chasse-marées'' to sail for St Jean de la Luz. The loyalist Comte de Maquerre (secretly an agent of Major Pierre Ducos) met with Bampfylde during this time, and claimed Sharpe and the Royal Marines were defeated and captured in battle with a larger French brigade. With Sharpe's forces supposedly killed or captured, and a fierce storm on the way, Bampfylde abandoned the Teste de Buch with only his wounded men inside, bombarded it with his ships' cannon, and sailed back to St Jean de la Luz. Some time later, Bampfylde was shocked to find that Sharpe was alive, well, and not captured. Sharpe reprimanded Bampfylde for his cowardice, and at the start of the next novel, ''

'', had already challenged Bampfylde to a duel. During the duel, Bampfylde fired first, but his bullet missed Sharpe. Sharpe aimed at Bampfylde to kill, but instead shot Bampfylde through the buttocks. In the television series episode

, Horace Bampfylde is portrayed as a young colonel, the son of an old general, although he retains many of the qualities of his novel counterpart. General Wellington gives him command of the expeditionary force sent into Bordeaux to aid with a supposed monarchist uprising. Much like in the novel, Colonel Bampfylde's first attempts at scaling the Teste de Buch fail, Sharpe's men take the fortress, and Bampfylde later abandons the fortress after being fed false information about Major Sharpe's defeat from the Comte de Maquerre and Major Pierre Ducos (disguised as the mayor of a nearby community). While delivering his report to Wellington, Sharpe's men return to camp. Captain Palmer lists his grievances against Bampfylde in front of Wellington, assaults him, and Wellington orders Bampfyldes arrest for cowardice, desertion, and conspiracy with the enemy. He was played in the TV series by

Christopher Villiers Christopher Francis Villiers (born 7 September 1960) is an English actor, screenwriter and producer. Biography Villiers was born in London, the son of Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Wing commander David Hugh Villiers (1921–1962) and his ...

Joel Chase

Captain Joel Chase is the captain of HMS ''Pucelle''. Sharpe first encounters Chase in Calcutta, shortly before he is due to sail back to England to join his new regiment. The captain informs Sharpe that he is thirty-five and later gives his birthday as 21 October, which places 1769 as the year of his birth. From Devon speaking in a Devonshire accent. Chase followed in his father's footsteps by joining the Royal Navy. Given that he is a post captain at the age of thirty-five, it may be surmised that he had a moderately successful career and probably entered the service as a young adolescent. He was a highly rated midshipman, and gained the necessary experience required for the lieutenant's examination. Chase's first command was apparently a twenty-eight-gun frigate by the name of HMS ''Spritely'', in which he captured a French frigate. His ship, HMS ''Pucelle'', a seventy-four-gun (third-rate) ship. Chase is married to a woman named Florence, has an unspecified number of children, and owns a small farm/estate somewhere in Devonshire. Chase is attached to the East Indian fleet, under the command of Sir Edward Pellew in Trafalgar but, having chased a French ship of the line halfway around the world in order to intercept a dangerous French politico, he finds himself under the command of Lord Nelson at Trafalgar. Needless to say, Sharpe too takes part in the battle, having been rescued by Chase after his ship was taken prize by the very third-rater that Chase was chasing. Captain Chase makes up part of the fleet that sails to Denmark, under Admiral Gambier, to help persuade the Danish to hand over their fleet for "protection" in 1807. While in Copenhagen he meets Sharpe again aiding him in his mission. Chase seems to represent the very best of the Royal Navy: he is good-natured, enthusiastic, seamanlike, possesses easy authority, and is readily accepting of Sharpe, despite Sharpe's humble origins. He is a devoted husband though he does have a weakness for gambling and has to pay off quite a large debt to Lord William Hale at the beginning of Trafalgar. He is clearly loved by his men, as attested to by one of his midshipmen, Harry Collier and his Bosun John Hopper. Chase is not a supporter of harsh discipline and dislikes flogging, though he does employ it when necessary and he is apt to reward his men generously, once giving oarsmen a double tot of rum after a stiff bout of towing in becalmed waters.

Harry Collier

Midshipman Harry Collier served under Joel Chase who was Captain of HMS ''Pucelle''. He was very fond of Chase and also made a good impression on Sharpe. He was a young, enthusiastic and very able sailor.

William Dodd

William Dodd appears in the novels set in India near the start of Sharpe's army career. Although he is based on a real

historical figure A historical figure is a significant person in history. The significance of such figures in human progress has been debated. Some think they play a crucial role, while others say they have little impact on the broad currents of thought and social ...

, his involvement in the Sharpe novels is entirely fictional. Dodd appears in the 2006 television revival ''

'', portrayed by

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the UK, US and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film ''Die Another Day'' (for which he was nominated for the ...

. He also appears in the

Simon Scarrow Simon Scarrow (born 3 October 1962) is a British author. Scarrow completed a master's degree at the University of East Anglia after working at the Inland Revenue, and then went into teaching as a lecturer, firstly at East Norfolk Sixth Form C ...

novel '' The Generals'' as the actual historical character. The real William Dodd was a lieutenant in the

. In 1803, he was responsible for beating a native worker to death and was fined by the company. Arthur Wellesley was outraged by the leniency of the sentence and demanded his dismissal, aiming to have him tried as a civilian for murder. Instead Dodd deserted to the

Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

army. Despite the offer of a seven hundred guinea reward for his capture, he was never seen again. Cornwell uses this backstory, adding the desertion of Dodd's entire

sepoy ''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire. In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its oth ...

company. Dodd is charged by the

mercenary A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...

commander of the Mahratta army,

Anthony Pohlmann Anthony Pohlmann was a Hanoverian soldier who served in the armies of the British East India Company and Daulat Scindia. Life Pohlmann arrived in India as a sergeant in a Hanoverian regiment serving the East India Company in Madras. He deserted ...

, with raiding the British fort at Chasalgoan, where he massacres the entire garrison, with the single exception of Richard Sharpe. He is rewarded with a promotion to

and command of a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

, which he christens "Dodd's Cobras". Dodd escapes the British capture of

Ahmednuggur Ahmednagar (), is a city located in the Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmad Nizam Shah I, who founded the town in 149 ...

. Shortly afterwards he encounters Sharpe with his mentor Colonel Hector McCandless and offers Sharpe a commission in his battalion. Sharpe is tempted to desert, but chooses instead to remain with McCandless when the Colonel is wounded during the theft of his horses by Dodd. Dodd survives Pohlmann's defeat at

Assaye Assaye is a small village in the Jalna district of the state of Maharashtra in western India. The village was the location of the Battle of Assaye in 1803, fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company The East Indi ...

taking his Cobras with him. In ''

'' Dodd has allied with

Manu Bappoo Manu may refer to: Geography * Manú Province, a province of Peru, in the Madre de Dios Region **Manú National Park, Peru ** Manú River, in southeastern Peru *Manu River (Tripura), which originates in India and flows into Bangladesh *Manu Temp ...

and has been promoted to colonel. Once again he survives defeat at the

Battle of Argaum The Battle of Argaon (also known as Battle of Argaum) took place on 29 November 1803, between the British under the command of Major-General Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) and the forces of Bhonsle of Berar and Scindia of Gwalior ...

and withdraws to the mountain fortress of

. There he makes plans to usurp power from his Indian employers. He welcomes

, an old antagonist of Sharpe's, when the former deserts, making him an officer in the Cobras. When the fortress is stormed by the British, Dodd betrays the Indian commander and locks the gates of the inner keep against both the retreating Indian defenders and the British assault force. Newly commissioned Ensign Sharpe leads a small force over the walls and traps Dodd on the ramparts. Dodd first kills Sharpe's young

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

servant, Ahmed, then almost defeats Sharpe in single combat, inflicting the facial scar which becomes Sharpe's most noted feature in later novels. He is only defeated and killed after the intervention of Sharpe's companion Sergeant Lockart. The Dodd of the television series is a British deserter but makes no reference to the real Dodd's back story. The film begins with the massacre at Chasalgaon in 1803 before skipping forward to the post- Waterloo period, circa 1817. By now, Dodd is the effective ruler of the region, being the lover of the regent Madhuvanthi. Dodd meets Sharpe and Patrick Harper when they arrive at his fort posing as deserters and offers them places in his army until he learns their true allegiance. He has arranged a mine to take care of the attacking British force but Sharpe and Harper manage to escape during the attack and set off the mine prematurely. Seeing his cause lost, Dodd kills Madhuvanthi and attempts to flee with the royal treasury but is confronted by Sharpe. A sword fight between the two men sees Dodd disarmed after which Sharpe forces him to sit on the throne he had coveted and skewering him through the chest with his sword, pinning him to it.

Simon Doggett

Simon Doggett first appeared in

. As a lieutenant he was an aide attached to the

, but couldn't abide the Prince's incompetence. During the Battle of Waterloo he publicly insults the Prince and calls him a murderer for repeatedly ordering battalions facing cavalry to form line rather than square, calling him a "silk stocking full of shit". After his tirade, he joins Sharpe with the Prince of Wales' own Volunteers. After the Battle of Waterloo, Sharpe promotes him to captain in the Prince of Wales' own Volunteers, as nearly all the officers in the battalion were killed.

Thomas Garrard

Thomas Garrard (Tom Garrard) first appeared in

, where he is a private soldier in the 33rd, and a friend of Sharpe's. He returns during the Peninsular War, having accepted a commission in the Portuguese army who looked for experienced British soldiers for their junior officers. He survives Sharps' blowing up the gunpowder storage in Burgos cathedral and surrenders to the French. Later joins a Portuguese Caçadore regiment and bravely thwart an attack by Brigadier Loup, by blowing up an ammunition wagon, unfortunately killing himself in the action, saving Sharpe and his men.

Jane Gibbons

Jane Gibbons (later Sharpe) is the second wife of Richard Sharpe. She is first mentioned in the very first Sharpe novel, ''

'', in which Sharpe encounters her sadistic brother Christian. After Gibbons' death (at the hands of Sharpe's friend

), Sharpe finds he is wearing a locket containing a miniature of Jane, signed "God keep you. Love, Jane" and wonders if she knows what her brother was like. (Sharpe would wear the locket himself for some time afterwards before losing it while he was a prisoner of Ducos in ''

''.) At some point in between

and Sharpe's Company, Sharpe and Harper met Jane off-page during a visit to England. She makes her full debut in the series in

where Sharpe and Harper encounter her again while back in England investigating the apparent disappearance of the South Essex Regiment's Second Battalion. The battalion is being used for illegal soldier auctions by Jane's uncle

, an old enemy of Sharpe's. Jane herself is eking out a miserable existence in Simmerson's country house, unwillingly engaged to the battalion's arrogant and incompetent commander

. She explains to Sharpe that her parents died when she was thirteen and she went to live with Simmerson and his wife, her

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...

's sister. Since her father was a commoner, Simmerson considers her an embarrassment and keeps her away from high society. After Sharpe puts an end to the auctions, he takes Jane back to

with them where they marry. Jane plays only a small role in the following novel, Sharpe's Siege (novel), Sharpe's Siege in which Sharpe is alarmed to discover she has been visiting his friend Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Hogan, who is sick with fever and fears she has been infected. When he returns from the mission that is the main focus of the book, he finds he was mistaken, and only had a cold. The following book,

, sees a major change in Jane's character. With the

nearing an end, Sharpe sends Jane back to England to procure a house in the country. Disliking the idea, she instead buys an expensive and gaudy London town house and is seduced by the wealth of high society previously denied her. She also becomes disillusioned with Sharpe's lack of ambition for peacetime and prestige (promotions, living in London, knighthood). When she hears Sharpe has been arrested on suspicion of theft, she initially tries to help him but when it appears he has murdered Commandant Lassan, a man who might have given evidence against him, she sees it as license to begin an affair with

Lord John Rossendale Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

. The affair is discovered by Harper and Peter D'Alembord when they come to Jane with a message from Sharpe, during which Jane gleefully watches as Rossendale horsewhips Harper. When Sharpe's name is cleared, Jane and Rossendale are fearful he will come looking for him, not least because Jane has withdrawn a large sum of money from his account. Jane accompanies Rossendale to

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

but finds herself shunned by society since she is only Rossendale's mistress. She attends the

Duchess of Richmond's ball The Duchess of Richmond's ball was a ball hosted by Charlotte, Duchess of Richmond in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras. Charlotte's husband Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, was in command of a reserve fo ...

with him where they have a violent encounter with Sharpe. She then encourages Rossendale to kill Sharpe using the confusion of battle so that they may marry. She has not told anyone that she is pregnant with Rossendale's child, an idea that appalls her. At the end of the book, she is left to await the news of Rossendale's death at Waterloo. The fate of Jane and her child is unknown, although she is referred to as still being alive at the time of

. In his book ''The Sharpe Companion'', Mark Adkin claims Jane died in 1844, presumably of natural causes, but this has not been confirmed in any novel. In the Sharpe's television series, Jane is played by

Abigail Cruttenden Abigail Lucy Cruttenden (born 23 March 1968) is an English actress. Cruttenden played opposite Sean Bean as his character Richard Sharpe's wife Jane in several episodes of the TV series '' Sharpe.'' In 2007, Cruttenden joined the cast from the ...

(then wife of

). Her character arc stays very close to that of the novels. She and Sharpe are familiar with each other in

but she has not been mentioned previously and how they met before is never stated: although her brother appeared in the television version of

he is not mentioned there and indeed their relationship is never explicitly confirmed (although it can be inferred from their shared surname and uncle in Simmerson). In

, Jane does contract fever, rather than Sharpe merely fearing she has and is already ill when he leaves (here she visits Major-General Ross rather than Hogan, who had already left the series). When he returns he finds she recovered thanks to

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

acquiring some

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg cr ...

from the Spanish. In this episode she is also seen working as an assistant to the regimental surgeon, Kenefick and her wedding to Sharpe, unlike in the books, occurs onscreen towards the beginning. In

, Jane's betrayal of Sharpe is partly motivated by his breaking a promise to not fight again after

when he challenges Colonel Wigram to a duel after the Colonel insulted Jane. In addition to the television adaptations of the four novels she appeared in, Jane is present in two stories unique to the television series. In

, set after

, she is shown to already be disenchanted with the soldier's life that seems destined to always be Sharpe's lot and is easily seduced by the arrival of the superficially cultured poet Shellington. She appears to contemplate an affair with him in Sharpe's absence but sees through him when

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...

reveals that the poem he has supposedly written about her is plagiarised and reconciles with Sharpe at the end. In

Sharpe's Justice ''Sharpe's Justice'' is a British television drama, the 13th of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Unlike most of the other instalments of the series, this episode was n ...

, Jane accompanies Rossendale to a property left for him by a recently deceased aunt and in doing so encounters Sharpe, who is in the area commanding the Scarsdale Yeomanry (ironically, a position assigned to him by Rossendale's connivance in order to keep him away from London). Jane and Rossendale seem eager to take advantage of Sir Willoughby Parfitt's schemes to bankrupt and buy out mills but fail when Sharpe exposes his methods. Afterwards, Jane tells Sharpe that Rossendale will obtain him release from his post in exchange for him leaving them alone. In

, as in the novel, Jane travels to Belgium with John. She is shunned for being the wife of another man and when Sharpe turns up, he disgraces her at a ball, calling her a whore. Jane convinces John to kill Sharpe at Waterloo but he is killed before he can do so.

Michael Hogan

Michael Hogan is a fictional character in the Sharpe series of novels by

, loosely based on the career of the historical Colquhoun Grant. Hogan is a

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

officer — while the Purchase System still allowed many British

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

and

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

officers to buy commissions in the early 19th century, all other British military branches, including the engineers, the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

and the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

, promoted by seniority or merit. Unfortunately, this meant promotion was rather slow and Hogan is still a

in 1808, despite his long service and abilities. Born in

of presumed

ancestry, his life before he encounters Sharpe is rather unclear. It is implied that he has spent time in

and

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, before joining the British garrison in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

in 1808 following the British capture of the Portuguese capital after the

Battle of Vimeiro In the Battle of Vimeiro (sometimes shown as "Vimiera" or "Vimeira" in contemporary British texts) on 21 August 1808, the British under General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated the French under Major-Gene ...

. He is employed by Arthur Wellesley in mapping the Portuguese border and it is here that he first meets

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Richard Sharpe, who is to become his friend and colleague ( Sharpe's Rifles). Hogan is promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in 1809, and thereafter appears to head the British intelligence network in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

. This was at a time when there was no formal

military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...

unit and Hogan's role is a good illustration of the sort of

ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with ''a priori''.) Com ...

arrangements used by the British in the field in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Sharpe is frequently employed (with or without his men) to carry out small scale secret operations for Hogan – for example, destroying a bridge in

, capturing a renegade exploring officer in

, retrieving treasure vital to the war effort in

, retrieving hostages in

and uncovering or capturing French spies in Sharpe's Battle,

and

. Although Hogan's role as spymaster requires him to be at times both ruthless and duplicitous, he is a good friend to Sharpe throughout the series, often protecting him from official censure and advancing his career. In 1814, in the last months of the war,

Hogan is fatally stricken by

fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...

. Even in his final

delirium Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...

he is able to warn Sharpe of the presence of a double agent and so foil plans by his French counterpart,

Pierre Ducos Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, to lure Sharpe into a trap. Thus he fulfils his obligations as a friend and officer to the very end. Hogan is addicted to

snuff Snuff may refer to: Tobacco * Snuff (tobacco), fine-ground tobacco, sniffed into the nose ** Moist snuff or dipping tobacco ** Creamy snuff, an Indian tobacco paste Media and entertainment * Snuff film, a type of film that shows a murder Literat ...

taking. Hogan is clearly proud of his

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...

and for many years carried around a small box of earth around with him, so that if he died he could be buried in 'Irish soil' ( Sharpe's Battle). However, unlike

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

, Hogan does not wear his pride on his sleeve, nor does he demonstrate any

anti-English Anti-English sentiment or Anglophobia (from Latin ''Anglus'' "English" and Greek φόβος, ''phobos'', "fear") means opposition to, dislike of, fear of, hatred of, or the oppression and persecution of England and/or English people.''Oxford ...

sentiment. In the same novel he exhibits no qualms about arranging the assassination of Father Sarsfield, a nationalist Irish priest, who has been working as a French agent. Hogan was portrayed in the TV adaptations by Scottish actor Brian Cox. However, due to scheduling conflicts, Cox was unable to reprise the role after the first two films and Hogan's character was subsequently merged with other exploring officers from the novels, particularly Major-General Nairn ( Michael Byrne), Mungo Monroe ( Hugh Ross) and Major-General Ross (

James Laurenson James Laurenson (born 17 February 1940) is a New Zealand stage and screen actor. Early life Laurenson was born in Marton, North Island, New Zealand. He was a student at Canterbury University College in Christchurch (now University of Canter ...

John Hopper

John Hopper first appeared in

serving under Captain Chase to whom he is very loyal. Hopper is a very able sailor which is noted in his rank of Bosun. He is a big strong fighter who is noted for his tattoos.

Kelly

Private Kelly only appears in the television series. A deserter under the command of Hakeswill. Kelly was a former Connaught Ranger who was wrongfully flogged and chose to desert as a consequence. Sharpe recognised Kelly from the battle of Talavera where he saw Sharpe take the Eagle. Sharpe recalls Kelly's bravery and fighting ability and asks Kelly to join him and fall in with the rest of the Chosen Men to which Kelly has no hesitation. Kelly helps Sharpe and the Chosen Men fight against the band of deserters. At the end of the battle Kelly is mortally wounded by a bayonet. Before Kelly dies of his injury, Sharpe makes Kelly a Chosen Man.

Hector McCandless

Colonel Hector McCandless first appears in the novel

. An aging, religious

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

who served with the King's Scotch Brigade McCandless had to accept a job in the

due to lack of funds for his promotion. After commanding battalions of Sepoy's he was transferred by the company to the British Army to be promoted to colonel and chief of intelligence. A born surveyor McCandless is more familiar to

then most going on many mapping expeditions. Speaking many native Indian languages he has connections with many across subcontinent including Appah Rao a Hindu and former Sepoy of his who is currently a general in the Tippoo of Mysore's army. Prior to the Siege of Seringapatam McCandless meets with Appah Rao behind enemy lines and learns of the Tippoo's plan to plant explosives in the space between the city's weak outer western wall and the newly built inner wall. Whilst carrying this vital information McCandless is intercepted and captured by the Tippoo's cavalry and taken to

to be put before the Tippoo himself. Claiming to be the fictitious Colonel Ross he hides his true mission by pretending he was out foraging. The Tippoo believes him and has McCandless thrown in the palace

dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...

. After General Harris and General Baird send Private Sharpe and Lieutenant William Lawford to rescue McCandless and his information he is almost shot by Sharpe as the Tippoo tells Sharpe to kill McCandless to prove his loyalty. Sharpe fires but McCandless survives due to the Tippoo's use of fake gunpowder. After Sharpe and Lawford are exposed as

spies Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations. Spies or The Spies may also refer to: * Spies (surname), a German surname * Spies (band), a jazz fusion band * Spies (song), "Spies" (song), a song by ...

the meet McCandless in the dungeon where McCandless helps teach Sharpe to read. McCandless later escapes with Lawford and Sharpe with the help of Sharpe's lover Mary Bickerstaff as the British attack Seringapatam.

Charles Morris

Major Charles Morris is a fictional character in the Richard Sharpe novels by

and a significant

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...

in the hero's early career. Morris is a lazy, venal and corrupt Captain in the 33rd Regiment of Foot's Light Company, replacing the more energetic and decent Captain Hughes after the latter's death from "the

flux Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications to physics. For transport ph ...

". He relies on the brutal

Obidiah Hakeswill Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

to run the company and is easily drawn into

peculation Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

and other abuses of authority. On the eve of the regiment's deployment against the Tipoo Sultan in 1799, Morris conspires with Hakeswill to frame private Richard Sharpe for assault, leading to a sentence of 2,000 lashes, a prolonged and agonising death sentence. Only the reluctant intervention of the regiment's commander,

Arthur Wellesley, prevents the flogging being carried beyond the 200th stroke (

). Four years later Hakeswill is able to manipulate Morris into laying a further charge of assault against Sharpe, by knocking the Captain unconscious himself and dousing the officer with the contents of a full

chamber pot A chamber pot is a portable toilet, meant for nocturnal use in the bedroom. It was common in many cultures before the advent of indoor plumbing and flushing toilets. Names and etymology "Chamber" is an older term for bedroom. The chamber pot ...

(

). This plot is foiled when Sharpe is given a

battlefield commission A battlefield promotion (or field promotion) is an advancement in military rank that occurs while deployed in combat. A standard field promotion is advancement from current rank to the next higher rank; a "jump-step" promotion allows the recipient ...

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

, after the

and placed out of Hakeswill's power. Morris makes one final appearance during the assault on the fortress at

, when he refuses to lead a detachment of troops over the wall; Sharpe knocks him unconscious, leads the assault and so takes the fortress (

). Little is known of Morris's subsequent career, until 1812, when Hakeswill joins the

and informs Sharpe that Morris is part of the garrison of

in Ireland ( Sharpe's Company). Morris, now a Major, is drafted into the South Essex after the

to replace the experienced officers lost in the battle, and tries to impose discipline. Sharpe vows to personally flog Morris if any of the men are flogged, making him get nervous around him, and in the final battle of the war Morris is arrested for displaying cowardice in the face of the enemy, refusing to take a wounded Sharpe's place in a fight, ultimately resigning his commission in disgrace rather than face a

court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

(

Nairn

Major-General Nairn (first name unknown) is a fictional character in the Sharpe series of novels written by

. He was a regular on the second series of the Sharpe television programme, in which he was played by Michael Byrne. Nairn first appears in Sharpe's Company, where he orchestrates the assault on the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo. He makes his first major appearance in

, where he is in command of the British forces in Frenada whilst

is in

. He informs Sharpe that he has been promoted to major on the order of

the Prince Regent George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

and assigns him the job of rescuing Lady Farthingdale (in reality Sharpe's old flame Josefina) from a deserters' enclave at Adrados. At the climax of the novel, it is Nairn who leads the British force that comes to Sharpe's aid when he is facing a French attack at Adrados. Nairn has something of a friendship with Sharpe and meets with him again in

to inform him that a request for reinforcements has been refused and the

is in danger of being disbanded. He therefore gives Sharpe permission to take a party of four back to England to try to find reinforcements. He later greets Sharpe on his return to Spain and observes his harsh treatment of the corrupt Lieutenant-Colonel Girdwood. He gives his tacit approval of the behaviour but also warns Sharpe that he will arrange for Girdwood's replacement to be a hard taskmaster. By the time of

in 1814, Nairn has finally been given command of a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

after years as a staff officer, consisting of two English Battalions and one

Highlander battalion A Scottish regiment is any regiment (or similar military unit) that at some time in its history has or had a name that referred to Scotland or some part thereof, and adopted items of Scottish dress. These regiments were created after the Acts o ...

. He has Sharpe assigned to him as his chief of staff and also makes

, Frederickson and Frederickson's company part of his command. He is finally given a chance to lead his men into battle at

, where he is injured by a canister shot. He claims he has only been hit in the leg and instructs Sharpe to lead the brigade forward. When Sharpe sees a stretcher being carried near him, he learns that he died from his wounds – the canister had also pierced his lung. Nairn appears in all three episodes of ''Sharpes second series, comprising

and adaptations of Sharpe's Company and

. His character is recreated as a Major (rather than a major general), who effectively fulfills the same duties as

Hogan A hogan ( or ; from Navajo ' ) is the primary, traditional dwelling of the Navajo people. Other traditional structures include the summer shelter, the underground home, and the sweat house. A hogan can be round, cone-shaped, multi-sided, or sq ...

in the novels – the chief of Wellington's espionage operations. Nairn is first seen in Sharpe's Company, where he approaches Sharpe in the aftermath of the attack on Ciudad Rodrigo to discuss the wounding of Sharpe's commanding officer Colonel Lawford during the attack. Like Hogan, this Nairn is a major in the

and Sharpe criticises their performance during the attack. He is also a spymaster, as Sharpe learns when Nairn sends

into

. Like many of the spymasters in the series, Nairn has a somewhat uneasy relationship with Sharpe, who sees him as placing Teresa in needless danger. He is at Wellington's side during the subsequent attack on Badajoz. In

, Nairn's role is slightly expanded from in the novel. He realises the French have an interest in Adrados when he learns of the presence of

, his opposite number. Along with Teresa, he spies on the French positions and, after Teresa is shot by Hakeswill, he takes her dying body to Sharpe. He is present in the courtyard when Ducos attempts to force Sharpe to surrender. In his last episode,

, Nairn worries about Sharpe's malaise in the aftermath of Teresa's death. It is Nairn who breaks up Sharpe's illegal duel with El Marques de Casares el Grande y Melida Sadaba and who arranges to have Sharpe's execution faked after he is accused of killing El Marques. He then despatches Sharpe and Harper to search for El Marques' widow, Helene and later gives permission for Harper to take the rest of the Chosen Men to rescue Sharpe after he is captured by Ducos. He is last seen, alongside Wellington as ever, watching the victory celebrations after the

. As with Hogan, his absence from subsequent series is not explained.

Septimus Pyecroft

Major Septimus Pyecroft specialises in demolitions and appears only in ''

''. He was badly burned in a munitions accident, and wears a leather hood to conceal his scars.

Lord John Rossendale

Lord John Rossendale first crosses Richard Sharpe's path in 1813 in

as a courtier to

in London. Rossendale is initially an ally in Major Sharpe's attempts to find missing recruits to the

, providing support and guidance through the social pitfalls of Court circles. However, a year later, in

, as a Colonel, Rossendale takes advantage of Sharpe's arrest for theft to embark on an

affair An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of i ...

with his wife,

Jane Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...

, while also laying waste to Sharpe's considerable fortune. In June 1815, at the outset of

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...

campaign, Rossendale satisfies his desire to see active service by joining the

heavy cavalry Heavy cavalry was a class of cavalry intended to deliver a battlefield charge and also to act as a Military reserve, tactical reserve; they are also often termed ''shock cavalry''. Although their equipment differed greatly depending on the re ...

appropriately enough under Henry Paget, Lord Uxbridge, who had conducted a similarly adulterous affair with the wife of

's younger brother,

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

. He is accompanied by Jane, who is snubbed by society for her affair and who suspects she may be pregnant with Rossendale's bastard child (

). Unfortunately, Sharpe, now a

, is also serving with the Allied army, as staff officer to the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

. Jane attempts to persuade Rossendale to murder Sharpe during the chaos of the imminent battle. When he suggests the French may kill Sharpe for them, she replies "They’ve had plenty of chances before and achieved nothing". Later that evening Sharpe and Rossendale clash at the

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, where Sharpe humiliates his rival. At the

battle of Quatre Bras The Battle of Quatre Bras was fought on 16 June 1815, as a preliminary engagement to the decisive Battle of Waterloo that occurred two days later. The battle took place near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras and was contested between ele ...

the next day, Sharpe corners Rossendale, destroys his

pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...

and

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

and extracts a note of hand for the stolen money. Ashamed of his dishonourable conduct, Rossendale determines to prove himself during the forthcoming battle at Waterloo. On the afternoon of the battle, the British Heavy Brigade, Rossendale in its midst, charges to complete the rout of a French infantry attack by the Comte d'Erlon at

La Haye Sainte La Haye Sainte (named either after Jesus Christ's crown of thorns or a bramble hedge round a field nearby) is a walled farmhouse compound at the foot of an escarpment on the Charleroi-Brussels road in Belgium. It has changed very little since it ...

. Rossendale fights well, but the charge ends in disaster when the enthusiasm of the British cavalrymen leads them to gallop unsupported towards the French guns. Caught by French

light cavalry Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily rai ...

, the British take appalling casualties. Rossendale is pursued by a group of French

lancers A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...

and

hussars A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

, blinded, stabbed and left for dead. He lies helpless on the field until his throat is cut by a Belgian peasant woman looting the wounded in the aftermath of the Allied victory. His death renders the note of hand given to Sharpe worthless, as he dies bankrupt and his estate has no legal call on the money stolen by Jane. In the Carlton UK

TV adaptation An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another. Some common examples are: * Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, ...

, Rossendale was portrayed by

Alexander Armstrong Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter and singer. He is the host of the BBC One game show ''Pointless'', as well as the morning show on Classic FM. He is ...

and by

Alexis Denisof Alexis Denisof (born February 25, 1966) is an American actor. He is primarily known for playing Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and its spin-off ''Angel''. He also had a recurring role on ''How I Met You ...

and

Lord Wellington

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister o ...

was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

soldier and statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. His victory against

at the

in 1815 puts him in the first rank of Britain's military heroes. He worked his way through a series of promotions, but as an aristocrat, started as an officer rather than in the ranks. He did, however, earn no end of contempt from his peers. His career was only possible because of his aristocratic origins and connections. Nobody not born into the gentry could ever hope to attain commands such as those Wellington was given, and the only thing that truly distinguished him from other noblemen given command as a favor rather than on merit, was that he proved to have actual talent when it came to command, as did Sharpe. Because of a prominent nose, he was often called Nosey behind his back. Wellington features throughout the Bernard Cornwell Sharpe novels and in the television series directed by Tom Clegg. He is portrayed by

David Troughton David Troughton (born 9 June 1950) is an English actor. He is known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage and for his many roles on British television, including Dr Bob Buzzard in ''A Very Peculiar Practice'' and Ricky Hanson in ''Ne ...

in '' Sharpe's Rifles'' and ''

'', and by Hugh Fraser in all appearances afterward.

French

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte was the Emperor of France from 1799 through 1814. Under his reign, Europe was plunged into war as he attempted a campaign of conquest that was remarkably successful. In the world of the Sharpe

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

is often referred to, usually as Boney, a soldiers nickname for him, but is not seen. Only once was he glimpsed by the characters of Sharpe in the television series during the wars, briefly and through the smoke of battle at Waterloo. He only appeared in the novels in any noticeable way in Sharpe's Devil, when Sharpe and Harper stopped at the island of St. Helena to visit the exiled dictator.

Jean-Baptiste Calvet

Jean-Baptiste Calvet is described as squat and having a broad, scarred face, burned with gunpowder stains. He was a brutal and effective soldier. The son of a ditch digger, he rose through the ranks in the post-revolution army, to become a "General of Brigade", and one of Napoleon's most dedicated adherents, having served against the Austrians, and then in Russia, surviving with his brigade intact. His demi-brigade of 2000 men was fought to a standstill by Richard Sharpe and his handful of men during the siege at Teste de Buch in

, after Sharpe used such desperate measures as dropping

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

on to the attacking forces to blind them. They encounter each other again in ''

'' while leading a counter attack during the

, during which, Sharpe gets near him as he retreats with an Imperial Eagle. He is then sent by Napoleon to find his missing baggage and treasury, with a dozen soldiers. When they met again in the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

, he slapped Sharpe's face for the use of the lime. The two then joined forces to retrieve the Imperial treasury, stolen by

, from a

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...

villa. He then returned the stolen treasure to Napoleon on Elba and remained with him in exile. By 1820, after Napoleon's defeat and final exile, Calvet was reported as living in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

in the United States rather than remain in France under a

Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

king. In the television series, General Calvet's name was changed to Maurice Calvet. Two separate actors played him: Olivier Pierre in ''

'' and ''

'', and

John Benfield Jonathan Edmund Fulford "John" Turner (9 November 1951 – 16 June 2020), better known by his stage name John Benfield, was a British character actor. Biography Benfield appeared in 75 television episodes or films starting in 1981 with small p ...

in ''

''.

Lucille Castineau

Lucille Castineau was Richard Sharpe's third (common-law) wife. She was aged twenty-seven in June 1815, placing 1788 as her birth date. She was born to the Lassan family of

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. Her father was the

Comte ''Comte'' is the French, Catalan and Occitan form of the word 'count' (Latin: ''comes''); ''comté'' is the Gallo-Romance form of the word 'county' (Latin: ''comitatus''). Comte or Comté may refer to: * A count in French, from Latin ''comes'' * A ...

de Lassan, a minor aristocrat in possession of a large estate house and farm fallen on hard times. Lucille herself bore the title of Vicomtesse. Her father was killed during the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

and was succeeded in his title by her older brother Henri Lassan. Her brother soon renounced his title in the face of further persecutions and later joined Napoleon's army as an officer. This left Lucille and her mother, the Dowager Countess, to run the estate. During the Napoleonic wars, Lucille married the son of a French general, a cavalry officer named Xavier Castineau. However, he soon after died in Russia, forcing Lucille to move back into the Lassan home. After Napoleon's defeat by the British, Henri also returned home and made arrangements to marry. Unfortunately, both Henri and her mother were murdered soon afterwards by thugs of French spymaster

, trying to prevent Lassan from revealing Ducos's own treachery to Richard Sharpe. Lucille was left alone on the farm. When Sharpe afterwards came to seek out her brother, Lucille mistakenly shot him with a large

blunderbuss The blunderbuss is a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity or caliber. The blunderbuss is commonly consid ...

, wounding Sharpe. Realising her mistake, she took him and his friend William Frederickson in for several months. While Sharpe recuperated, Frederickson became interested in Lucille, but when he proposed, she turned him down. Frederickson left to pursue their original investigation and Sharpe took a hand in helping Lucille on the farm. During this solitude, Sharpe learned to speak French and the two became lovers (leading to Sharpe's permanent estrangement from Frederickson). After travelling to Italy to defeat Ducos, Sharpe returned to the Lassan estate permanently. Lucille bore Sharpe a son, Patrick-Henri (named for her brother and for Sharpe's friend,

), who was still an infant at the time of the

Waterloo Campaign The Waterloo campaign (15 June – 8 July 1815) was fought between the French Army of the North (France), Army of the North and two Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied army and a Prussian army. Initially the French army was commanded by ...

. In 1819, Sharpe was still living on the farm with Lucille, who had born him a second child, a daughter named Dominique. Both children carried the Lassan name. According to Henri-Patrick, Sharpe and Lucille never married formally. Probably this was because Sharpe's English wife, Jane Gibbons, did not predecease him and he could not afford a legal divorce. Later in 1861, Patrick-Henri Lassan, by then a lieutenant-colonel in the French Cavalry and liaison to the Union Army during the US Civil War in Cornwell's

Starbuck Chronicles The Starbuck Chronicles are a series of historical fiction novels by British author Bernard Cornwell set during the American Civil War. They follow the exploits of Boston-born Confederate officer Nathaniel Starbuck. Four novels have been written ...

reported that Lucille was still alive and well but lonely – implying that by this time Sharpe is dead. In the Carlton UK

, Lucille was portrayed by

Cécile Paoli Cécile Paoli is a French actress who is also well known on British television from the series '' Sharpe'', '' Bergerac'', and ''Holby City''. She starred as Françoise in a four-part television BBC mini-series in 1980 of the H.E. Bates novel, ...

. However, in the original episode

, the series departed from the novels' continuity and reported that she had died of fever around 1817.

Pierre Ducos

Pierre Ducos is a French

secret agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

and alongside

is Sharpe's most bitter and persistent enemy through the later novels. Ducos' exact origins are unclear. It appears he was born in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

sometime in the 1770s, of fairly humble background. How he became involved in the world of

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...

is not revealed, though he is described as a zealous revolutionary, and his rise occurred during the

French Revolution of 1789 The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

and the Terror that followed it. He was a protégé of

Joseph Fouché Joseph Fouché, 1st Duc d'Otrante, 1st Comte Fouché (, 21 May 1759 – 25 December 1820) was a French statesman, revolutionary, and Minister of Police under First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte, who later became a subordinate of Emperor Napoleon. He ...

, the notorious

secret police Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of a ...

man of the revolutionary period. Following this he came into the service of the young

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

, who was to crown himself

Emperor of the French Emperor of the French ( French: ''Empereur des Français'') was the title of the monarch and supreme ruler of the First and the Second French Empires. Details A title and office used by the House of Bonaparte starting when Napoleon was procl ...

in 1804. Until he first met Sharpe his schemes were largely successful and he is well regarded by his Imperial Master who entrusted him with matters of great importance, posting him to Spain to resolve what Napoleon described as the "Spanish Ulcer". As an example of his talent he is said to have bribed the Spanish commander of the strategic city of

to hand the keys of the garrison to the French. Ducos possesses a book listing a number of enemy officers,

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, whom he crosses out when they have been killed. He possesses a fervent hope that one day all the names in his book will be crossed out. Sharpe is already listed when their paths cross in 1812, during the events of Sharpe's Battle and in the following months Ducos comes to regard Sharpe as his

nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...

, as the latter thwarts several plans to change the course of the war in Spain, particularly by defeating a surprise French invasion of Portugal in the winter of 1812, during which Sharpe had personally insulted Ducos and broken his

spectacles Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples o ...

(

). In 1813 Ducos finally captures Sharpe and tortures him, destroying Sharpe's

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...

(a gift from

) in retaliation for his own smashed spectacles. Sharpe is rescued by the intervention of a former lover, Helene Leroux and escapes after the accidental destruction of the castle. In 1814, with acute foresight Ducos anticipates the fall of Napoleon and in its wake decides to betray the cause he has served so zealously for years. He steals the Imperial jewels and treasury, in the process implicating Sharpe in the crime and retires to the comfort of a villa in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. Unfortunately, he is once again bested by Sharpe, who escapes from custody, captures him and takes him back to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

to face execution by firing squad; as with Hakeswill, Sharpe chooses to hand Ducos to the proper authorities for justice, rather than killing his enemy himself. Ducos is described as short, his face scarred by

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

. Weak and timid when physically confronted, he claims to detest ‘unnecessary violence’ and is indifferent to the suffering of others. He is despised and feared by many of his colleagues, who nonetheless obey and respect him because of the enormous influence he wields. Until his final betrayal of Napoleon, Ducos seems entirely motivated by his dedication to the ideals of the French Revolution, continuing to use the French Republican Calendar long after it has been abandoned by his fellow countrymen (

). He has no personal friends and shows no sexual interest in women or in men, although is not entirely asexual, as in Sharpe's Battle it is said that he visits prostitutes. In the TV adaptations Ducos was played by

Féodor Atkine Féodor Atkine is a French actor of Russian-Polish origin, born on 27 February 1948 in Paris. A screen performer, he has participated in numerous plays, films and television series in France and abroad. Life and career Féodor Atkine was born ...

Henri-Patrick Lassan

Henri-Patrick Lassan is Richard Sharpe and Lucille Castineau's son, born in 1814. He first appears in ''

'' as an infant, whom Lucille has brought to

while waiting for Sharpe to return from the

. He is named for Lucille's murdered brother, Henri, and Sharpe's best friend,

. He later appears as a boy of five in the prologue of ''

'', taking place in the summer of 1819. The adult Henri-Patrick is a recurring character in Bernard Cornwell's ''

'', taking place during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, when he is in his late forties. He has adopted the surname Lassan (Lucille's maiden name), and admits that he severely disappointed his father by electing to join the French cavalry forces instead of the British Army. Wielding his father's

Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry sword The Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry sword was the sword used by the British heavy cavalry (Lifeguards, Royal Horse Guards, Dragoon Guards and Dragoons), and King's German Legion Dragoons, through most of the period of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic W ...

, he would go on to serve in both Austria and the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

, losing an eye during his service, albeit rising to the rank of Chasseur Colonel in the

Cavalry. Posted to the United States by the French government as a neutral observer, he voluntarily attaches himself to

J.E.B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

cavalry.

German

Lossow

Captain Lossow first appears in

. He is a cavalry Captain in the King's German Legion, and one of the few people Sharpe considers a friend. He rode a horse named Thor, so called because it "could bite a man's face off or beat an enemy down with its hooves." Sharpe and Lossow first met in 1810, Lossow recognizing Sharpe's name after the capture of the French Imperial Eagle during the

. Later, Lossow's squadron would save Sharpe and the South Essex Light Company from an attack by French Lancers. In Almeida, Lossow and his sergeant Helmut stood by as Sharpe set off the powder trail leading to the city's powder magazine. Lossow would re-appear during the events of

, during the

in 1812. While Sharpe was convalescing from his wounds, Lossow gifted a crate of stone-bottled beer. Lossow's squadron - accompanied by Sharpe, Harper, and Major Hogan - would then take part in the

Battle of García Hernández In the Battle of García Hernández on 23 July 1812, two brigades of Anglo-German cavalry led by Major-General Eberhardt Otto George von Bock defeated 4,000 French infantry led by Major-General Maximilien Foy. In what would otherwise have be ...

, breaking through the French squares in pursuit of Colonel Leroux. Whether or not Lossow survived the Battle is left unanswered.

Helmut

Helmut first appears in

. He is a sergeant in the

King's German Legion The King's German Legion (KGL; german: Des Königs Deutsche Legion, semantically erroneous obsolete German variations are , , ) was a British Army unit of mostly expatriated German personnel during the period 1803–16. The legion achieved th ...

cavalry, under the command of Captain Lossow. He is described as small and squat with bow-legs, but Patrick Harper claims him to be "a one-man army." During the events of

, Helmut was among the cavalry that saved Sharpe and the South Essex Light Company from a French Lancer attack, taught swordsmanship to Teresa Moreno, and assisted Sharpe and Harper in setting off the powder magazine in Almeida.

Anthony Pohlmann

Anthony Pohlmann was born in Hanover, and joined the East India Company army, rising to the rank of sergeant. Before the events of ''

'', Pohlmann deserted the East India Company and joined the forces of the Maratha Prince

Daulat Scindia Shrimant Daulat Rao Shinde (also Sindhia; 1779 – 21 March 1827) was the Maharaja (ruler) of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. His reign coincided with struggles for supremacy within the Maratha Empire, and war ...

, where he rose to the rank of colonel. When Sharpe and Colonel McCandless try to return Madame Lucille Joubert to her husband in Pohlmann's regiment, Pohlmann gives the two men a tour of his forces, and even attempts to recruit Sharpe into Scindia's army with the promise of a lieutenancy. When McCandless is wounded by a thief hired by William Dodd, Pohlmann has the thief trampled to death by one of his elephants. At the

, Pohlmann is given overall command of Daulat Scindia's forces. Pohlmann planned to trap Major General Arthur Wellesley's forces at what he thought were the only usable fords of the River Kaitna, but General Wellesley surprises him by crossing an unknown ford and flanking the Maratha forces. After the Maratha forces flee in disarray, Pohlmann re-dons his East India Company uniform and runs into Sharpe, though Sharpe lets him go. Pohlmann would reappear in ''

'', traveling under the pseudonym of "Baron von Dornberg". He and Sharpe sail back to Europe on the ''Calliope'', commanded by Captain Peculiar Cromwell. When the ''Calliope'' is attacked by the French 74-gunner ''Revenant'', both Pohlmann and Captain Cromwell abscond with Sharpe's collection of jewels aboard the ''Revenant''. This turns out to be what Pohlmann had intended to happen, allowing him and his servant (a secret French agent) to sail to Paris on the ''Revenant'' to deliver a treaty from the Maratha princes to the French Government, and send weapons to continue the uprisings against the British in India. During the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

, the ''Revenant'' is attacked by the HMS ''Pucelle'' under the command of Captain Joel Chase, and Pohlmann is killed by a cannonball. Anthony Pohlmann was inspired by a real-life historical figure of the same name who led Daulat Scindia's forces during the Battle of Assaye. However, the real Anthony Pohlmann re-joined the East India Company as a lieutenant colonel in 1804.

Spanish

Teresa Moreno

Teresa Moreno (died 27 December 1813) is a fictional character in the novels of

. She is a Spanish

partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...

and the first wife of Richard Sharpe. Teresa Moreno is the daughter of wealthy Spanish border landowner and one time partisan Cesar Moreno. She first appears in

, in the aftermath of a French attack on the village of Casteljada, in which her brother Ramon is tortured and she herself raped. This, in addition to the earlier rape and murder of her mother by the French, fuels her desire for revenge and led to her becoming a leader of a guerrilla force, with the

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

"La Aguja", or "The Needle", after the stiletto knife which is her weapon of choice. Sharpe takes Teresa hostage to ensure the safety of his men as they escape from the partisan El Catolico. They fall in love, despite Teresa's engagement to El Catolico and form an alliance which delivers to Sharpe the Spanish gold he has been tasked to collect and grants to Teresa leadership of the partisans. The couple are separated for over a year, until Teresa finds Sharpe in the aftermath of the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo and reveals that she has given birth to their daughter Antonia, in the French held city of

( Sharpe's Company). The British are about to

besiege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

the city and Sharpe is determined to be first over the wall to protect his new family. He is foiled by his bitter enemy

, who plans to rape and murder Teresa. Sharpe and his close friend Sergeant

only just arrive in time to prevent the crime. Teresa and Sharpe are married the next morning. Eighteen months later Teresa and her partisans are involved with Sharpe in an operation to remove a murderous gang of

, including Hakeswill, from a remote mountain village. Hakeswill escapes and murders Teresa (

). Her daughter is adopted by Teresa's brother, Ramon and, as far as is known, never meets her father again. In the TV adaptations, she was portrayed by

Assumpta Serna María Asunción Rodés Serna (born 16 September 1957), better known as Assumpta Serna, is a Spanish actress and author. Born in Barcelona, Serna has performed in 20 countries in six languages and is the recipient of more than 20 international ...

Don Blas Vivar

Captain-General Don Blas Vivar first appears in Sharpe's Rifles as a Major. He is described as a deeply religious man, he is very conservative, a believer in honor, he is the rare creature: an honest man. He earns Sharpe's respect. In

he is reported missing while serving as Captain-General of Chile. Louisa approaches Sharpe about going to Chile to find out his fate. Sharpe assumes he is going to the new world to bring back a corpse, but the facts were much stranger than his assumptions. Don Blas had met with rebels under a flag of truce thinking they wanted to treat with him, they had mistaken him for his Francophile brother, however, and assumed he'd be interested in a plot to free Napoleon. When they discovered their error, they held him prisoner on a remote island while their plots played out. He was shocked and dismayed that anyone would so abuse the flag of truce and stated his intention to retire from service in a world he no longer understood.

Portuguese

Ferragus

Ferragus is a fictional character who features in the Richard Sharpe novels by

. Ferragus is the brother of a corrupt Portuguese Major who both sold supplies to the French. Ferragus was killed by French musket fire during a fist fight with Sharpe. He is described as being built like a prize fighter and tattooed like a sailor as well as being broader and taller than Harper.

Ferreira

Major Ferreira is a fictional character who features in the Richard Sharpe novels by

. A corrupt Portuguese Major who sold supplies to the French but was eventually detained by Sharpe and his men. He is described as being tall with a carefully trimmed moustache.Cornwell, B. 2004: Sharpe's Escape. Great Britain: HarperCollins, p. 10.

Josefina LaCosta

Portuguese by birth, Josefina LaCosta is to married a nobleman, Duarte, who has fled to South America in the aftermath of the French invasion in 1808, abandoning his wife. She is, however, happy to find herself unencumbered and seeking a wealthy man to provide her with a life of luxury and excitement. She first appears in ''

'', attaching herself to

Christian Gibbons, the nephew of

Sir

, commander of the

. Richard Sharpe, temporarily attached to the South Essex, desires LaCosta, which fuels his growing

feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...

with the arrogant Gibbons. This feud breaks into the open after Gibbons and LaCosta come to blows over a game of cards; Gibbons claims that LaCosta "staked her body" on the next hand, then lost and refused to pay the debt, while LaCosta claims that she was winning and Gibbons attacked her. Sharpe steps in to protect LaCosta from Gibbons and his crony, John Berry. He takes her into his protection and they become lovers, but he is forced to borrow heavily from his friend, Major Michael Hogan to pay for her room and board. Gibbons, smarting over Sharpe's

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

promotion to

, attempts to provoke Sharpe into a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

by raping and beating LaCosta, with Berry's help. Sharpe takes revenge by killing both men in the confusion of the battlefield. LaCosta deserts Sharpe for a wealthy cavalry officer, Claude Hardy, souring Sharpe's pleasure in his capture of the

, during the

. In ''

'', after Hardy is murdered by a treacherous band of Spanish partisans, in 1810, Sharpe seeks out LaCosta in

and discovers she has set herself up in business as a

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...

. He is happy to buy her services, despite his growing attachment to

, his future wife. LaCosta reappears in ''

'', taking place in 1812, as the supposed wife of Lt. Colonel Sir Augustus Farthingdale, a prominent British

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

. Sharpe is detailed to rescue "Lady Farthingdale" when she is taken hostage by a gang of

led by Sharpe's

, in a remote village on the Portuguese border. When Sharpe discovers that a substantial French force is approaching the village, he blackmails Farthingdale into resigning command, by threatening to reveal the nature of the fake marriage and LaCosta's former profession. With Farthingdale removed, Sharpe is able to hold the border crossing against the French until reinforcements arrive, but in the last moments of the siege, Hakeswill escapes and murders Sharpe's own wife, Teresa. Sharpe is devastated by his loss, the more so because Teresa had caught him flirting with LaCosta only hours before her death. Meanwhile, Farthingdale returns home to England, deciding that LaCosta is too great a liability to him. When LaCosta writes, bitterly reprimanding Sharpe for his betrayal of her secret and the destruction of her financial future, Sharpe remains unmoved. In the

, Josefina LaCosta appears only in

, played by

Katia Caballero Katia is a feminine given name. It is a variant of Katya. Notable people with this name Actresses and models *Katia Dandoulaki, Greek actress *Katia Margaritoglou, Greek fashion model and beauty contestant *Katia Winter (born 1983), Swedish ...

. Several changes were made to her history which made her a more sympathetic character. She is a widow, rather than separated and is courted in earnest by Lt. Gibbons (who, unlike his sadistic counterpart in the novels, is more of a clod), but is drawn to Sharpe, as a genuinely honorable man. When Gibbons attacks her after suborning her maids, she is protected by Sharpe but they do not become lovers, due to the presence of Teresa Moreno in the story, sometime before the couple meet in the novel continuity. Sharpe kills one of her attackers, John Berry, but not Gibbons, who is disgraced along with his Uncle, Sir Henry Simmerson, by the latter's cowardice during the Battle of Talavera. Josefina becomes attached to Captain Thomas Leroy, an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

on Simmerson's staff and another honorable soldier. LaCosta does not appear in the television adaptations of

; her role in that story is taken by an original character with a similar backstory and a previous liaison with Sharpe, Lady Isabella Farthingdale, played by

Elizabeth Hurley Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model. As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997) and as the Devil in '' Bedazzled'' (2 ...

. Ironically, although Sharpe does not commit

adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...

with LaCosta in the novel, he does sleep with Isabella Farthingdale in the film.

Jorge Vicente

Jorge Vicente first encounters Richard Sharpe in the aftermath of the first Battle of Oporto in March 1809, when both men are cut off from their respective armies – Sharpe and his

from the British,

Vicente with a handful of men from the Portuguese 18th (2nd Oporto) Line Infantry. Vicente is a studious and idealistic young man, who prior to the French invasion of

studied law at

University of Coimbra The University of Coimbra (UC; pt, Universidade de Coimbra, ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coi ...

. His passionate adherence to the rules of war bring him into frequent conflict with Sharpe, but the two men discover a mutual respect as they work and fight together in the weeks leading up to the

second Battle of Porto The Second Battle of Porto, also known as the Battle of the Douro or the Crossing of the Douro, was a battle in which General Arthur Wellesley's Anglo-Portuguese Army defeated Marshal Soult's French troops on 12 May 1809 and took back the ...

(

). This is fully vindicated the following year, when both men fight at the

Battle of Bussaco The Battle of Buçaco () or Bussaco, fought on 27 September 1810 during the Peninsular War in the Portuguese mountain range of Serra do Buçaco, resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. Having o ...

, and are again cut off together behind enemy lines in

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...

. Vicente, now

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the ''atirador'' company in a Portuguese

caçadores The Caçadores (hunters) were the elite light infantry troops of the Portuguese Army, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Units of ''Caçadores'' – with features somewhat different from the original ones – continued to exist in the P ...

regiment, has matured into an able soldier, without losing his innate optimism. Vicente's admiration of Sharpe is expressed in his decision to lead a company of

sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" i ...

s in the Portuguese Army's newly formed

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...

regiment (deliberately modeled after the British

, Sharpe's own regiment), and his adoption of many of Sharpe's personal idiosyncrasies, including carrying a

1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword The Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry sword was the sword used by the British heavy cavalry (Lifeguards, Royal Horse Guards, Dragoon Guards and Dragoons), and King's German Legion Dragoons, through most of the period of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic W ...

instead of the lighter sword or curved sabre usually carried by light infantry, and a

, with which he has become expert after assiduous practice. He also confides to Sharpe that he married Kate Savage, the daughter and heiress of an English

port wine Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi- ...

producer, whom he and Sharpe rescued during the French's retreat from Oporto. By the time of Bussaco, she has already given birth to their first child, a daughter. (

).Vincente does not feature in any of the TV adaptations.

Indian

Mary Bickerstaff

Mary Bickerstaff first appears in the novel

. Part British part Indian Mary Bickerstaff grew up in the Calcutta barracks with her British Father and Mother Aruna. After her parents' death from disease she married sergeant Jem Bickerstaff from the 33rd Regiment of Foot who later died of

after the regiment transferred to

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

from

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. Becoming a widow at age 22 she fell under the wing of Private Sharpe pushing him to be a sergeant. Mary leaves with Sharpe and William Lawford on their mission to Seringapatam to act as a translator and to escape from Captain Morris and Sergeant Hakeswill who plotted to kidnap her and sell her as a forced prostitute. While at Seringapatam Mary was separated from Sharpe and was sent to general Appah Rao's house where she burned her western clothes and switched to a

sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...

which led to Sharpe's failure to recognize Mary at their first meeting. After being interrogated by Appah Rao, Mary is given a pistol which she then gives to Sharpe to aid in his escape from the

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...

. Mary falls in love with Appah Rao's bodyguard Kunwar Singh later marrying Kunwar and Mary chooses to stay in Seringapatam after the siege.

American

Cornelius Killick

Cornelius Killick appeared in the novel

. He hails from

Marblehead, Massachusetts Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, along the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsula that extends ...

, and captains the American

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

''Thuella''. While transporting a cargo of French cannon for the United States Army during the

, ''Thuella'' was attacked by a British frigate, and was forced to seek refuge in the Bassin d'Arcachon, under the guns of the Teste de Buche fort. In exchange for supplies for repairs, Killick came under the employ of the French Intelligence Officer Major Pierre Ducos, spying on British activities further south at St Jean de Luz. When a force commanded by Royal Navy Captain Horace Bampfylde attacked the Teste de Buche, Killick's crew set up defenses on a nearby ridge, driving off an attack by Bampfylde's Royal Marines. However, a ruse by Major Richard Sharpe took the Teste de Buche by surprise, and a company of the 60th Rifles under command of Captain William Frederickson forced Killick and his men to surrender. Captain Bampfylde intended to hang Killick and his crew, however quick thinking on the part of Frederickson and Sharpe saved Killick and his men, and set them free on an oath of non-aggression. After the Royal Navy abandoned the Teste de Buche, Killick's crew worked on repairing the ''Thuella'', all the while Sharpe and Frederickson kept a tenuous hold on the Teste de Buche with a handful of riflemen and wounded Royal Marines. Aware of Sharpe's situation, Killick warned of an impending French attack, and hinted about a nearby stash of oyster shells, which could be burned to make

quicklime Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline, crystalline solid at room temperature. The broadly used term "''lime''" connotes calcium-containing inorganic ma ...

. Use of the quicklime allowed Sharpe's men to hold off a preliminary attack by French forces under General Calvet. Afterwards, Killick was summoned by General Calvet and asked to attack the British forces with the ''Thuella''. Killick declined, of course, due to his non-aggression oath, but blackmail and threat of arrest from Major Ducos forced Killick to go against the oath. The morning of the attack, Killick's guns fired high, and Sharpe, recognizing Killick, surrendered the fort to him. Sharpe and his men were evacuated onto the ''Thuella'' as Calvet's forces made one final attack on the Teste de Buche. Killick dropped Sharpe's forces off close to British lines, and in parting, offered Sharpe plenty of brandy should he ever visit Marblehead, Massachusetts.

References

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