William Surtees commenced his military career in 1795 as a private soldier in the Northumberland Militia. In the following year he volunteered into the 56th Foot, popularly known as the 'Pompadours', and with that regiment he first faced the enemy during the expedition to Holland. Discharged from the 56th in 1802 he again entered service as a private soldier in the Rifle Brigade, a recently formed corps of light-infantry then known as ' the Corps of Riflemen', and it was with this famous regiment-to-be that he was to make his military career, rising by speedy stages to the post of Quartermaster. His service took him to Denmark and the Siege of Copenhagen and to Portugal, Spain and France with Sir John Moore's great Light Division. In 1814 he accompanied General Keane's expedition to the Americas and participated in the unsuccessful attack on New Orleans. With the survivors of that ill-fated campaign he returned to Europe to join the victorious march of the allied armies to Paris. He remained with the Regiment until 1826 when ill-health forced his resignation and retirement to his native Corbridge, in Northumberland, where he resided until his death in May 1830. His story is remarkable for its lucidity and is told with simple and convincing sincerity.