Chapters 23-25 Summary

The chapter opens from the perspective of Simmerson. He thinks that the war is already lost, and that command of the British forces should have been given to him instead of generals like Wellesley. While Simmerson is thinking about the upcoming battle and how unfair it is that his self-proclaimed military brilliance is not recognized, he concocts a plan to save his battalion and bring himself glory. He orders his battalion to march away from their formations and away from the upcoming battle. This action defies orders and leaves the rest of the British forces in a vulnerable position.

Simmerson believes that when the rest of the British forces are destroyed, his will be the only remaining force and he will get the recognition and the command he believes he deserves. Sharpe sees the rest of the South Essex moving away...