John Bemrose

University of Tampa Press

John Bemrose came from England to the U.S. in September 1831. When he enlisted in the army on November 1, he was 18 years old and gave his occupation as chemist. He was assigned to the Second Regiment of Artillery, and found himself in Florida in the midst of the Second Seminole War. This record of his service is unique in having been written by an enlisted man in an era when few enlisted men were literate. His recollections of the everyday life and military and medical struggles are fresh and insightful.