Garnet Joseph Wolseley (1833-1913) was born in Dublin, the eldest son of a Major in the 25th Foot ( King s Own Scottish Borderers). He was commissioned into the 12th Foot, later the Suffolk Regiment, in 1852 and from the point of view of his future career he was fortunate to see plenty of active service in his early years - Second Burma War, Crimea, Indian Mutiny and Second China War. He was in Canada for the better part of ten years and in 1870 he was given command of the Red River expedition; this period in Canada enhanced his reputation considerably. He was very much involved in furthering the aims of the Cardwell reforms of 1871-73. He commanded the expedition to Ashanti in 1873, went to S Africa to restore the position after Isandhlwana . The first part of this memoir which covered his career to 1878 was published in that year, this updated or second edition again covers that period and continues the story to the end of the 1882 expedition to Egypt to relieve Gordon, concluding with the battle of Tel-el-Kebir.