Research on War of 1812 private Shadrack Byfield - "From Amputee to Author"
Private Shadrack Byfield of the 41st Foot was an English War of 1812 veteran who buried his own arm, designed a custom prosthesis, and wrote multiple memoirs. My article about him has recently been published in the Journal of British Studies; it's free to read via the link below.
From Amputee to Author: Shadrack Byfield and the Making of a War of 1812 Veteran
doi.org/10.1017/jbr.2025.10169 The University of Cambridge, where I was working when I wrote the article, has put together a short summary of the research: https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/disabled-redcoat-veterans-lost-autobiography-discovered
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Appreciate that write up. I do like to read how former soldiers made out longafter their service was up.