Sharpe: Major Richard Sharpe, South Essex. Lord Wellington has chosen me to be your tactical advisor.
Kiely: Drill sergeant, you mean.
Sharpe: I give lessons in killing, too…Lord Kiely wants you to know that my job is to teach you how to be soldiers, not parade ground soldiers, but battlefield soldiers.
(Takes musket from Irish soldier)
Look at it, a piece of lumber, you couldn’t fire the thing in a month of Fridays. But you can still kill with it. And the best person to kill on a battlefield is always the enemy officer. Remember that. Kill them first, then the sergeants and after that, you can kill any poor bastard you want. But if you’ve shot your ball, then what you do, is turn the musket and club the buggery out of the horses mouth. I guarantee the horse will throw its rider. And when the overpaid, overdressed monkey sitting on it hits the turf you can finish him off, while he is still stunned. Have you ever seen that done Sgt Harper?
Harper: I have seen it done well, sir.
Sharpe: Have you ever done it yourself?
Harper: More times than I can count.
Sharpe: And were they all Frog officers?… Of course they weren’t. We’ve killed officers in blue coats, red coats, even officers in white coats. Because I don’t care what army an officer fights for, what color coat he wears or what king he serves. A bad officer is better off dead and a good soldier had better learn how to kill him. Ain’t that right Sgt Harper?
Harper: Right as rain, sir.
Sharpe: Listen hard, gentlemen. I know every skiving, dishonest, malingering army trick there is. How’s that? Because I started off where you did, in the ranks. Remember that. My name is Sharpe, Major Sharpe, and I’m going to teach you to be soldiers.
”- Sharpe’s Battle (via apathlonglost)