According to internal chronology, the 5th book in the Richard Sharpe series. It takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1807 when Sharpe is tasked with protecting an aide to the Duke of York, but becomes part of the Bombardment of Copenhagen. At the end of the novel, when the South Essex is positioned on the British flank during the Battle of Talavera, Simmerson panics and starts to withdraw the regiment, before he is ignominiously relieved from his post by William Lawford. Only after the murder of Knowles and Hakeswill's threat to kill his infant daughter, does Sharpe seek Hakeswill's death and even then chooses to bring him to justice within the formal structures of the British Army. He feels that Hakeswill has victimised so many people that their families deserve to know that Hakeswill died after a fair legal process. Rifleman Smith first appeared in Sharpe's Battle [18] however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto [4] and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Smith fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Gold and also partook in Sharpe's Escape during the battle of Bussaco. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in Sharpe's Sword but he wasn't mentioned. Smith went onto fight alongside Sharpe in Sharpe's Enemy but he wasn't mentioned at all. Smith wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Smith did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Hogan is clearly proud of his Irish heritage and for many years carried around a small box of earth around with him, so that if he died he could be buried in 'Irish soil' ( Sharpe's Battle).

The novels record at least four unsuccessful attempts by Sharpe and/or Harper to kill Hakeswill, which lend weight to the latter's conviction that he cannot die:In the TV series, he is a rifleman, one of Sharpe's Chosen Men or lance corporals and is played by Jason Salkey. In Sharpe's Rifles, he claims to be from Wheatley, Oxfordshire. This is contradicted in the novel Sharpe's Havoc, written after the television adaptations, where Harris tells Sharpe he is from Lichfield, "where Samuel Johnson came from".

Taking command of a regiment in driving off the advance of the French Imperial Guard at the Battle of Waterloo (the regiments who actually held off the Imperial Guard are in the novel as well); Rifleman Ben Perkins is a fictional character in the Richard Sharpe stories written by Bernard Cornwell. Rifleman Ben Perkins also appeared in episodes of the Sharpe television series, played by Lyndon Davies. Storming the walls of the inner fortress at Gawilghur and opening the gates to the besieging forces (in reality, this was achieved by Captain Campbell leading the light company of the 94th Scotch Brigade; in the novel, Campbell and his troops are the first to join Sharpe once they realise what he's planning); Although Sharpe escapes with "only" 202 of the assigned 2000 lashes after an intervention by Sir Arthur Wellesley, Hakeswill continues to pursue a vendetta against him for the next three years, during which he betrays Sharpe and Lawford to Tipoo Sultan ( Sharpe's Tiger), falsifies a second assault charge and murders Sharpe's friend and mentor Hector McCandless ( Sharpe's Triumph). He later kidnaps Sharpe and sells him to a corrupt merchant and finally deserts to join the turncoat William Dodd at Gawilghur in Sharpe's Fortress. After Gawilghur was captured by Major General Arthur Wellesley, Hakeswill rejoined the British forces. At one point, he also served in the Fever Islands, where he contracted Yellow fever, the result of which stained his skin yellow.Saving Arthur Wellesley's life at the Battle of Assaye (Wellesley was unhorsed and forced to defend himself from Maratha artillerymen for a few crucial moments; Cornwell notes that if any soldier or officer had saved his life during this fight, he would almost certainly have rewarded him with a promotion); Harper is flogged during the siege of Badajoz as a result of the machinations of Sharpe's enemy Obadiah Hakeswill. He enjoys a successful second career in Dublin as a horse dealer (many of which are stolen) and owner of a public house. His first name is never revealed in the series and in fact a joke is made of this in his final scene, with Hagman asking him what it is.