unremitting privation and bloody endeavour: until the French were forced to sign the armistice of 1814 and Napoleon was banished to Elba.
Kincaid experienced extreme hunger, thirst, fatigue and exhaustion, killed enemies hand-to-hand, was wounded several times, and endured great hardships as well as knowing great joy, comradeship and good times. He also witnessed many acts of heroism, barbaric cruelty and great kindness, all of which he committed to paper in his classic military account "Adventures with the Rifle Brigade.” (Published 1830)
As is known, Napoleon escaped from and mounted his last desperate effort to re-establish his position as emperor of the continent of Europe. This led to the ultimate confrontation at Waterloo, and the Rifle Brigade was prominent in the carnage that ensued. Indeed, John Kincaid had his horse shot four times, the last musket-ball killing it; he himself was badly wounded; and, having seen so many of his comrades cut down he wondered, he wrote, as he lay on the battlefield, half-blinded by the smoke and flame all around, whether Waterloo would indeed be the battle in which everybody on both sides would be killed.
After five years of fighting, for which he was decorated many times, he was promoted to the rank of captain in 1826.
Kincaid retired from the army in 1831 and and wrote his second book, "Random Shots of a Rifleman".
He served for a period as Superintendent of the Bridewell House of Correction in London.
On 25th October 1844, at the age of 57, he was made an officer (or "Exon") of the Yeomen of the Guard.
In 1847, Kincaid was appointed government inspector of prisons for Scotland, and in 1850 Sir George Grey - subsequently to be Prime Minister of New Zealand - added to his responsibilities by making him inspector of factories in Scotland also.
In the 1850's the subscription list assembled by the Provost of Falkirk to
