How the Redoubt Was Taken by Prosper Merimee is about the military history relating to Merimee's soldier friend, who fought against the Russians from a French fort. Excerpt: "A friend of mine, a soldier, who died in Greece of fever some years since described to me one day his first engagement. His story so impressed me that I wrote it down from memory. It was as follows: I joined my regiment on September 4th. It was evening. I found the colonel in the camp. He received me rather briskly but having read the general's introductory letter he changed his manner and addressed me courteously. By him, I was presented to my captain, who had just come in from reconnoitering."