"Voices from the ranks were seldom" were seldom heard according to Barry Johnson and most only deal with the period of military service. Jacob Howarth was born in Blackburn, Lancashire in 1853, he would run away to see the world and end up enlisting in the U.S. army in 1871 and was then assigned to the Company F, 11th U.S. Infantry, who were serving in Texas. He only served five years but had no regrets and returned to his native country in late November1876 having achieved the rank of sergeant. In 1926 he wrote by request what he himself described as "a simple and truthful narrative of events [in Texas] ... without colouring of any kind."