The exploits of a brigadier in the Napoleonic army, written by Arthur Conan Doyle as another serial in the Strand Magazine. Roughly equal parts heroic adventure and humour. I'd seen this recommended as an earlier analogue of the Flashman books -- except that while Gerard ends up acting much like Flashman, it's usually out of idiocy rather than malice...
It's maybe worth noting that the collections on PG aren't in the order of original publication -- not that it matters very much after the first couple!
Available online as Project Gutenberg book 11247.