In 1809, Sir Arthur Wellesley, commander of the British forces in the Iberian Peninsula, prepares to invade French-controlled Spain. He orders Lieutenant Richard Sharpe and his band of "chosen men" to accompany the arrogantly incompetent, newly arrived Sir Henry Simmerson and his South Essex Regiment on a small, but significant mission to destroy a bridge vital to French troop movements. Simmerson, his nephew Lieutenant Gibbons (Neil Dudgeon) and Lieutenant Berry (Daniel Craig) despise Sharpe for his low birth. However, Major Lennox (David Ashton), who knew Sharpe from their days in India, and American-born Captain Leroy (Gavan O'Herlihy) appreciate his military skill and sense of honour.