Q: "Leaguer" in Cooper's title?

[Jonathan Lighter]

Doesn't the subtitle just "The Siege of Boston"?  That does seem to be the
setting.

JL

On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 5:09 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Q:  "Leaguer" in Cooper's title?
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> James Fenimore Cooper's title is _Lionel Lincoln: or, The Leaguer of
> Boston_.  I don't find an applicable sense in the OED for "leaguer,
> n.1"  The OED has senses of "1. A military camp, esp. one engaged in
> a siege; an investing force." and " 2. A military investment,
> siege."  But nothing that applies to a person.  Does Cooper's title
> require such a sense?
>
> I am also waiting until I reach the end of the novel to see whether
> Cooper can fairly call Lincoln a "leaguer".  So far he has been only
> a major in  the King's service, so he cannot be characterized as a
> participant in a siege; rather, he is among the besieged in
> Boston.  But Lincoln has now seemingly gone outside the British
> lines, so perhaps he joins the besieging rebels later.
>
> Joel
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