[Ads-l] "a rich man's war and a poor man's fight"

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Fri Jan 6 19:12:13 UTC 2017


JL initiated this thread back on November 27 by presenting a citation
dated March 3, 1863 for the saying in the subject line. Below is a
citation dated February 27, 1863 together with a precursor containing
only "rich man's war" on March 7, 1862.

Date: March 7, 1862
Newspaper: Janesville Daily Gazette (Evening)
Newspaper Location: Janesville, Wisconsin
Article: To-Day's Report (Reported Exclusively for the Daily Gazette)
Quote Page 1, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
One hundred and fifty rebel soldiers recently deserted from Savannah
to General Sherman. When asked why they did it, they replied that they
were tired of fighting in a rich man's war.
[End excerpt]


Date: February 27, 1863
Newspaper: The Liberator
Newspaper Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Article: Union and Emancipation Society of Manchester
(Quote appears in footnote to article)
Quote Page 3 (35), Column 2
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
By a recent act, the conscription in the South includes all men
between 16 and 60 years of age, exemption being granted to the owner
of six slaves, and so in proportion, for every six slaves a male
relation or friend is exempted. General Neal Dow says the people in
the South avow that "this is a rich man's war, but a poor man's
fight."
[End excerpt]

Garson


On Sun, Nov 27, 2016 at 1:49 PM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't see this in YBQ, but that may not mean anything.
>
> 1863 (March 3) in _Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United
> States_ (Washington, D.C.: G.P.O.) 137: General Neal Dow [U.S.A.] says the
> people in the south avow that, "This is a rich man's war, but a poor man's
> fight."
>
> JL
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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