Grant Took Richmond (1920)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

Subj:   Grant Took Richmond (1920)
Date:   12/22/2003 9:15:52 PM Eastern Standard Time
From:   Bapopik
To: ADS-L at listserv.uga.edu



   Yesterday's Dallas Cowboys (my team) victory over the New York Giants
marked an interesting turnaround for both football teams.  Giants coach Jim
Fassell had been told he won't be back.
   In 1999, George Thompson (NYU Bobst librarian to the stars--I mean the
Olsen Twins) posted this:

This past weekend one of NYC's local pro football teams was whipped 50 to 21.
 The NYTimes quoted the coach as saying afterwards "they went right through
us like Grant took Richmond". . . .  (NYTimes,September 21, 1999, p. D4, col.
2)  This is an old and familiar phrase to me, having heard it often from my
father in the 1950s,though he would phrase it more consistently, eg., "he took
him likeGrant took Richmond."  Presumably this expression dates to when the
Civil War was still a living memory -- it's hard to believe that itwas coined by
some history buff and taken up by a generation that wouldn't have understood
the allusion.  Still, I don't find it in The Making of America.  The other
source I checked was the RLIN cooperative library catalog, which showed a
screenplay from 1949:Miss Grant Takes Richmond, by Nat Perrin and Frank Tashlin.  Is it
possible that it originates with some piece of mid-20th century popular
culture?  I would expect Gone with the Wind to have given us*"like Sherman took
Atlanta".Any thoughts?

My apologies to our southern correspondents if this awakens painful memories

.GAT


   I looked at the SPORTING NEWS, without luck.  AUGUSTA ARCHIVES didn't have
anything early.  ANCESTRY helped.  There are over 1,000 hits; I didn't check
all of them, but the following looks like a nationwide ad.  The phrase is no
later than 1920.


   5 October 1920, FAYETTEVILLE DEMOCRAT (Fayetteville, Arkansas), pg. 6?,
col. 1 ad:

Constance Talmadge
"The Love Expert"
A John Emerson
Anita Loos
Production

She knew her soul mate the moment she clasped hands with him, but ot get him
she first had to marry off his entire family.  Talk about a miracle worker,
Zowie!  Old ones or cold ones, longs or blondes, veterans or youngsters, she
matched 'em like Grant took RIchmond.