[ADS- L] Ev id ence for DECIMATE   ( 'one in ten')

Douglas G. Wilson douglas at NB.NET
Tue Jan 8 18:25:21 UTC 2008


Here's a good one, slightly late maybe:

http://books.google.com/books?id=nBlCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA236&dq=%22not+quite+decimated%22&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0

1887: <<Upon counting our losses we found with surprise that only
twenty-four of the regiment had been killed or wounded during the
day. .... ... perhaps not more than two hundred and fifty stood in
the charging battle line. In an assault which to those in the flame
of it gave promise of extermination, we were not quite decimated.>>

-- Doug Wilson


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