"The last war fought between gentlemen"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Irrelevant? Or the source of the  legend?

1950 Frank O'Connor _Leinster, Munster and Connaught_  (London: R. Hale) 21
[GB snippet]: Behind Whig and Tory in England was the background of a Civil
War fought by gentlemen. Behind them in Ireland was the background of a
Cromwellian conquest carried out with a diabolism for which there are,
thank God, few parallels in history.

Irishman O'Connor was very widely read.
JL


On Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 10:13 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "The last war fought between gentlemen"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Get ready to laugh:
>
> 1987 Stephen Birmingham _America's Secret Aristocracy_   (Rpt. N.Y.:
> Berkley 1989) 47 [GB snippet]: I like to think it is because World War One
> was the last war that was fought by gentlemen.
>
> Birmingham quotes the opinion from somone else.
>
> JL
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 8:38 AM, Garson O'Toole
> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: "The last war fought between gentlemen"
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Charles C Doyle wrote:
> > >
> > > There's this remarkable statement from the clueless pen of another
> > Englishman:
> > >
> > > <<  I never heard of any ill-feeling between the North and South after
> > your Civil War; but that was the cleanest and most humane war ever
> > fought--a war between gentlemen.  >>
> > >
> > > From Thomas Russell, "Preparations for Peace in England," _Printers'
> > Ink_ 104, no. 6 (8 Aug. 1918): 118.
> > >
> >
> > Yes. We both found that interesting cite, Charlie. There is a similar
> > remark from an American in the post that crossed paths with yours.
> >
> > The 1977 book below has a version of the quote, and it is footnoted
> > with the number 86. I cannot read footnote 86 via the GB database. It
> > might be useful to determine what the footnote says. Or it might be a
> > dead end.
> >
> > Title: The marble man, Robert E. Lee and his image in American society
> > Year: 1977
> > Author: Connelly, Thomas Lawrence
> > Published: New York : Knopf
> > Page: 160
> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > To Dabney, the war was also a fight for Virginia soil, and "the last
> > war fought between gentlemen" ended at Appomattox Court House. 86
> > [End excerpt]
> >
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