[Ads-l] Acknowledgments for Yale Book of Quotations

[Mark Mandel]

How, then, is "Up Guards and At Them!" related to the current exhortation
"Up and at 'em!"?

Mark Mandel

On Wed, Jun 20, 2018 at 4:31 PM, James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com>
wrote:

> I seem to recall a discussion on this list about the quotation "Up Guards
> and At Them!" by Wellington at Waterloo.
>
> I believe that the word "Up" should be interpreted literally.
>
> Wellington had his men take cover behind the top of a ridge when they were
> under long-range enemy fire.  If no ridge were handy, he would have his men
> lie down.  (This was not original with Wellington.  The British had done
> the same thing at the Plains of Abraham in 1759).  Hence it is very likely
> that the Guards whom Wellington was addressing were at that point
> physically lying on the ground.
>
> - Jim Landau
>
>

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