| Tango01 | 08 Aug 2016 3:11 p.m. PST |
"During the so-called Battle of Bunker Hill, Israel Putnam (some say William Prescott) issued a command: "Do not fire till you see the whites of their eyes!" Displaying great courage and discipline in the face of advancing Redcoats, the untested patriots stood their ground and withheld their fire until they could gaze into the eyes of the enemy…"
More here
link Amicalement
Armand |
Old Glory  | 08 Aug 2016 6:04 p.m. PST |
I recall watching a Sherman and Mr Peabody episode where the sun was out and all the British troops had sun glasses on and because the Americans were ordered not to "fire before they see the whites of their eyes" --- this single order put the whole American cause in jeopardy?? This caused our intrepid heros to use science to get the clouds to roll in, thus getting the Brits to remove the glasses, showing the "the whites of their eyes", thus saving the day for George Washington and his fellow patriots.
Regards
Russ Dunaway |
| 42flanker | 08 Aug 2016 11:25 p.m. PST |
It was not meant to be taken literally, Correct as we infer now. Err, really? |
| dbf1676 | 09 Aug 2016 5:05 a.m. PST |
This was not the first time the phrase was used. The Swedish general Fersen is recorded as having used it during the Battle of Lund against the Danes in 1676. My guess is that he didn't coin it, either. |
| historygamer | 09 Aug 2016 7:31 a.m. PST |
You almost had me believing that Russ, till you mentioned Washington being there. :-) |
| Old Glory | 09 Aug 2016 7:39 a.m. PST |
Doesn't anyone besides me remember Mr Peabody and Sherman along with their "way back machine" ????
Regards
Russ Dunaway |
| zippyfusenet | 09 Aug 2016 8:31 a.m. PST |
My first cat was named Sherman, Russ, in memory of those cartoons. I loved the egalitarianism of the origin story, when the judge allowed Mr. Peabody to adopt Sherman, ruling that, "If a boy can have a dog, then a dog can have a boy." |
| Winston Smith | 09 Aug 2016 8:33 a.m. PST |
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| Hafen von Schlockenberg | 09 Aug 2016 8:35 a.m. PST |
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 Flashman14  | 09 Aug 2016 10:59 a.m. PST |
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| Old Glory | 09 Aug 2016 11:38 a.m. PST |
Nice to see you at the show Vince!!
Now I have to get back to my "way back machine"--- I have heard that Michael Angelo is having some form of problem with the Sistine chapel ceiling ???? |
| Brechtel198 | 10 Aug 2016 11:39 a.m. PST |
In one of the War of 1812 memoirs that I have one of the Americans mentioned not firing on the enemy until they were in 'grinning distance.' |
| Gunfreak | 11 Aug 2016 11:02 a.m. PST |
It would be more effective if they held the fire until they could see the lice in their hair. |
| Major Bloodnok | 13 Aug 2016 3:22 a.m. PST |
Have you ever tried to see the whites of their eyes? On a sunny day all you get are slits, no whites. There is some thought that the phrase was never uttered, and that "wait until you can see their gaiter buttons" is the supposed statement. |
| Old Glory | 14 Aug 2016 2:21 p.m. PST |
How about --- " hold you fire boys until you can smell them" ??
Regards
Russ Dunaway |
| Supercilius Maximus | 14 Aug 2016 3:26 p.m. PST |
That would work best against wargamers, I suspect…… |
| Gunfreak | 16 Aug 2016 3:46 a.m. PST |
Given the sanitation of the day. That means everyone would start to fire at a 1000 yards, 2000 if the wind was right/wrong |
paints his first three ships from the starter set.
