My research indicates that no elephants were killed or wounded by gunfire at the Battle of Spotsylvania, so it seems that the General was absolutely right.
But the king of Siam did offer to send war elephants to Lincoln to aid the union. So in an alternate universe there may have been elephants on the battlefield.
Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but always went by Ulysses. He added a S to his name because he liked the way it sounded. Now, Harry S Truman's middle name was actually the letter S. His parents chose to have just the letter S as his middle name to honor both of his grandfathers.
@@1515327E II'm going to be honest here II didn't understand that reference at first, but while trying to find out what you meant II came across quite a good cover of don't you worry child by Steve Foster (9/10, you should listen to it). and frankly, I don't love that Susanna song but I'm not that bothered bc I've learnt the word ennui today and you've praised me so overall this has been a positive experience:) I do apologise that my poor grammar was for to see
@@susannam3923 Dear Susanna, it was only supposed to be a light piece of humour after the praise. None of us are averse to mistakes and so I've hopefully edited it more sensitively. I do hope you're not offended or I'll certainly remove it. I do love your name by the way, and the James Taylor version of the song.
According to Wikipedia, it was an accident: "Hamer, unfamiliar with Grant, submitted an incorrect name to West Point. On September 14 Grant was enlisted Cadet "U.S. Grant" at the national academy. His nickname at West Point became "Sam" among army colleagues since the initials "U.S." also stood for "Uncle Sam"."
Ulysses Grant's name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, only when he was enlisted in West Point the person who recommended him had gotten his name wrong, and it was written in school records as "Ulysses S. Grant". He then gained the nickname of 'Sam' (as in 'Uncle Sam'), because of the abbreviation- U.S. Grant.
It's strange driving down I-95 and seeing all the names of places where these battles took place. The nearest we come to what it must be like driving through older countries.
Confused with Harry Truman, whose S actually didn't stand for anything (a naming concession so that both sides of the family could claim it was after someone on their side). While S wasn't actually Grant's middle initial (it was U, for Ulysses, and he changed his name, Hiram Ulysses Grant, because he didn't think a soldier's initials should be HUG), it did in fact stand for Simpson when he put it in.
I seem to recall reading somewhere was that General Grant ended up with a middle name of S because he purposely changed his name when he was commissioned as an officer. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant and couldn't stand having the initials H.U.G. and took the first chance he had to get rid of it. He just...never nailed down what the S stood for on his papers...
It wasn't quite a few minutes, but he did have enough time to hear a response to his statement and reply, "all right, my man; go to your place"-his true last words. Source: _The Death of General John Sedgwick,_ General Martin McMahon, 1887. Accessed 2 April 2018, via www.phrases.org.uk/quotes/last-words/john-sedgwick.html.
He was born Hiram Ulysses, but he was called Ulysses. The appointment to West Point was made for Ulysses S. Grant. His mother's name was Simpson, and the congress critter took a guess at it. On the train Hiram Ulysses Grant realized that his steamer trunk had his initials on it, so he removed them with his pocket knife, not wanting to start his military career being called "HUG".
Oh, do be nice. He's a Brit, and we evil, treacherous Engleeesh pig-dogs are free to speak English any way we like - and so is every other person on the planet. Anything goes, which is why the language still works and we're not all conversing like Chaucer. Unlike certain uptight ex-colonial types, we Limeys aren't intimidated by weird extra letters and quirky rules inherited from the language's ancient French, German, Dutch, Greek, Latin, Norse, and whatever roots. As far as I'm aware, Stephen's intentionally Quite Interesting pronunciation is valid because it echoes an old form of 'mourned' which began 'murn- '. (Please note the spelling; it's Old English. I think it came from Old High German before that, so there may have been some red-hot adult umlaut action going on. Look away now, children.) So 'mourned' only HAS to be pronounced 'morned' if you're afraid of being corrected or mocked by some ornery Texan who don't take kindly to them city folk comin' round with their damn fancy foreign ways, goddamn Limeys are worse 'n the goddamn Frenchies, where's mah gun... And I'm pretty sure that Stephen, bless him, couldn't give a shit. :-)
I remember the death of Sedgewick being told in Burns' television documentary and Foote's Narrative. The elephant thing wasn't mentioned. He was cajoling the men digging trenches and barricades to not stoop because of the sniper fire. But his last words were something more like "don't fear the snipers." Allegedly, he died with an ironic smirk on his face (probably the soldiers projecting their own opinion on the situation). A Confederate general (Longstreet?) rode his horse along the troops assembling for the frontal assault at Gettysburg during a Union bombardment into the assembly area. Again, this was done to show the troops fortitude and fearlessness. The troops however were flat on the ground avoiding the bullets and grape-shot (the rank and file understanding what to do before the officers). Pickett et al then lead them on a slow march, with halts to close ranks due to deaths/casualties, right into a turkey shoot (50% casualties over 9 brigades with Pickett's division being "destroyed"). A Union officer also rode his horse back and forth immediately behind the long line his troops to yell encouragement during the assault. He had two horses killed as he rode them. Wisconsin's Iron brigade is an example of never breaking ranks and always standing ground (until ordered to move/retreat); they always had high casualties. Their casualties were so high at Gettysburg (before Pickett's "charge") that the brigade was disbanded instead of restaffed. The idea of not flinching or hiding or stooping when facing the opposition goes way back. Similar to not retreating in the face of the enemy. Being ordered to retreat was supposed to be "insulting the bravery" of the soldiers.
Cassette Walkman it’s the BBC, they have to meet their identity politics quotas and and put female comedians on everything! Jo brands unfunny mug is on plenty of thumbnails she had barely any input on too! The bbc have banned making any shows unless it has females in it! All female, yes, all Male, no!
The reason he felt fairly safe, was the American rifles of the time weren't very accurate. What he didn't know, however, was that the Confederates he was facing, were using Whitworth rifles (designed by the British inventor Joseph Whitworth), that was far more accurate.
Err, no. This is a mistake in converting old measures of accuracy to current measures. While accurate for its day, it wasn't sub-MOA. Check out the relevant post on Gun Jesus' site Forgotten Weapons.
Actually, one of the reasons the Civil War was such a blood-bath was the men were firing Rifle-Muskets. They were accurate out to longer ranges and were much more accurate than smoothbores. The generals of the time were using Napoleonic tactics that were deadly to close-packed troops. Colt had a contract to make copies of the British Enfield M1853 rifle-musket using original Enfield machinery. The copy was similar except it was in US-standard .58 caliber and used wrought-iron metal furniture instead of brass. Both sides bought up numbers of the original weapon as surplus as well. The Whitworth was a Rifle that had a scope mounted on it. It was designed for target shooting and could pull off major feats of accuracy if properly taken care of. It was used by snipers and was not in general issue.
The river crossing illustration is from Antietam showing Burnside's attack across the stream. It's completely unrelated to the question. And as for the question Sedgewick certainly didn't say that. It was made up after the event.
Jimmy’s ‘last words’ issue actually happened to Thomas Jefferson. He gave a brief but poetic speech, then slipped into unconsciousness. He then awoke several hours later, forgot that he wasn’t to say anything else and inquired about the date
actually, the S was for Simpson his mother's maiden name which he adopted when at Westpoint rather than using his birth name which was Hiram Ulysses Grant as he didn't want any chance of being given the nickname of HUG
Lost an ancestor who served as a conductor of a train. He died of fever at Fairfax Station, Virginia in 1864, never met his only child. He was one the first buried in Arlington National Cemetery. That was taken by the Union for their dead, from the Custis-Lee family. Robert E. Lee's lands. Funny thing is that the only surviving son of President Lincoln had sued for the Custis-Lee family as their lawyer years later for the lost of their lands. Also, John Wilkes Booth who killed his father, had a more famous brother Edwin Boothe who actually saved this same oldest child's life, of the Lincolns, from falling off the train station. His name Robert Lincoln.
Um actually the S stood for Simpson, his mothers maiden name. His real name was not US Grant but HU Grant, for Hiram Ulysses. When he got into West Point the senator that sponsored him put his name on the application wrong.
Simpson was his mother's name. The clerk inducting him into West Point made a mistake on the form, but Grant let it go. He was probably happy with the amendment.
Exactly right. Also, his name had originally been Ulysses Hiram Grant, but he was embarrassed by the initials he would have to put on his trunk at West Point, and changed it.
President Grant's middle name was, in fact, Ulysses. His name at birth was Hiram Ulysses Grant. When he arrived at West Point he learned that a mid-eighteenth century typo of some sort had changed his name to U.S.Grant. Knowing that he was in for severe hazings anyway he accepted it rather than go through four years with the initials "HUG."
my mom had a patient who had to be resuscitated with an AED while grocery shopping, and when told afterward what had happened, she exclaimed 'Cash Wise? I wouldn't be caught dead shopping at Cash Wise!'
General Sedgwick was quite correct in his assessment. The rifles generally used by enemy soldiers couldn't reliably hit a target at that distance so his men were taking cover for no reason. Specialized snipers however, were employed by both sides with the objective of taking out senior officers, disrupting the other side's command structure. In the film "Gettysburg," General John Reynolds is seen being shot and killed by an enemy sniper. Historians are not 100% sure however.
never really ducking cover for no reason just ducking cover for more protection. Even if it cant accurately hit a target there is always a chance or like u said special snipers
A minor (and extremely pedantic) correction: John Sedgwick was not the highest-ranking Union officer killed during the Civil War, it was Maj. Gen. James Birdseye McPherson at the Battle of Atlanta. While both were major generals at the time of their death, Sedgwick was in command of a corps (specifically, the 6th Corps in the Army of the Potomac), and McPherson was in command of the entire Army of the Tennessee. Also, while Sedgwick was the most senior of all Union major generals killed in the war (Sedgwick, McPherson, John F. Reynolds, and Joseph K. Mansfield), McPherson technically outranked him in the U.S. Regular Army (as opposed to the U.S. Volunteers), as McPherson was a brigadier general and Sedgwick was a colonel. As for Sedgwick's last words, various reports obviously differ in their specifics, such as whether he died mid-sentence or shortly thereafter, but the general gist of his elephant comment is consistent. The American Civil War is a goldmine of bizarre military nonsense, such as the guy after whom sideburns are named or a murderer who successfully pleaded "temporary insanity." I desperately hope Maj. Gen. Daniel Edgar Sickles and his antics make it onto QI someday.
I also knew of it, but from a small military factbook, which included a few other "last words" from military figures, but I have not been able to find the book for some time. Essential Militaria, if I recall correctly, for anyone interested.
The S in Ulysses S Grant was put in when he entered West Point. The registrar was looking for a middle initial and for some reason thought it was S, so Ulysses Grant became Ulysses S Grant as far as the US Army was concerned. Early in the war Grant lead the troops that captured two important Confederate forts in Tennessee, Forts Henry and Donelson. When the Confederate commander of one of the forts pressed grant for conditions, Grant replied that Unconditional Surrender would be the only terms accepted. The Union press seized on the initials in Grant's official name and nicknamed him "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. (During his cadet years at West Point, his fellow cadets didn't much care for the Ulysses and took to calling him Sam...after the S that wasn't in his name. His military friends continued to call him Sam, and he became fast friends with many officers who later joined the Confederacy, notably James Longstreet. They served together in the Mexican War. They remained good friends and following the surrender of the ANV at Appomattox, Grant gave Longstreet a cigar and invited him to play cards.)
I always thought it was Simpson, but I just looked it up. He was born "Hiram Ulysses Grant" but when he was nominated for West Point, the congressman who did this screwed up and listed him Ulysses S. Grant. When he graduated from West Point, his graduation papers made the same mistake. And the union public thought it was cool to have a general with the initials US. Simpson was Grant's mother's maiden name.
Actually this was true for both men. The 18th president was born Hiram Ulysses Grant. The name change was the result of an error when he was nominated to West Point and the middle initial took on a life of its own.
Don Meaker had it...He was born Hiram Ulysses, but he was called Ulysses. The appointment to West Point was made for Ulysses S. Grant. His mother's name was Simpson, and the congress critter took a guess at it. On the train Hiram Ulysses Grant realized that his steamer trunk had his initials on it, so he removed them with his pocket knife, not wanting to start his military career being called "HUG".
Union Major General John Sedgwick at the battle of Spotsylvania Court House said to his troops, "I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." and then "All right, my man; go to your place." He was responding to a soldier saying he would rather duck from enemy fire then face it head on. His last words are frequently and famously misquoted to imply that he was shot in the middle of saying "distance". - not proof, but the reference I was thinking of. Thanks TVTropes. Actual military historians are welcome to comment.
The burden of proof is on the QI Elves here. Until evidence is presented, "I doubt it happened that way" is a very good position, as the story sounds like just that, a story.
Well, consider that there really aren't all that many "famous last words" we know about. We only remember the witty or ironic ones. The millions of last words of the "Nurse!" variety are quietly forgotten.
Except that nobody in Grant's family started using it. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but people called him Ulysses. When he got his appointment to West Point, whoever was responsible for drawing up the appointment _assumed_ his middle name was Simpson, which was his mother's maiden name, and a common practice back in the day. But it never "stood" for anything, because it was never part of his legal name.
Hiram Ulysses Grant was his given name. Apparently the confusion arose with a family friend who recommended him for West Point. His mother's maiden name was Simpson & his brother's name was Simpson. He tried to correct the mistake, but (as anyone who has tried to deal with bureaucracies can attest) he failed. The idea that he didn't want his initials to spell out HUG is just absurd. That's a very modern idea. It wouldn't even occur to to a person of the 19th century. So I think, even though Grant himself said it was a mistake, the S, in the end, stood for Simpson> Please, proceed to rip me apart.
This is the most accurate summary of events, having just read a lengthy biography of Grant. However, there is contemporary evidence that Grant was embarrassed by the initials “HUG” and was occasionally teased because of them, though it was indeed a clerical error on his West Point nomination that resulted in his eventual adoption of Ulysses S. Grant. The word “hug” has been in use since the 16th century so it certainly had the same connotation in Grant’s day as it does now.
@@clayjohnson7755 Thanks for the correction. I guess I just like to believe that historical figures didn't have the same petty worries we have today when, of course they did.
The "S" in Grant's name is actually the product of a paperwork error. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant but upon his arrival to the US Military Academy at West Point, he discovered his appointment had been filed erroneously under the initials U.S. Grant. While the S stood for nothing in particular, the acronym U.S. did already have a connotation with the patriotic symbol of "Uncle Sam" and as such many of his friends at the academy and after called him Sam, including his good friend James Longstreet.
Feck isn't a word og, it's actually started as an acronym and it was after the population began to shrink in the reigh of Charles ll. It was a ruling sent out from the king, and it meant F ornicate U nder C onsent of the K ing.
@@TheHutchy01 no it doesn't sir and its backed up by multiple references to the law set out by the king n parliament. So go slid down a greased pole turning via ur ass . 🤪
The “S” in Ulysses S. Grant stood for Samuel, hitch was his first name, Ulysses was his middle name, when he enrolled at West Point the administration had reversed the two and he never corrected them, his close friends still called him “Sam”
My favorite last words were by Voltaire who when asked by a Priest if he would now denounce Satan? replied "My good man, now is not the time for making enemies!"
The Yankees had the South out-manned, outgunned, and out-supplied and had predicted from the beginning the war would only take weeks. That kind of shooting, where the Yankees couldn't hit an elephant, but the Southern boys could indeed hit the bulseye, was a big reason why it took years for the North to even cross the Potomac.
No, I think you have rivers mixed up. The Potomac runs by Washington DC and the Union crossed it with impunity. The first major battle of the war, Bull Run (1861), was fought south of the Potomac and the Union Army had to cross the Potomac for that
@@JK-vp2ux Look at where these major battles were fought: Chancellorsville, First and Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, the Seven Days Battle...all SOUTH of the Potomac. The only major battles fought NORTH of the Potomac were Gettysburg and Sharpsburg/Antietam. Look at a map. Crossing the Potomac was not a problem for the Union, they did it all the time. Lincoln kept replacing AoP commanders (McDowell, McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, and finally Meade) because of their lack of success against Lee. And Grant was never commander of the Army of the Potomac. He was appointed general-in-chief of all the Union armies in 1864. He chose to travel with the AoP throughout its campaign in the Wilderness, Petersburg, and Richmond onto Appomattox. He gave directions and orders to Meade who was technically commander of the AoP
The King of Siam wrote Lincoln, offering elephants to assist in the American Civil War. Lincoln declined the kind offer, as elephants were not suited to the much harsher winters of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I might remind people that the Mason-Dixon line, separating the North from the South, is the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania. A copy of the letter exists. www.foxnews.com/world/lincoln-to-thai-king-thanks-but-no-thanks-for-the-elephants
In one of the John Wayne movies, "The Horse Soldiers", Wayne spanks a Cofederate soldier who turns out to be a young adolescent boy. While "The Horse Soldiers" is a fictional account of actual events, the fact is that, during Grierson's raid in Mississippi (the Confederacy), the spanking of a young buy who had enlisted in the Confederate States Army (instead of shooting him) supposedly actually happened.
Depending how far away the sniper was, he could have started that sentence just as the sniper fired, and all the time he was talking, it was flying towards him. So basically, he said those words after he was already dead, because he was dead the moment the sniper fired. So his last words were....nobody knows. Sounds like a QI answer.
It’s never really a good idea to mock southern snipers in their home country. Those boys were probably used to shooting small animals for the pot or going hungry.
Except that that's not true. To attend West Point (the US Army college) you must be nominated by a member of Congress. When he was nominated Hiram Ulysses Grant's name was listed as Ulysses S. Grant, where S. stood for Simpson, his mother's maiden name. So S was neither his middle name nor his true middle initial.
"They couldn't hit an elephant with that cannon." or something like that. I haven't watched the video, so we'll see if my trivia knowledge is as good as I think it is.
No it isn't. What is unusual is that QI didn't find out the real dialog: Sedgewick: "Why, my man, I am ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Soldier: "General, I dodged a shell once, and if I hadn't, it would have taken my head off. I believe in dodging." Sedgewick: "All right, my man; go to your place." -gets shot in face. Jimmy Carr was right, the quote has been altered for comic effect.
S STOOD FOR SIMPSON!!!!!!! THE S IN HARRY S TRUMAN STOOD FOR THE FIRST INITIALS OF BOTH HIS GRANDFATHERS!!!!!!! THEY GOT THEIR PRESIDENTS MIXED UP!!!!!!!!!
funny thing, stephen era questions were extremely complicated and specific, the new ones are extremely simple and dumb. Other than the clear intellectual difference between hosts, it looks like they dumbed down the program... huh
My research indicates that no elephants were killed or wounded by gunfire at the Battle of Spotsylvania, so it seems that the General was absolutely right.
Sources?
There are rumors however of a mildly injured rhinoceros
Local zoo . @@cynthiathornton1375
Can't hit an elephant if it's not there. He's got a point
But the king of Siam did offer to send war elephants to Lincoln to aid the union. So in an alternate universe there may have been elephants on the battlefield.
Anyone else bingeing these clips?
2:26 Thanks, Jimmy, for instilling all of us with the fear of dying. Much appreciated...
Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but always went by Ulysses. He added a S to his name because he liked the way it sounded. Now, Harry S Truman's middle name was actually the letter S. His parents chose to have just the letter S as his middle name to honor both of his grandfathers.
I've had several male relatives who only had initials and not full-fledged names. They had to adopt a proper name when they joined the Armed Services.
Thanks for the clarification
Grant was also embarrassed by the fact that the initials for his birth name spelled out HUG.
Fake news it stood for sugar-tits
interesting! My dad has a middle initial (R) which to this day I’ve still no idea why he has it as it too doesn’t stand for anything at all.
i cannot believe i actually knew one of the answers on qi and no one is here to praise me
@@1515327E II'm going to be honest here II didn't understand that reference at first, but while trying to find out what you meant II came across quite a good cover of don't you worry child by Steve Foster (9/10, you should listen to it).
and frankly, I don't love that Susanna song but I'm not that bothered bc I've learnt the word ennui today and you've praised me so overall this has been a positive experience:)
I do apologise that my poor grammar was for to see
@@susannam3923 Dear Susanna, it was only supposed to be a light piece of humour after the praise. None of us are averse to mistakes and so I've hopefully edited it more sensitively. I do hope you're not offended or I'll certainly remove it. I do love your name by the way, and the James Taylor version of the song.
1515327E I know m8 I thought it was funny, dw about it. I'm sorry if I came off angry, I didn't mean for it to sound that way
Attaboy
Ulysses was Grants middle name. His first name was Hiram. He thought his initials HUG were inappropriate for a soldier.
'Oh look, it's General HUGs'
True, but he took his mother's maiden name Simpson for his middle name.
@@SirLyonhart Absolutely true!
@@SirLyonhart Marge was his mom??? 😲
According to Wikipedia, it was an accident:
"Hamer, unfamiliar with Grant, submitted an incorrect name to West Point. On September 14 Grant was enlisted Cadet "U.S. Grant" at the national academy. His nickname at West Point became "Sam" among army colleagues since the initials "U.S." also stood for "Uncle Sam"."
Ulysses Grant's name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, only when he was enlisted in West Point the person who recommended him had gotten his name wrong, and it was written in school records as "Ulysses S. Grant". He then gained the nickname of 'Sam' (as in 'Uncle Sam'), because of the abbreviation- U.S. Grant.
It's strange driving down I-95 and seeing all the names of places where these battles took place. The nearest we come to what it must be like driving through older countries.
Confused with Harry Truman, whose S actually didn't stand for anything (a naming concession so that both sides of the family could claim it was after someone on their side). While S wasn't actually Grant's middle initial (it was U, for Ulysses, and he changed his name, Hiram Ulysses Grant, because he didn't think a soldier's initials should be HUG), it did in fact stand for Simpson when he put it in.
Should one write Harry S Truman or Harry S. Truman?
Harry S Truman. You only use a period when it's an initial, when in his case it's the entire name.
@@MrZAP17
Do we know that the name wasn't "S."?
The half life of facts, or just mistaken research
I seem to recall reading somewhere was that General Grant ended up with a middle name of S because he purposely changed his name when he was commissioned as an officer. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant and couldn't stand having the initials H.U.G. and took the first chance he had to get rid of it. He just...never nailed down what the S stood for on his papers...
I thought the S was Simpson, his mother's maiden name.
Actually Jimmy Carr is 1/2 right. Gen. Sedgwick, certainly said this, but it was a few minutes before he died, still quite ironic.
It wasn't quite a few minutes, but he did have enough time to hear a response to his statement and reply, "all right, my man; go to your place"-his true last words.
Source:
_The Death of General John Sedgwick,_ General Martin McMahon, 1887. Accessed 2 April 2018, via www.phrases.org.uk/quotes/last-words/john-sedgwick.html.
+Alexander Jones
Wow so both you an FuturisticFusilier where in the trench with Gen. Sedgewick? That is amazing.
You both must have some good stories.
He literally posted a source, but ok.
His last words were "Arrrrrrgh, I'm going to fucking die."
He was born Hiram Ulysses, but he was called Ulysses. The appointment to West Point was made for Ulysses S. Grant. His mother's name was Simpson, and the congress critter took a guess at it. On the train Hiram Ulysses Grant realized that his steamer trunk had his initials on it, so he removed them with his pocket knife, not wanting to start his military career being called "HUG".
Simpson, heeey?
Of course his classmates at West Point called him "Sam Grant".
Truth is he hated the name Hiram. So when they got it wrong at West Point he never tried to correct them. I think he rather preferred the change.
And as a bonus, his new initials lead to him being called "Unconditional Surrender" Grant in the newspapers after taking Ft. Donelson.
@@ThumpertTheFascistCottontail Excellent
Ulysses S Grant moourreuuned his death....
2:04
Oh, do be nice. He's a Brit, and we evil, treacherous Engleeesh pig-dogs are free to speak English any way we like - and so is every other person on the planet. Anything goes, which is why the language still works and we're not all conversing like Chaucer.
Unlike certain uptight ex-colonial types, we Limeys aren't intimidated by weird extra letters and quirky rules inherited from the language's ancient French, German, Dutch, Greek, Latin, Norse, and whatever roots.
As far as I'm aware, Stephen's intentionally Quite Interesting pronunciation is valid because it echoes an old form of 'mourned' which began 'murn- '. (Please note the spelling; it's Old English. I think it came from Old High German before that, so there may have been some red-hot adult umlaut action going on. Look away now, children.)
So 'mourned' only HAS to be pronounced 'morned' if you're afraid of being corrected or mocked by some ornery Texan who don't take kindly to them city folk comin' round with their damn fancy foreign ways, goddamn Limeys are worse 'n the goddamn Frenchies, where's mah gun...
And I'm pretty sure that Stephen, bless him, couldn't give a shit. :-)
I remember the death of Sedgewick being told in Burns' television documentary and Foote's Narrative. The elephant thing wasn't mentioned. He was cajoling the men digging trenches and barricades to not stoop because of the sniper fire. But his last words were something more like "don't fear the snipers." Allegedly, he died with an ironic smirk on his face (probably the soldiers projecting their own opinion on the situation).
A Confederate general (Longstreet?) rode his horse along the troops assembling for the frontal assault at Gettysburg during a Union bombardment into the assembly area. Again, this was done to show the troops fortitude and fearlessness. The troops however were flat on the ground avoiding the bullets and grape-shot (the rank and file understanding what to do before the officers). Pickett et al then lead them on a slow march, with halts to close ranks due to deaths/casualties, right into a turkey shoot (50% casualties over 9 brigades with Pickett's division being "destroyed"). A Union officer also rode his horse back and forth immediately behind the long line his troops to yell encouragement during the assault. He had two horses killed as he rode them.
Wisconsin's Iron brigade is an example of never breaking ranks and always standing ground (until ordered to move/retreat); they always had high casualties. Their casualties were so high at Gettysburg (before Pickett's "charge") that the brigade was disbanded instead of restaffed.
The idea of not flinching or hiding or stooping when facing the opposition goes way back. Similar to not retreating in the face of the enemy. Being ordered to retreat was supposed to be "insulting the bravery" of the soldiers.
That wasn't Longstreet but Armistead.
Odd choice of thumbnail. Of all the guests she said absolutely nothing.
Cassette Walkman it’s the BBC, they have to meet their identity politics quotas and and put female comedians on everything! Jo brands unfunny mug is on plenty of thumbnails she had barely any input on too! The bbc have banned making any shows unless it has females in it! All female, yes, all Male, no!
@@itsmrlonewolf shh the big bad feminists won't hurt you
Hmph - using women to get views - it just not on 😉
It's a Dumbnail. The BBC has to have a quota of deaf or dumb (mute) guests
Don't suppose it's anything to do with being photogenic or anything...?
The reason he felt fairly safe, was the American rifles of the time weren't very accurate.
What he didn't know, however, was that the Confederates he was facing, were using Whitworth rifles (designed by the British inventor Joseph Whitworth), that was far more accurate.
The Whitworth was capable of sub-MOA groupings at 500 yards, which was completely revolutionary and unmatched by any other rifle at the time.
Err, no. This is a mistake in converting old measures of accuracy to current measures. While accurate for its day, it wasn't sub-MOA. Check out the relevant post on Gun Jesus' site Forgotten Weapons.
Sub-MOA at 500 yards?? I call bull-fucking-shit on that. Where did you even pull that hogwash from?
A shot by a confederate sniper made with a whitworth rifle, is in the top 20 longest confirmed kills, even to this day. That is impressive.
Actually, one of the reasons the Civil War was such a blood-bath was the men were firing Rifle-Muskets. They were accurate out to longer ranges and were much more accurate than smoothbores. The generals of the time were using Napoleonic tactics that were deadly to close-packed troops.
Colt had a contract to make copies of the British Enfield M1853 rifle-musket using original Enfield machinery. The copy was similar except it was in US-standard .58 caliber and used wrought-iron metal furniture instead of brass. Both sides bought up numbers of the original weapon as surplus as well.
The Whitworth was a Rifle that had a scope mounted on it. It was designed for target shooting and could pull off major feats of accuracy if properly taken care of. It was used by snipers and was not in general issue.
Actually, the S stood for Simpson. It was the S in Harry S Truman that didn't stand for anything.
The river crossing illustration is from Antietam showing Burnside's attack across the stream. It's completely unrelated to the question. And as for the question Sedgewick certainly didn't say that. It was made up after the event.
Jimmy’s ‘last words’ issue actually happened to Thomas Jefferson. He gave a brief but poetic speech, then slipped into unconsciousness. He then awoke several hours later, forgot that he wasn’t to say anything else and inquired about the date
This might as well be the best British panel show, along with WILTY and 8 out of 10 cats
actually, the S was for Simpson his mother's maiden name which he adopted when at Westpoint rather than using his birth name which was Hiram Ulysses Grant as he didn't want any chance of being given the nickname of HUG
Lost an ancestor who served as a conductor of a train. He died of fever at Fairfax Station, Virginia in 1864, never met his only child. He was one the first buried in Arlington National Cemetery. That was taken by the Union for their dead, from the Custis-Lee family. Robert E. Lee's lands. Funny thing is that the only surviving son of President Lincoln had sued for the Custis-Lee family as their lawyer years later for the lost of their lands. Also, John Wilkes Booth who killed his father, had a more famous brother Edwin Boothe who actually saved this same oldest child's life, of the Lincolns, from falling off the train station. His name Robert Lincoln.
Um actually the S stood for Simpson, his mothers maiden name. His real name was not US Grant but HU Grant, for Hiram Ulysses. When he got into West Point the senator that sponsored him put his name on the application wrong.
And because of that mistake, and the fact that it was never part of his legal name, the "S" really doesn't stand for anything.
Simpson was his mother's name. The clerk inducting him into West Point made a mistake on the form, but Grant let it go. He was probably happy with the amendment.
Exactly right. Also, his name had originally been Ulysses Hiram Grant, but he was embarrassed by the initials he would have to put on his trunk at West Point, and changed it.
Amazing even until World War Two how many General's did actually die in battle
I don't know but I've been told, a significant number of general officers in the various armies of the First World War died
President Grant's middle name was, in fact, Ulysses.
His name at birth was Hiram Ulysses Grant. When he arrived at West Point he learned that a mid-eighteenth century typo of some sort had changed his name to U.S.Grant. Knowing that he was in for severe hazings anyway he accepted it rather than go through four years with the initials "HUG."
Also he wasn't the commander or general of those 100,000 men, he was a lower ranking officer residing over a few.
Karsten He was talking about the battle, not him.
my mom had a patient who had to be resuscitated with an AED while grocery shopping, and when told afterward what had happened, she exclaimed 'Cash Wise? I wouldn't be caught dead shopping at Cash Wise!'
General Sedgwick was quite correct in his assessment.
The rifles generally used by enemy soldiers couldn't reliably hit a target at that distance so his men were taking cover for no reason.
Specialized snipers however, were employed by both sides with the objective of taking out senior officers, disrupting the other side's command structure.
In the film "Gettysburg," General John Reynolds is seen being shot and killed by an enemy sniper. Historians are not 100% sure however.
never really ducking cover for no reason just ducking cover for more protection. Even if it cant accurately hit a target there is always a chance or like u said special snipers
A minor (and extremely pedantic) correction: John Sedgwick was not the highest-ranking Union officer killed during the Civil War, it was Maj. Gen. James Birdseye McPherson at the Battle of Atlanta. While both were major generals at the time of their death, Sedgwick was in command of a corps (specifically, the 6th Corps in the Army of the Potomac), and McPherson was in command of the entire Army of the Tennessee. Also, while Sedgwick was the most senior of all Union major generals killed in the war (Sedgwick, McPherson, John F. Reynolds, and Joseph K. Mansfield), McPherson technically outranked him in the U.S. Regular Army (as opposed to the U.S. Volunteers), as McPherson was a brigadier general and Sedgwick was a colonel.
As for Sedgwick's last words, various reports obviously differ in their specifics, such as whether he died mid-sentence or shortly thereafter, but the general gist of his elephant comment is consistent.
The American Civil War is a goldmine of bizarre military nonsense, such as the guy after whom sideburns are named or a murderer who successfully pleaded "temporary insanity." I desperately hope Maj. Gen. Daniel Edgar Sickles and his antics make it onto QI someday.
I actually knew this quote - from a lindybeige video about how Brit officers cultivated a reputation for not ducking under fire.
+John Videll I don't know why but I would like to hear you rant about that
Yeah he's a bit nonsensical.
John Videll Yeah I think it's worth taking his theories with a big pinch of salt. Much like the info on QI to be fair.
I also knew of it, but from a small military factbook, which included a few other "last words" from military figures, but I have not been able to find the book for some time. Essential Militaria, if I recall correctly, for anyone interested.
What had this to do with Brit officers?
The S in Ulysses S Grant was put in when he entered West Point. The registrar was looking for a middle initial and for some reason thought it was S, so Ulysses Grant became Ulysses S Grant as far as the US Army was concerned. Early in the war Grant lead the troops that captured two important Confederate forts in Tennessee, Forts Henry and Donelson. When the Confederate commander of one of the forts pressed grant for conditions, Grant replied that Unconditional Surrender would be the only terms accepted. The Union press seized on the initials in Grant's official name and nicknamed him "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. (During his cadet years at West Point, his fellow cadets didn't much care for the Ulysses and took to calling him Sam...after the S that wasn't in his name. His military friends continued to call him Sam, and he became fast friends with many officers who later joined the Confederacy, notably James Longstreet. They served together in the Mexican War. They remained good friends and following the surrender of the ANV at Appomattox, Grant gave Longstreet a cigar and invited him to play cards.)
Doesn't the S in Ulysses S Grant stand for Simpson?
If you like, It stood for Hiram as in Hiram Ulysses Grant. However, he hated being called Hiram and put the S there for cadence
unclejoeoakland
Is that so! Huh!
I always thought it was Simpson, but I just looked it up. He was born "Hiram Ulysses Grant" but when he was nominated for West Point, the congressman who did this screwed up and listed him Ulysses S. Grant. When he graduated from West Point, his graduation papers made the same mistake. And the union public thought it was cool to have a general with the initials US. Simpson was Grant's mother's maiden name.
Thanks!
Actually his name was Hiram Ulysses Grant and the guy who wrote his name only heard the Ulysses part and put an S in there to make it US Grant.
Wrong American president, Stephen. You're thinking of Harry S-for-nothing-in-particular Truman.
Actually this was true for both men. The 18th president was born Hiram Ulysses Grant. The name change was the result of an error when he was nominated to West Point and the middle initial took on a life of its own.
WhiteCamry ii
Don Meaker had it...He was born Hiram Ulysses, but he was called Ulysses. The appointment to West Point was made for Ulysses S. Grant. His mother's name was Simpson, and the congress critter took a guess at it. On the train Hiram Ulysses Grant realized that his steamer trunk had his initials on it, so he removed them with his pocket knife, not wanting to start his military career being called "HUG".
Harry sugartits Truman has a ring to it
I guess his parents didn't think of how "Harry S Truman" sounds like "Hairy Ass Truman".
I think Jimmy is correct in this case and the quote is a lie. Klaxon to Qi elves?
I'd think you'd need some proof, wouldn't you? More than, "I doubt it happened that way."
Union Major General John Sedgwick at the battle of Spotsylvania Court House said to his troops, "I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." and then "All right, my man; go to your place." He was responding to a soldier saying he would rather duck from enemy fire then face it head on. His last words are frequently and famously misquoted to imply that he was shot in the middle of saying "distance".
- not proof, but the reference I was thinking of. Thanks TVTropes. Actual military historians are welcome to comment.
Ian Knights Fair enough! That sure beats "I doubt it happened that way."!
The burden of proof is on the QI Elves here. Until evidence is presented, "I doubt it happened that way" is a very good position, as the story sounds like just that, a story.
Well, consider that there really aren't all that many "famous last words" we know about. We only remember the witty or ironic ones. The millions of last words of the "Nurse!" variety are quietly forgotten.
Why is there a woman in the title thumbnail,but the she doesn't appear a lot in the video?
She's mute. The BBC have to have a quota of mutes (who used to be known as dumb) in all panel shows
Quota box ticked.
Fry has mixed up Grant with Truman. Grant's S stands for Simpson, while Truman's S doesn't stand for anything (it honours both of his grandfathers).
Neither S stands for anything
S for Sodoff (quoting Blackadder)
The one whose S didn't stand for anything was actually President Harry S Truman. The "S" in Grant's name stood for Simpson.
Except that nobody in Grant's family started using it. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but people called him Ulysses. When he got his appointment to West Point, whoever was responsible for drawing up the appointment _assumed_ his middle name was Simpson, which was his mother's maiden name, and a common practice back in the day. But it never "stood" for anything, because it was never part of his legal name.
Hiram Ulysses Grant was his given name. Apparently the confusion arose with a family friend who recommended him for West Point. His mother's maiden name was Simpson & his brother's name was Simpson. He tried to correct the mistake, but (as anyone who has tried to deal with bureaucracies can attest) he failed.
The idea that he didn't want his initials to spell out HUG is just absurd. That's a very modern idea. It wouldn't even occur to to a person of the 19th century.
So I think, even though Grant himself said it was a mistake, the S, in the end, stood for Simpson>
Please, proceed to rip me apart.
This is the most accurate summary of events, having just read a lengthy biography of Grant. However, there is contemporary evidence that Grant was embarrassed by the initials “HUG” and was occasionally teased because of them, though it was indeed a clerical error on his West Point nomination that resulted in his eventual adoption of Ulysses S. Grant. The word “hug” has been in use since the 16th century so it certainly had the same connotation in Grant’s day as it does now.
@@clayjohnson7755 Thanks for the correction. I guess I just like to believe that historical figures didn't have the same petty worries we have today when, of course they did.
The "S" in Grant's name is actually the product of a paperwork error. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant but upon his arrival to the US Military Academy at West Point, he discovered his appointment had been filed erroneously under the initials U.S. Grant. While the S stood for nothing in particular, the acronym U.S. did already have a connotation with the patriotic symbol of "Uncle Sam" and as such many of his friends at the academy and after called him Sam, including his good friend James Longstreet.
I think this was an exaggeration. He did say that, and was soon shot, but wasn't cut off. I could be wrong.
I wonder if the Brits know the General was shot with a British supplied rifle?? A Whitworth I believe.
and I believe it had a hexagonal barrel and bullet
that is true
How would they know?
By the sound of the shot passing by. It made a distinctive whistling sound.
Utter rubbish on all counts!
The S stood for Simpson.
One I knew, was planning to make a video about this battle. ;p
The "S" was an error on his paperwork. Shoddy clerk work. But a name like U S Grant was a little epic.
Look at Roald Dahl, he has some wonderful poetic last words undercut by his actual last word of "fuck"
Feck isn't a word og, it's actually started as an acronym and it was after the population began to shrink in the reigh of Charles ll. It was a ruling sent out from the king, and it meant
F ornicate U nder C onsent of the K ing.
@@TheHutchy01 no it doesn't sir and its backed up by multiple references to the law set out by the king n parliament. So go slid down a greased pole turning via ur ass . 🤪
The “S” in Ulysses S. Grant stood for Samuel, hitch was his first name, Ulysses was his middle name, when he enrolled at West Point the administration had reversed the two and he never corrected them, his close friends still called him “Sam”
No wonder he drank.
"i think there is a sniper up-"
My favorite last words ever.
My favorite last words were by Voltaire who when asked by a Priest if he would now denounce Satan? replied "My good man, now is not the time for making enemies!"
Came here after reading John Green’s Looking For Alaska
aww man, I would have got this right
lol yea, useless trivia but I'm surprised none of the guests knew it.
A loose quote would be "At this distance they can't hit a thing." He then was shot out of his saddle and dropped dead.
They were "What happens if you push this button?"
My favourite last words, courtesy of Confederate snipers who owed their success to their Whitworth rifles. Excellent rifles, those were.
I have a weird thing for Doon Mackichan
Ain't weird, she's a fox !
The Yankees had the South out-manned, outgunned, and out-supplied and had predicted from the beginning the war would only take weeks. That kind of shooting, where the Yankees couldn't hit an elephant, but the Southern boys could indeed hit the bulseye, was a big reason why it took years for the North to even cross the Potomac.
No, I think you have rivers mixed up. The Potomac runs by Washington DC and the Union crossed it with impunity. The first major battle of the war, Bull Run (1861), was fought south of the Potomac and the Union Army had to cross the Potomac for that
@@johnsy4306 Lincoln kept firing generals because they wouldn't cross the Potomac. Grant made it by ignoring the high casualty rate.
@@JK-vp2ux Look at where these major battles were fought: Chancellorsville, First and Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, the Seven Days Battle...all SOUTH of the Potomac. The only major battles fought NORTH of the Potomac were Gettysburg and Sharpsburg/Antietam. Look at a map. Crossing the Potomac was not a problem for the Union, they did it all the time. Lincoln kept replacing AoP commanders (McDowell, McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, and finally Meade) because of their lack of success against Lee.
And Grant was never commander of the Army of the Potomac. He was appointed general-in-chief of all the Union armies in 1864. He chose to travel with the AoP throughout its campaign in the Wilderness, Petersburg, and Richmond onto Appomattox. He gave directions and orders to Meade who was technically commander of the AoP
I thought the S stood for Surname. Surprised no one said Something for a technical correct only to be wrong.
Roald Dahl had some poetic last words that he ruined by going "oh fuck"
The King of Siam wrote Lincoln, offering elephants to assist in the American Civil War. Lincoln declined the kind offer, as elephants were not suited to the much harsher winters of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I might remind people that the Mason-Dixon line, separating the North from the South, is the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania. A copy of the letter exists. www.foxnews.com/world/lincoln-to-thai-king-thanks-but-no-thanks-for-the-elephants
Have you confused Ulysses S. Grant with Harry S. Truman?
They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist…
Knew by the title.
I actually knew this.
In one of the John Wayne movies, "The Horse Soldiers", Wayne spanks a Cofederate soldier who turns out to be a young adolescent boy. While "The Horse Soldiers" is a fictional account of actual events, the fact is that, during Grierson's raid in Mississippi (the Confederacy), the spanking of a young buy who had enlisted in the Confederate States Army (instead of shooting him) supposedly actually happened.
His last words were "owwwww"...
hey it's jane plough!
Tonight, I'm giving my girlfriend the Elephant Bonus.
I've never heard Congress Critter before. Jeez.
usually it's only one word, and most of them don't merit a capital: congresscritter
What a coincidence that he shared exactly the same middle name as Harry S Truman who ALSO had no middle name.
British people didn’t know this? I’ll have to bring this up next time a tea drinker asks me about some of the hundreds of European wars.
Depending how far away the sniper was, he could have started that sentence just as the sniper fired, and all the time he was talking, it was flying towards him. So basically, he said those words after he was already dead, because he was dead the moment the sniper fired. So his last words were....nobody knows. Sounds like a QI answer.
My first thought was sausage too. What does that say about me?
Actually the S stands for nothing because that was never part of his name. His full name was Hiram Ulysses Grant.
It’s never really a good idea to mock southern snipers in their home country. Those boys were probably used to shooting small animals for the pot or going hungry.
Particularly snipers with British Whitworth rifles.
Wrong! The “S” in Grant’s name stood for “Simpson”. The “S” in Harry S Truman’s name stood for nothing at all.
What were General Sedgwick's last words? Were they, "Hey, y'all! Watch this!"?
They wouldn't hit an elephant from that distance because that obviously would be a far too easy target.
Ulysses Samuel Grant............ that is kinda well known.....
Only to you.
The S stood for nothing at-tall.
Just like Harry S Truman. Which is why you shouldn't see a period denoting abbreviation.
Except that that's not true. To attend West Point (the US Army college) you must be nominated by a member of Congress. When he was nominated Hiram Ulysses Grant's name was listed as Ulysses S. Grant, where S. stood for Simpson, his mother's maiden name. So S was neither his middle name nor his true middle initial.
Commonwealth of Virginia, not state.
who?
Mr General looks so like Donald Sutherland
Was it "kiss me hardon"?
He has Ulysses S. Grant and Harry S Truman confused. Grant's middle name was Simpson.
Like Harry S Truman
"They couldn't hit an elephant with that cannon." or something like that. I haven't watched the video, so we'll see if my trivia knowledge is as good as I think it is.
Ulysses Sugartits Grant! Hahahahahaa!!!!
Beats Slugnipples I guess.
Homer Jay Simpson…
Obvious answer is right for once. That's unusual for QI.
No it isn't. What is unusual is that QI didn't find out the real dialog:
Sedgewick: "Why, my man, I am ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."
Soldier: "General, I dodged a shell once, and if I hadn't, it would have taken my head off. I believe in dodging."
Sedgewick: "All right, my man; go to your place."
-gets shot in face.
Jimmy Carr was right, the quote has been altered for comic effect.
Ulysses a great general? He needs to read more history
"Great", doesn't necessarily mean "good", it can mean they had a significant or wide-ranging impact.
gwishart it really does... just look at any definition of the word great, especially in an epitaph
1,000th like, nice
S stood for nothing at all. It was just his middle name. So it stood for his middle name. So his middle name is nothing at all then?
Hiram Ulysses Grant. "S" wasn't in his legal name at all. Point to me Qi
Who's yer wan?
S STOOD FOR SIMPSON!!!!!!! THE S IN HARRY S TRUMAN STOOD FOR THE FIRST INITIALS OF BOTH HIS GRANDFATHERS!!!!!!! THEY GOT THEIR PRESIDENTS MIXED UP!!!!!!!!!
hundred thousand men, imagine the pile of poo ever day
Why did he laugh about him being shot below the eye? Did I laugh when I read about Harold getting an arrow through the eye in 1066?
But Harold, as far as I am aware, didn't say just before: "Watch out, they'll have someone's eye out".
@@Loosehead I believe his last words were "Looks like it's going to be a great day for the Saxons, or my name isn't aaaaarrrghhhh"
Ulysses Ass Grant. I'm just putting it out there
Ulysses Ess Grant
Probably still better that H.U.G.
funny thing, stephen era questions were extremely complicated and specific, the new ones are extremely simple and dumb. Other than the clear intellectual difference between hosts, it looks like they dumbed down the program... huh