http://www.historynet.com/league-of-gentlemen-officers-of-the-17th-and-18th-centuries.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sun, 19 May 2013 02:58:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.historynet.com/league-of-gentlemen-officers-of-the-17th-and-18th-centuries.htm#comment-1025489 Frank Adam Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:58:11 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13686622#comment-1025489 The Fontenoy incident, "Messieurs les anglais, tirez les premiers," was not as daft as it sounds in an age when most musketeers were lucky to fire twice in a minute. He who fired first was disarmed whence the salute of firing cannon to prove you had disarmed in the same way as we shake hands or salute with the right hand to show no weapon which is why sinister - the Latin for left handed - is sinister. The Fontenoy incident, "Messieurs les anglais, tirez les premiers," was not as daft as it sounds in an age when most musketeers were lucky to fire twice in a minute.
He who fired first was disarmed whence the salute of firing cannon to prove you had disarmed in the same way as we shake hands or salute with the right hand to show no weapon which is why sinister – the Latin for left handed – is sinister.

]]> http://www.historynet.com/league-of-gentlemen-officers-of-the-17th-and-18th-centuries.htm#comment-824433 Red Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:21:07 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13686622#comment-824433 Actually, Cornwallis was given the same terms of capitulation that Lincoln did when he was forced to surrender Charles Town (now Charleston). Actually, Cornwallis was given the same terms of capitulation that Lincoln did when he was forced to surrender Charles Town (now Charleston).

]]> http://www.historynet.com/league-of-gentlemen-officers-of-the-17th-and-18th-centuries.htm#comment-819279 McMax Sun, 30 Sep 2012 23:50:00 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13686622#comment-819279 The reason for not letting the rank and file go after Yorktown was that after Saratoga the British just exchanged those soldiers with the garrison of Ireland and had an army to send back to America. By making Cornwallis’s troops POWs HM’s government didn’t have the manpower to replace them and it was one of the reasons for them to begin peace talks. The reason for not letting the rank and file go after Yorktown was that after Saratoga the British just exchanged those soldiers with the garrison of Ireland and had an army to send back to America. By making Cornwallis’s troops POWs HM’s government didn’t have the manpower to replace them and it was one of the reasons for them to begin peace talks.

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