quotes on "Last Words"

Duty Honor Country

Duty Honor Country

Active member
Some of the more intersting quotes come from men who are about to die. Here are a few to start things off.

"What! What! Men dodging this way from a single bullet! I am ashamed of you. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance..."
Union MAJ GEN John Sedwick at Spotsylvania as he tried to motovate soldiers of an artillery battery who were pinned down by Confederate sniper fire. He was shot in the head and killed as he was speaking

A British regular confronted Jame Hayward durring the retreat from the battle of Lexington. The British soldier pointed his musket at Hayward and said "you're a dead man." Hayward raised his weapon and said "so are you." They fired together.

"I have always desired to die on Sunday"
Stonewall Jackson before he died on May 10, 1863

"This is the Fourth?"
Thomas Jefferson woke during the night of July 3, 1826 and asked that question. His attendant told it was to comfort him. He smiled, went back to sleep and died on July 4th.

"Tell the men to fire faster and not to give up the ship; fight her till she sinks."
James Lawrence, U.S. Navy officer who commanded the frigate Chesapeake in a naval battle during the War of 1812. Mortally wounded, he was carried below.

"Sergeant, the Spanish bullet isn't made that will kill me."
Captain Buckey O'Neill stood with his troops just prior to Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Rider charge up Kettle Hill. A sergeant had warned O'Neill that a bullet would hit him.

"This is too tight."
Confederate Captain Henry Wirz as he swung from the gallows. Captain Wirz was incharge of Andersonville POW camp where thousands of union troops died. He was the only man from the Civil War to be convicted of war crimes
 
"The Lord God is my Armour!"
- Gustavus Adolphus, refusing the steel body armour offered by his aides.
At the Battle of Lützen (where he was killed), 16. September 1632.
The reason he didn't want to wear armour is that he had been wounded in Dirschau, Poland,
and couldn't wear armour because of that wound.
He refused to stay in camp despite that he couldn't wear armour.
Click to expand...

Got a few more here:
http://www.military-quotes.com/funny-quotes-2.htm

It could be interesting to make a "Famous Last Words" section on the site..
 
Redleg said:
It could be interesting to make a "Famous Last Words" section on the site..
Click to expand...

Here are a few more Redleg

"I am reconciled to my death, but I detest the mode" British Major John Andre when he saw that he was to be hung as a spy rather than shot like a soldier. Andre was caught in civilian cloths near West Point during the Arnold affair.

"Only bear witness that I died like a brave man" the last words of Major Andre.

"must I die?" "Poor General Burgoyne! Oh, fatal ambition." British General Fraser on his death bed after the battle of Saratoga in 1777. General Arnold ordered his rifel men to kill him.

"That gallant officer is General Fraser. I admire him, but it is necessary that he should die. Do your duty." Dan Morgan after Arnold told him to shoot General Fraser.

"It is the duty of every good soldeir to obey any order from his commander in chief." Nathan Hale addressing a group of British soldiers before being hung as a spy. He urged the soldiers to be ready to meet death in whatever shape it may appear. Hale was caught spying in New York.
 
Ah these quotes are great. Not related to last words but taken from the link provided and I think they are tip top.

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy."
- Attributed to General Tommy Franks

"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time"
- Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC
 
im going to go slightly OT and use what spike milligan hoped would be his last words (he actually had this engraved on his headstone):

I told you i was sick
 
"Cover my body with your shields." - General Lee Sun-shin instructed his lieutenants to hide the fact that he had died during the course of the battle, fearing the enemy would halt their retreat if they found out. His forces won the final battle and the war.
 
Captain Nathan Hale.
Captured and about to be hung for espionage he said, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."
 
Famous last words

(Well - it's new to me -I'm English!) :-


Nonsense - they couldn't hit an elephant from that distance!

- Maj Gen John Sedgwick.(civil war)
 
It seems it was a sad loss- reportedly his men loved him - their Uncle John. Reportedly also he was a brave warrior, shot up many times in that fearsome war and the Indian wars.
 
Last edited:
Hahaha. Reminds me of the Mitch Hedberg joke. "Yeah. I was never really good at golf...I hit a guy once...You know you're supposed to yell 'Fore!' but I was too busy mumbling 'aint no way that's gonna hit him.'"
 
I don't know if this one counts here - but I always like the tombstone epitaph in one of the wild west towns - 'He Had it Coming'!

I often tell my cousin Larry that I'm saving it for him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top