As a member of the Protestant British squirearchy ruling Ireland, he was touchy about his Irish origins. When in later life an enthusiastic Gael commended him as a famous Irishman, he replied "A man can be born in a stable, and yet not be an animal.

I hate the whole race. There is no believing a word they say, your professional poets, I mean there never existed a more worthless set than Byron and his friends for example.

The Lord's prayer contains the sum total of religion and morals.

I attribute my success on the battlefield to always being on the spot to see and do everything for myself

Today when a man gets married he gets a home, a housekeeper, a cook, a cheering squad and another paycheck. When a woman marries, she gets a boarder. To define it rudely but not ineptly, engineering is the art of doing that well with one dollar, which any bungler can do with two after a fashion.

It is not the business of generals to shoot one another.

To define it rudely but not ineptly, engineering is the art of doing for 10 shillings what any fool can do for a pound