---
title: '"Gas and glory" (Currier lithograph, 1852)'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/gas-and-glory-pierce-1852/
description: 'Two framed scenes: at left, ''New Hampshire'', Pierce drills militia volunteers, shouting ''Forward!''; at right, ''Mexico'', he trails the troops holding his…'
section: Collection
---

[Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)

[!["Gas and glory" (Currier lithograph, 1852)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/gas-and-glory-pierce-1852.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/gas-and-glory-pierce-1852.jpg)

# "Gas and glory" (Currier lithograph, 1852)

Two framed scenes: at left, 'New Hampshire', Pierce drills militia volunteers, shouting 'Forward!'; at right, 'Mexico', he trails the troops holding his stomach and asking to resign. The pairing sets his drilling of militia volunteers against his Mexican War service; it is a single satirical contrast, not a presentation of selected claims, so it carries no card-stacking tag. The title 'Gas and glory' is the label that does the work (name-calling).

## Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
[Left panel, soldier at far left:]
Capting Pierce where them Britishers! darn their skins just show em to a feller! will ye?

[Left panel, Pierce:]
Forward! my brave Compatriots preserve but that undaunted front, and victory is ours.--

[Right panel, Pierce:]
Oh! how bad I feel, and every Step I go forward, I feel worse. I've got such a pain in the abdomen I must resign my Command and go home.

[Right panel, soldier:]
Come along General Pierce! heres them ere enemies you used to talk about on trainin days down East. Hurry up and lick em.

[Panel captions:]
New Hampshire.          Mexico.

[Title:]
GAS AND GLORY.

[Imprint:]
For sale at N°2 Spruce St. N.Y.
```

Read from a 640 px derivative; the speech boxes are small and a few words (for example 'Capting', 'ere', 'trainin') are read together with the LOC summary quoting them. The lithographer's credit, if any, is not legible.

[← "The game-cock & the goose" (Yankee Notions lithograph, 1852)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/game-cock-and-goose-scott-pierce-1852/) ["Great footrace for the presidential purse ($100,000 and pickings) over the Union Course 1852" (Currier lithograph) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/great-footrace-presidential-purse-1852/)

## Using the same techniques

- [Behistun (Bisotun) rock relief and trilingual inscription of Darius I: the king, two attendants and the bound rebel leaders beneath the winged figure of Ahuramazda](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/behistun-relief-darius-and-rebels-521bce/) (Achaemenid Empire · 0000 · Card stacking, Name-calling, Testimonial). Content note: Shows bound captives before the king, and the inscription records the mutilation and public execution of rebel leaders, as the king's own account.
- [Passional Christi und Antichristi: the emperor kisses the pope's foot (leaf 'Antichristus')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passional-christi-antichristi-emperor-kisses-pope-1521/) (Electoral Saxony · 1521 · Name-calling, Card stacking)
- [Anacoana fut pendue sans raison (engraving in Le miroir de la cruelle et horrible tyrannie espagnole)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/anacoana-hanged-miroir-tyrannie-espagnole-1620/) (Dutch Republic · 1620 · Fear appeal, Name-calling). Content note: Engraving of a hanged, bare-breasted Taino woman, burning huts and people being killed by Spanish soldiers.
- [Ondersoeckt de Geesten, ofse van den Duyvel syn, of niet (the De Witt brothers as devils)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/ondersoeckt-de-geesten-de-witt-devils-1672/) (Dutch Republic · 1672 · Scapegoating, Name-calling)
- [The Highlanders Medley, or The Duke Triumphant (A Loyal Song)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/highlanders-medley-duke-triumphant-1746/) (Great Britain · 1746 · Name-calling, Transfer)
- [The North Briton, No. XLV, 23 April 1763 (John Wilkes), opening page](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/north-briton-no-45-wilkes-1763/) (Kingdom of Great Britain · Apr 23, 1763 · Name-calling)
- [The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/revere-bloody-massacre-king-street-1770/) (Province of Massachusetts Bay · Mar 1770 · Name-calling, Card stacking). Content note: Hand-coloured engraving of bloodied dead and wounded colonists after soldiers fired on a crowd.
- [Marche du Dom Quichotte moderne pour la deffence du Moulin des Abus (March of the Modern Don Quixote in Defence of the Mill of Abuses)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/dom-quichotte-moulin-des-abus-1791/) (France · 1791 · Name-calling, Transfer)