Infernal Column
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
So the corps of Latour d'Auvergne (1743-1800) — "the First Grenadier of France" — was called, from its terrible charges with the bayonet.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Infernal Column” mean?
So the corps of Latour d'Auvergne (1743-1800) — "the First Grenadier of France" — was called, from its terrible charges with the bayonet.
Is “Infernal Column” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.