Word: aback
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Dates: during 1880-1889
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...Potomac was badly scattered in a wooded country where half its forces were useless. Jackson, by a long flank march, struck the isolated right wing under Howard a crushing blow and sent it reeling back upon the main army. This was a complete surprise, and took Hooker completely aback. He seemed dazed, and in this emergency was knocked senseless by a shell striking a post on which he was leaning. This accounts largely for his slow and comatose action during the rest of the battle. with very little to check him, Jackson was pressing forward and had almost pierced...
...very numerous questions. My name was one of the first, and, having given myself a final brace, I stepped proudly up to the table, conscious that I was the only American there and determined to sustain the honor of my country. I was, therefore, not a little taken aback when the individual with the pile of papers held out my passport to me and calmly told me that I could never enter the University on that passport; there was a mistake in it which must be set right again before they could be sure that I was an American citizen...
...taken aback for the moment by the suppressed passion of the words. Then she said, "Yes?" again, tenderly, interrogatively...
...disappearing up the stairs, her father came out of the office, and, without appearing to notice me, followed after. I confess I was somewhat taken aback: the office windows opened on the front balcony, and it was not improbable that he might have witnessed the some what startling finale to the evening's comedy. However, it could not be helped. As to his favor or disfavor, he was always a moody, eccentric sort of man, and I had no reason to think that he had ever liked me better than I had liked...