---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Captain, so close as he was, didn’t…"
description: "\"“The Captain, so close as he was, didn’t warrant their attention. Even a fly on a horse’s hindquarters gets a tail whip. And that is the thick of it. W..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/greever-williams-86571_civil-war_the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-wa_2053118.jpg"
---

#  The Captain, so close as he was, didn’t warrant their…

![“The Captain, so close as he was, didn’t warrant their attention. Even a fly on a horse’s hindquarters gets a tail whip. And that is the thick of it. We are less than flies to these foul foes.” quote by Greever Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/greever-williams-86571_civil-war_the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-wa_2053118.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/greever-williams-86571_civil-war_the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-wa_2053118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/greever-williams-86571_civil-war_the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-wa_2053118.jpg)

> ““The Captain, so close as he was, didn’t warrant their attention. Even a fly on a horse’s hindquarters gets a tail whip. And that is the thick of it. We are less than flies to these foul foes.””

Greever Williams

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even minor threats can be dangerous; enemies are relentless and overwhelming.

**In simple terms:** Small dangers matter against powerful foes.

Key Takeaway

Stay vigilant against seemingly minor threats.

Themes

danger power vigilance

Mood

tense cautious

Type

strategic narrative

When to use this quote

- battlefield
- political intrigue
- personal conflicts

Key Concepts

military strategy psychological warfare

Questions to Reflect On

- What small signs indicate larger danger?
- How can you maintain focus amid overwhelming odds?

A Different Perspective

Focus on minor threats may distract from larger strategy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Dark-fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-fiction/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/)

## Related quotes

> [“A horse’s hindquarters appeared at the door, the horse backing slowly down a ramp. “Buckwheat!” Emily squealed. “You bringed my horsie!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-clare/a-horse-s-hindquarters-appeared-at-the-door-the-horse-backing-slowly/)

[Pamela Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-clare/)

> [“I feed on fear. A certain biochemical reaction happens when a predator becomes prey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachai-blackthorn/i-feed-on-fear-a-certain-biochemical-reaction-happens-when-a-predator/)

Malachai Blackthorn

> [“I fell asleep that night in the arms of a killer. I'd never slept better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/i-fell-asleep-that-night-in-the-arms-of-a-killer-i-d-never-slept/)

[T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/)

> [“I see sarcastic and obscene visions of angels and demons flirting with the souls of men creating horror and deities in surreal worlds, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lemus/i-see-sarcastic-and-obscene-visions-of-angels-and-demons-flirting/)

[E.C. Lemus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-lemus/)

> [“We create our own hell, it is the sum of all our decisions - we are not sentenced, we condemn ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-estres/we-create-our-own-hell-it-is-the-sum-of-all-our-decisions-we-are-not/)

Gabrielle Estres

> [“You know what's worse than being a sick son-of-a-bitch? Knowing you're a sick son-of-a-bitch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/you-know-what-s-worse-than-being-a-sick-son-of-a-bitch-knowing-you-re/)

[T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/)

> [“For the first time in a long time a bit of something I was unfamiliar with crept up inside me. If I hadn’t known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-a-bit-of-something-i-was-unfamiliar/)

[T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/)

> [“An innocent breath of life comes from the deep of all darkness! It just takes a moment, an instant and right after, everything becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lemus/an-innocent-breath-of-life-comes-from-the-deep-of-all-darkness-it/)

[E.C. Lemus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-lemus/)

> [“He thrust into me as if he were trying to climb into my soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/he-thrust-into-me-as-if-he-were-trying-to-climb-into-my-soul/)

[T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/)

> [“She was my black rose, a broken angel I could hug and drift away with into peaceful oblivion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-c-scott-2/she-was-my-black-rose-a-broken-angel-i-could-hug-and-drift-away-with/)

[Jess C. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-c-scott-2/)

> [“My name is one best whispered in terror in a dark corner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cormier/my-name-is-one-best-whispered-in-terror-in-a-dark-corner/)

[Andrew Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cormier/)

> [“I'm afraid I'm going to look at your perfect face, and you're finally going to see me as the monster I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/i-m-afraid-i-m-going-to-look-at-your-perfect-face-and-you-re-finally/)

[T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/)

> [“In the illusion of delusion, between madness and lawlessness I exist. I dream about dreams, about illusions and disillusions and cold and madness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lemus/in-the-illusion-of-delusion-between-madness-and-lawlessness-i-exist-i/)

[E.C. Lemus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-lemus/)

> [“Sick, twisted Abby was in love with the sick, twisted, beautiful Jake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/sick-twisted-abby-was-in-love-with-the-sick-twisted-beautiful-jake/)

[T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/)

> [“We are all a little damaged, Bee. Some of us more than others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/we-are-all-a-little-damaged-bee-some-of-us-more-than-others/)

[T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/)

## More by Greever Williams

> [“You don’t have to go to church and sit in a pew to find faith. Look into the eyes of a newborn baby or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greever-williams/you-don-t-have-to-go-to-church-and-sit-in-a-pew-to-find-faith-look/)

Greever Williams

> [“Abby could smell his hot breath in her face. It reeked like dead apples left to rot in the scorching summer sun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greever-williams/abby-could-smell-his-hot-breath-in-her-face-it-reeked-like-dead/)

Greever Williams

Explore all 3 Greever Williams quotes

## More Civil war quotes

> [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/)

[Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/)

> [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/)

[Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/)

> [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/)

[Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/)

> [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/)

[Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/)

> [“Thinking about the weather was one way of shutting out of his mind the appalling bloody human mess sprawled out over the bed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ellis/thinking-about-the-weather-was-one-way-of-shutting-out-of-his-mind/)

[Mark Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ellis/)

> [It cost about 75 cents to kill a man in Ceasar's time. The price rose to about $3,000 per man during the Napoleonic wars;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-bone/it-cost-about-75-cents-to-kill-a-man-in-ceasar-s-time-the-price-rose/)

Homer Bone

> [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/)

[Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/)

> [“ “In the South, football is confused with religion, chivalry, the Civil War, and women.” -Diane Roberts, The Quotable South ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/in-the-south-football-is-confused-with-religion-chivalry-the-civil/)

[Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/)

> [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/)

[Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/)

> [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/)

[Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/)

> [You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/you-must-study-to-be-frank-with-the-world-frankness-is-the-child-of/)

[Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/)

> [“Civil wars...are the best wars for the writer...because they have a way of continuing long afterwl wars between nations are resolved; because, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/civil-wars-are-the-best-wars-for-the-writer-because-they-have-a-way/)

[Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/)

> [I am out of money,we are all out of money,but we dont need money down here- Dont need anything but Men , Muskets, Ammunition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-connolly/i-am-out-of-money-we-are-all-out-of-money-but-we-dont-need-money-down/)

James A. Connolly

> [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/)

[Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/)

> [“Only twenty - nine years in the entire human history had been without warfare, and now here he was too, travelling between the episodes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadeem-aslam/only-twenty-nine-years-in-the-entire-human-history-had-been-without/)

[Nadeem Aslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadeem-aslam/)

[Browse all 1,714 Civil war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The Captain, so close as he was, didn’t warrant their attention. Even a fly on a horse’s hindquarters gets a tail whip. And that is the thick of it. We are less than flies to these foul foes.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Greever Williams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greever-williams/the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-warrant-their-attention-even-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Civil war"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greever-williams/the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-warrant-their-attention-even-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/greever-williams-86571_civil-war_the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-wa_2053118.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/greever-williams-86571_civil-war_the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-wa_2053118.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/greever-williams-86571_civil-war_the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-wa_2053118.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Captain, so close as he was, didn’t warrant their attention. Even a fly on a horse’s hindquarters gets a…” — Greever Williams",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Greever Williams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greever-williams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The Captain, so close as he...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greever-williams/the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-warrant-their-attention-even-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greever-williams/the-captain-so-close-as-he-was-didn-t-warrant-their-attention-even-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
