Civil War Lingo, Part 5: More Words and Phrases

This sequel to "Civil War Lingo: Birth of a New Language" presents more of the richly inventive expressions of the American Civil War (1861-65). The words and phrases fall into three broad categories: general language of the era, military terms, and soldiers' lingo.

General Language of the Era

Bounty jumper. One who enlisted as a soldier for a bounty (a financial reward given to recruits to induce their entry into the army) and then deserted. Some men enlisted and deserted many times.

Copperhead. A Northerner who sympathized with the South. The word had previously designated a venomous snake (since at least 1775) and any disliked person or group (since the early 1800s). The Civil War usage was already in place by July 1861.

Ladies' Aid Society. A Northern women's organization that sent clothing, bandages, and other items to soldiers.

Ladies' Gunboat Society. An organization of Southern women who raised funds to build ironclad ships. The first such society was established in New Orleans in 1861, with others soon following elsewhere. The societies collected money by sponsoring many events, the best-known type being the gunboat fair, a bazaar whose proceeds went toward building the ships. A ladies' gunboat was an ironclad built with funds from the societies.

War crop. A crop calculated to meet wartime needs, such as potatoes.

Military Terms

Adams hand grenade. A type of hand grenade patented by John S. Adams in early 1865. The grenade thrower wore a wrist strap attached to the priming pin; when he threw the grenade, the strap pulled the pin from the shell to ignite a fuse. However, if the pin did not emerge smoothly, the live grenade could easily end up at the thrower's own feet.

Excelsior hand grenade. A type of hand grenade patented by W.W. Hanes in 1862. Having an outer shell that could easily break apart, it was so dangerous to handle that only a few were made.