1 of 47

Slide Notes

DownloadGo Live

Civil War Glossary

No Description

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

ABOLITIONIST

A PERSON WHO BELIEVED IN THE ABOLISHMENT OR ABOLITION OR NEGRO SLAVERY.

ARTILLERY

LARGE, POWERFUL WEAPONS SUCH AS CANNON MORTARS.

ASSASSINATION

THE MURDER OF A PROMINENT PERSON SUCH AS PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

BATTERY

A UNIT OF FOUR OR SIX CANNONS, OR A FORTIFIED POSITION ON WHICH THEY ARE PLACED.

BATTLE

LARGE SCALE COMBAT BETWEEN TWO ARMED FORCES (SKIRMISHES AND ENGAGEMENT ARE SMALLER SCALED AND BRIEFER.)
Photo by simononly

BLOCKADE

THE CLOSING OFF, USING NAVAL FORCES, OF A CITY OR OTHER AREA TO TRAFFIC AND COMMUNICATION.

BORDER STATE

SLAVE-OWNING STATES THAT DID NOT SECEDE FROM THE UNION: DELAWARE, KENTUCKY, AND MISSOURI.

CARTRIDGE BOX

A LEATHER BOX IN WHICH THE SOLDIER CARRIED HIS ROUNDS OR BULLETS.

CASUALTY

A PERSON KILLED, WOUNDED, CAPTURED, OR MISSING DURING THE WAR.

CAVALRY

SOLDIERS MOUNTED ON HORSEBACK FIGHTING AS A UNIT.
Photo by The U.S. Army

CHLOROFORM

THE LIQUID DRUG USED TO ANESTHETIZE (PUT TO SLEEP) WOUNDED SOLDIERS IN THE WAR.
Photo by dynamosquito

CONFEDERACY OR CSA

THE ALLIANCE OF 11 SOUTHERN STATES TO FORM THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.

CONTRABAND

GOODS ILLEGALLY TRADED DURING WARTIME. SLAVES WERE SOMETIMES CALLED CONTRABAND DURING THE WAR.

COPPERHEAD

A NORTHERN DEMOCRAT WHO AGREED WITH SOUTHERN SECESSION AND CLAMORED FOR PEACE DURING THE WAR.

DEPLOY

TO SPREAD OUT ARMIES TO CREATE A BATTLE LINE.

DESERTION

TO LEAVE ONE'S MILITARY POST, OR TO RUN AWAY FROM BATTLES, OFTEN PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.

DIXIE

SLANG TERM FOR THE CONFEDERACY, ALSO A POPULAR SOUTHERN SONG.

DRAFT OF CONSCRIPTION

THE SELECTION OF CITIZENS FOR MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE.

DRILL

THE PROCESS OF INSTRUCTION RECRUITS HOW TO MARCH AND PRACTICE THE MILITARY ARTS AS A UNIT.

DYSENTERY

AN OFTEN FATAL DISEASE OF THE HUMAN INTESTINES, USUALLY CAUSED BY UNSANITARY CONDITIONS OF MILITARY CAMPS AND BATTLE SITES.

ENVELOPMENT

AN ATTACK AGAINST THE FLANKS OF AN ENEMY'S ARMY, IN HOPES OF EVENTUALLY ENCIRCLING IT.

EMANCIPATION

THE FORMAL RELEASE OF SLAVES FROM BONDAGE, AS IT HAPPENED IN JANUARY 1863.

FLANKS

THE SIDES OF AN ARMY'S LINE IN BATTLE. A FLANKING MOVEMENT IS ATTACKING THE SIDES.

FORAGE

THE SEARCH FOR FOOD BY SOLDIERS OFTEN AT THE EXPENSE OF THE FARMERS IN A BATTLE AREA.

GREENBACK

PAPER MONEY USED DURING THE CIVIL WAR IN THE NORTH.

HARDTACK

A QUATER-INCH OR HALF-INCH THICK HARD CRACKER EATEN BY CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS. ALSO KNOWN AS BISCUITS, CRACKERS, AND ARMY BREAD..

HAVERSACK

CLOTH BAG USED BY SOLDIERS TO CARRY RATIONS AND FOOD

INFANTRY

FOOT SOLDIERS MARCHING AND FIGHTING TOGETHER. THE VAST MAJORTY OF CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS WERE INFANTRY.

IRONCLAD

A SHIP COVERED WITH IRON PLATES AND USED IN THE CIVIL WAR, IN THE FAMOUS MERRIMAC VS. MONITOR FIRST EVER NAVAL BATTLES BETWEEN THE IRONCLADS IN 1862. THEY REVOLUTIONIZED NAVAL WARFARE.

MAIN ATTACK

THE BIG, CONCENTRATED ATTACK AGAINST THE ENEMY'S WEAK OR CRITICAL POINT.

MINIE BALL

THE STANDARD RIFLE BULLET USED IN THE WAR. FROM FRANCE, IT MADE THE RIFLE MORE ACCURATE AND LED TO STAGGERING CASUALTIES.

PICKET

ONE OR MORE SOLDIERS RESPONSIBLE FOR GUARD DUTY, ALWAYS WATCHFUL FOR ENEMY APPROACH

RANK

MILITARY LEADERSHIP IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE AND DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBILITIES USUALLY PRIORITIZED FROM THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF (PRESIDENT) GENERAL OFTHE ARMY, LT. GENERAL, MAJOR GENERAL, BRIGADIER, COLONEL, MAJOR, CAPTAIN, LIEUTENANT. 1ST SERGEANT, CORPORAL, PRIVATE

RATIONS

MILITARY TERM FOR FOOD

REBEL OR CONFEDERATE, BUTTERNUT, GRAYBACK, JOHHNY REB, OR REB

A SLANG TERM FOR A SOLDIER FIGHTING FOR THE SOUTH.

RECRUIT

A SOLDIER WHO HAS JUST SIGNED UP TO BE A SOLDIER AND IS WITHOUT BATTLE EXPERIENCE

RIFLED MUSKET

THE STANDARD INFANTRY WEAPON USED IN THE WAR. USUALLY .58 OR .577 CALIBER, THE "RIFLE" FIRED A MINIE BALL THROUGH A SPIRAL GROOVED BARREL, SPINNING THE BULLET FOR MORE VELOCITY AND ACCURACY

SALT PORK

THE MOST COMMON MEAL RATION DURING THE WAR, ALONG WITH HARDTACK AND COFFE. THE PORK WAS SALTED TO PRESERVE IT.

SECEDE

TO WITHDRAW FROM THE UNION, AS 11 SOUTHERN STATES DID IN 1860-1861. DURING THE WAR, SOUTHERNERS WERE FREQUENTLY CALLED "SECESH" BY NORTHERNS.

STRATEGY

THE ART OF MILITARY COMMAND AS TO AN OVERALL PLAN OF WAR. HOW TO DEPLOY TROOPS AND WHERE TO DEPLOY TROOPS ARE COMPONENTS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING.

SUTLER

DRY GOODS SALESMEN WHO TRAVELED WITH THE NORTHERN ARMIES. CONSIDERED NECESSARY FOR THE PROVISION OF EXTRA ITEMS FOR THE SOLDIERS, SULTERS OFTEN CHEATER AND OVERCHARGE MILITARY CUSTOMERS.

TACTICS

THE ART OF MANEUVERING TROOPS ON A BATTLEFIELD

TORPEDO

CIVIL WAR TERM FOR AN UNDERWATER MINE THAT EXPLODED. USED ON RIVERS TO DEFEND AGAINST ENEMY SHIPS.

TURNING MOVEMENT

A MILITARY TACTIC. SENDING TROOPS AROUND THE ENEMY'S FLANK (SIDE) TO ATTACK HIS LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS IN THE REAR OF HIS BATTLE LINE

UNION

THE COLLECTION OF 23 NORTHERN STATES WHICH FOUGHT THE REBELLIOUS CONFEDERACY DURING THE CIVIL WAR. ALSO CALLED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

YANK OR THE BLUE, FEDERALS, OR BILLY YANK

TERM FOR SOLDIER WHO FOUGHT FOR THE UNION

ZOUAVE

SOLDIERS IN COLORFUL UNIFORMS PATTERNED AFTER THE FRENCH INFANTRY SOLDIERS, AND WHO SPECIALIZED IN PRECISION DRILLING