An excerpt from Captain (later Colonel of the 176th NYV) Charles Nott of the 5th Iowa Cavalry’s book originally published in 1865, and later reprinted in the January 1970 CWTI p. 13 pp2. Here Captain Nott describes a scene at a rural Tennessee homestead in 1862. Capt. Nott wrote letters to the school that he regularly taught back in New York before the war. It was from these letters he used to publish his book in 1865.
”But dinner done, at this house I speak of, there came before me another little custom that may surprise some of my friends. The mother of the family took her pipe, which I had often seen before, and was not surprised at; but the daughter farthest from me dived down in her pocket and after rummaging there a minute brought a plug of tobacco, and then deliberately took a chew! The second and then third followed; and then the three young ladies drew up around the sacred heath (which some of their cousins were fighting to protect from the pollution of us Yankees) and indulged in a little social spitting. It is embarrassing if you are not used to it, to ask a country belle a question and then have her turn her head suddenly the other way and spit before she answers you. The first time we witnessed this interesting ceremony, a young officer of our party thought he would do something cool- he would ask a woman for a chew of tobacco. So, marching up, he said, “Miss, will you be so kind as to give me a chew of your tobacco?” The rest of us felt annoyed; but the girl quietly, and as a matter of fact, fumbled in her pocket and brought out the old plug.”
While an interesting observance, this is the second time I’ve heard of the word “cool” being used in a period primary resource written during the period, and the first I can actually remember coming across myself. It is interesting to note the CWTI editor wrote how Capt. Nott used “simple language suitable for high school pupils, and of a style better liked today than the usual flowery language of 1861-65.” Does anyone else have period references of “cool” being used, and if so I am wondering if there is a regional usage?
”But dinner done, at this house I speak of, there came before me another little custom that may surprise some of my friends. The mother of the family took her pipe, which I had often seen before, and was not surprised at; but the daughter farthest from me dived down in her pocket and after rummaging there a minute brought a plug of tobacco, and then deliberately took a chew! The second and then third followed; and then the three young ladies drew up around the sacred heath (which some of their cousins were fighting to protect from the pollution of us Yankees) and indulged in a little social spitting. It is embarrassing if you are not used to it, to ask a country belle a question and then have her turn her head suddenly the other way and spit before she answers you. The first time we witnessed this interesting ceremony, a young officer of our party thought he would do something cool- he would ask a woman for a chew of tobacco. So, marching up, he said, “Miss, will you be so kind as to give me a chew of your tobacco?” The rest of us felt annoyed; but the girl quietly, and as a matter of fact, fumbled in her pocket and brought out the old plug.”
While an interesting observance, this is the second time I’ve heard of the word “cool” being used in a period primary resource written during the period, and the first I can actually remember coming across myself. It is interesting to note the CWTI editor wrote how Capt. Nott used “simple language suitable for high school pupils, and of a style better liked today than the usual flowery language of 1861-65.” Does anyone else have period references of “cool” being used, and if so I am wondering if there is a regional usage?
Comment