What Games Would the Common Soldier Have Played?

[Nick Sparks]

hey, first off if this is the wrong fourm for this post I appoligize, but I was wondering what kind of games would the common soilder have played while on campaign.

Thank you,

[Horace]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

What comes to mind is:

Chuck-A-Luck, also called 'Sweat' in the north. Six squares are painted on anything flat - a groundcloth works great, and each box gets a number. The men place their bets on one of the six squares and a roll of the dice determines the winning number. You'd also bet on separate boxes at the same time: high/low and over/under.

Cards: Seven Up. A game called 'Spoil Forty Five'. Plenty more.

Dice: There was a game called 'Hazard'. You can get up a dice game in a matter of seconds while on a rest during a march.

Dominoes. More of an after the march type of game.

Chess. I've read two accounts of men making making chess sets and playing, while on campaign. How they made a chess set under those conditions eludes me. One thought is picking up bullets and carving and pounding them, but you'd have to be quick about it, and you'd pretty much have to leave the set behind.

On the weight/bulk issue, cribbage was popular. I don't know if you'd want to bring a board on campaign. Faro was hugely popular but seems to me to be too elaborate to play on campaign.

In non- gambling mode there's wrestling, and 'tipping hats' where two guys try to knock each other's hat off while keeping theirs on.

These are just a few thoughts.

[42ndMissCoF]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

I've been reading a diary from an officer in the 42nd Mississippi and he refers to the game of knocks. Which i believe is a variant of Rummy. Here is a link to instructions on how to play: http://www.ehow.com/how_7729130_play-knock-rummy.html

[wade]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

Very interesting .
Is there a book describing how to play these gambling games.
Or can someone explain some more game rules

[Silas]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

Google has scoured the shelves of many universities, scanned a significant number of books and made them available for anyone to view. You just have to search for them. You'd be amazed at what you find if you looked on your own. Here's a hint at what you'd find if you searched for the word, Hoyle, and narrowed the search to books from 1800 to 1865 : https://www.google.com/search?q=hoyl...2F1865&tbm=bks

[LeftCoastYank]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

In terms of card games, in the nineteenth century faro was king. And it's actually very fun to play.

[WV_Reb]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

Chuck-a-Luck was a very popular game in camps, as were different card games.

[weed]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

The Most popular games were Chuk-A=Lick and Euker. (Faro was more of a game played in a Saloon in the West along with three card Monte) Racing, boxing and wresttling were also popular.

Attached are links to an article I wrote on "Period Games of Chance" and to by the late John Dewey. One on Period Boxing and one on Period Wrestling.

http://www.33dwisconsin.com/chance.pdf

http://www.33dwisconsin.com/pugilism.pdf

http://www.33dwisconsin.com/wrestling.pdf

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

This video of the Civil War Digital Digest goes through a simple version of Chuck A Luck or Chucker Luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJpe0HF9N8&index=13&list=PLm0U6xIHaOs-vdgbVEKc3ANaaM8DrwfpW

[Matthew Joe Mallory]

Re: What games would the common soilder have played

Pharo requires too much, I believe, for the common soldier to carry on the field. That being said, does anyone know of any accounts were a makeshift Pharo game was made, or perhaps some well-to-do officer carried around a Pharo set?