*STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

[tenthmo]

Can anyone trace the history of the "F" word and WAS it used by the soldiers during the Civil War?

[Edit. Going to reopen this thread because it does bring up a subject of historical value. References to HBO and Deadwood aren't a real good lead in though so Dusty has struck that below. -PC]

A friend was watching a sneak preview of a new HBO series due to come out later this month called DEADWOOD. It is based on the western town of 1876.

My friend commented on the use of the F word by characters in the drama.
I told him I thought the F word was around in 1876 and in particular during the Civil War, but am not 100% sure.
Can anyone trace the history of the F word and WAS it used by the soldiers during the Civil War?
(I read THE STORY SOLDIERS WOULDN'T TELL some years ago, but don't recall use of F word)
I hope someone can clarify this, as my friend claims the use of the F word in the HBO drama DEADWOOD is only put in for sensationalism and ratings. :)

Just to clarify and no disrepect intended, the F word I am referring to is the slang for fornicate.

Robert, this topic in no way furthers authentic reenacting. There are other forums out there where people can answer this type of question. Edited for Farb content. - Mike Chapman

[paulcalloway]

Re: Use of F word during Civil War

As Craig Hadley points out in his article on period swear words, the use of the word was common throughout the war and well before.

The American Heritage Dictionary has a lengthy write-up on the etymology of this word:

The obscenity fuck is a very old word and has been considered shocking from the first, though it is seen in print much more often now than in the past. Its first known occurrence, in code because of its unacceptability, is in a poem composed in a mixture of Latin and English sometime before 1500. The poem, which satirizes the Carmelite friars of Cambridge, England, takes its title, “Flen flyys,” from the first words of its opening line, “Flen, flyys, and freris,” that is, “fleas, flies, and friars.” The line that contains fuck reads “Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk.” The Latin words “Non sunt in coeli, quia,” mean “they [the friars] are not in heaven, since.” The code “gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk” is easily broken by simply substituting the preceding letter in the alphabet, keeping in mind differences in the alphabet and in spelling between then and now: i was then used for both i and j; v was used for both u and v; and vv was used for w. This yields “fvccant [a fake Latin form] vvivys of heli.” The whole thus reads in translation: “They are not in heaven because they fuck wives of Ely [a town near Cambridge].”

I've seen it in Civil War correspondence - letters home, diaries. Actually, I recall one fellow writing home to his wife and telling her how common "F***ing" the local girls was in the camps. Pretty striking... that letter was posted on the old AC and unfortunately that database isn't available.

Source: The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
Source: The F Word, Second Edition; Jesse Sheidlower, 1999.

[Justin Runyon]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

This was posted on the Old AC before the crash. Unfortunately the source of the letter was not posted with it. Tabor Parcher served with Co. B 10th Vermont Inf. He writes home to his wife in Waterbury. Posted here by Pauls request.

3rd Division 6th Army Corp.
Camp near Culpepper C.H. VA April 3rd 1864

.April 3,1864

Dear Sarah,
I will write you a few words to day seeing as it is sunday & I have got my house remodeled over so it is pretty cumfitable now.
I received my box to day every thing come nice, but I would have liked more sugar for it seams that what you sent wont be half the test but I will have to be contented with it. It seams as if you paid more than you nead to express on for it did not weigh but 43 lbs & I though they could send 50 lbs for $4.50 but it seems as though they cannot. How much did it cost you in the wholl for every thing & how much money have you paid for stuff, stamps & and all to send to me since I came out here. Please will you tell me or as near as you can. I think it must be near 25 dollars now & and I doant know but what it is more, but I suppose you can tell very near, and I wish you would, or as near as you can.
The boys are building the officers some houses to day. They had none. It seems to bad to leave such good quarters as we did down there & move into such poor ones was we had to here.
Thare is no news to write. I did not find my files in my box from Jerome. He was some disappointed. I wish I had got my box yesterday. If I had, I could have had some waxed sugar for sure. There was plenty of it but it is all gone now. It is quite warm today the mud drying fast.
Well, now I will write a little in answer to you last letters which I neglected to do in my last. How sickly it is thare in Vermont. If it was as sickly here in the armey as it is thare I don?t know what we would do. I hope you & the boy will be well this spring. How are Rufe & Liddy getting along with their sparkling? I wonder if George White got down to Washington. If I was out of this, I could make my fortune in 2 years. It is the place to make money in the world.
You wanted to know why I don?t say who is going to have a baby. Well thare is three girls that are a going to have babies that I know. Hon. John Minor Bottss girl is going to have one. She is a pretty nice girl of about 20 years of age. The safeguard knocked her up. I wish it had been me. She was one of the first girls in this vicinity before she got fucked & it doesn?t make much difference now. Well another one is Sarah France. She lives near the Picket line at Poney Mountain. She is about 3 1/2 months along. So she told me last time that I saw her & the other is Alis Poland she lives near the right of this divisions? Picket line. She, I am not much acquainted with but I have seen her. I guess it is about you say they fuck so much that they can?t have babies but there are three girls that I know near hear that wont fuck for money, love, or anything else & such a thing as the clap they are pretty much free from. There are not half so many with the clap hear than there were at Conrad?s Ferry or Rockville or even Brattleboro. That was the rottenest hole that ever was, & so was Poolesville, but the clap is nothing a man can fat on, but I suppose it goes harder with women.
Well I doant know if I have not written enough of such stuff but before I get through you will hear more of it. I wish I was at home now I believe I would go up the brook & see what them Nebraska women are made of, but I don?t believe that I would drink much rum for I doant like it very well.
You say while the soldiers were at home they got all they wanted. You doant think that a soldier would do such a thing as screw do you? I don?t think that Parker started many revivals in the armey, as the one you wrote of is the first that I heard about. I did not go hear him while he was here. I don?t go to meeting much. I have a paper of the proceedings of town meetings so you will not need to send eny. You need not fear of the Rebs going into Maryland again this spring. Nothing would suit better. We had rather fight them there than in the place they are now. Lee is fortifying now as fast as he can but we may go there. You say you wanted a balmorial but I doant know what that is. If you want one I doant see why you doant get one. You think Deck looks better too. So do I. I am so fat, a great deal fatter than I ever was before. I weigh 180 pounds. I did not think I was so fat until I was weighed. Well I wont write any more to night for I have got to write to Ned, so good-bye.

Tabor

[Holy Joe]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

Sir,

I humbly suggest reading thru the 1811 dictionary of the vulgar tongue;

It's online at

http://www.blackmask.com/books82c/dcvgrdex.htm

and

http://www.harvestfields.netfirms.com/etexts/31/00.htm

I would also suggest using the search feature, as Mr. Calloway posted a list of period vulgarities here;

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/printthread.php?t=1865

[Hank Trent]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

One thing worth noting is that the references given above for "fuck" use it as a synonym for sex, and that fits in with what I've seen. It was around, but not in use as a widespread, nonspecific, all-purpose adjective, verb, noun, etc., the way it's used today.

So it would be typical to say: "I want to fuck that girl," but not, "That fucking girl wouldn't give me any pie."

Does anyone have period examples of "fuck" used other than as a synonym for sexual intercourse?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[paulcalloway]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

That is an excellent point Hank. I had not picked up on that.

[Tom Ezell]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

That is an excellent point Hank. I had not picked up on that.

I don't mean to imply that I've done an exhaustive search, but every period use of the term that I have found so far refers to the act of copulation -- not the all-purpose, fungible term that it became in the mid-20th century. Lowrey's "The Story the Soldiers Wouldn't Tell" contains several references, and John Tobey's little paper in the CRRC on how to cuss Civil War-style makes a passing observation...

Tom

[Dignann]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

Justin,

Any chance you might know what the provenance for that letter is? Repository, book, etc?

Great letter, and the reference to John Minor Botts' daughter is intriguing.

Eric

[pvtRB_4thOVI]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

I read part of the novel "The Titans",which is a Civil War novel, forget the author's name, but in the book, the F word is used in a non-sexual manner. It was something like "Shut your fucking face" or something like that. I'll check to make sure I'm right. I don't know how historically accurate the book is, I never finished reading it.

[KarinTimour]

Creative Cursing?

Gentlemen:

In period terms I'm rarely found in military camp, so this may already be occurring, just not when I"m in earshot.

However, I've always wondered about "masters of the vulgar tongue" -- from time to time you read about someone in a diary or memoir remembering a teamster or a sergeant who was absolutely creative in his use of cursing -- and when moved to anger would get to chin wagging that caused his hearers to marvel, stand back and enjoy as the words rolled over the unfortunate who was the target of his wrath. Mark Twain mentions some of these folks in retrospect -- of course his writing is all post-war,but it might be a source for someone to start who wanted to build skills in this area.

THAT would be a period talent worth cultivating (depending on your impression, of course.....).

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[ElizabethClark]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

If it "The Titans" is a novel written during the period, that would make it a possible source. If it is a modern novel (as I assume from your post, wondering how accurate it is), then it doesn't fall into the pool of reference.

[tenthmo]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

:(
I appreciate the response and apologize if I've offended or was out of line with my questioning. It was not my intention to be Farby. In the future, if I post another message I will take better care to edit myself.

I wish to thank all the people who looked into the F word subject and will pass the info to my friend. I'd placed a bet with him.

[Edit: Mr. Robert Talbot - It's not the end of the world, but we do try to keep things on a scholarly bent around here. Please make sure you sign you name to your posts as well.... that's best accomplished by putting it in your signature file in your User CP and forgetting about it. - PC]

[Justin Runyon]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

As mentioned in my earlier post, the original poster did not cite a source for the letter, so I dont know where it can be found currently.

The question in my mind has always been this, and of course the possible answers are pure conjecture, but what would cause Tabor to speak so candidly about other women to is own wife? I know every relationship is a bit different, and truth be told I may have been able to get away with that in the past, but it certainly puts a damper on the old uneducated theory of victorian piety and the like.

All and all its always been one of my favorite letters especially juxtaposed with the Sullivan Ballou letter which also starts with "Dear Sarah" but is quite a different sort of missive. Ive always liked those two letters sitting side by side.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

Mr. Runyon, that struck me about the letter, too... I'm a relaxed, secure sort, who would likely deal just fine with my husband writing home from war on such a topic--I'd actually interpret it as his missing marital affection, more than generalize lust--but he is very blunt, isn't he?

On mule drivers, there's a fellow who lived out here in the Utah/Idaho territories who worked as a driver from his early teens; when criticized as a man for his rather startling language, he informed the complainer that what he uttered now was the very small remnant of a much more impressive vocabulary, and should not offend, could the complainer only know what the unexpurgated version sounded like.

Has anyone come across period quotes of drivers--perhaps in the novels or papers of the time? While I don't care to use the language myself, it's interesting to me to read truly creative cussing. :)

[Fod]

Re: *STRONG LANGUAGE* Use of F word during Civil War

Off the f word a bit, but regarding mule driver invective, ...here's something from out west, not war time, but illustrative of the mindset:

"...No good and just God would make desert and mules, and skinners to drive 'em, and then put a crimp in the whole game by killin' the skinner for talkin' to the mules in the only language they can understand. Do you suppose a mule would know what to do when a skinner addressed him with: 'Dorothy, my dear, would you be kind enough to remove your hoof from that nearest trace chain, and having finished your survey of the valley, proceed with your onward march!'
Well, hardly. Dorothy would think she had a new driver and would at once take the opportunity to kick her mate over the bank, tangle the harness, and knock hell out of the wagon with her two hind feet. You couldn't blame Dorothy. You wouldn't know what to do yourself if someone told you in Chinese there was a big gold strike in Kalamazoo.
Now if the driver says: 'Gid up, Doll! Damn your old rat-tailed carcass. Untangle that hoof, you slab-sided, good-fornothin', sage-eatin', raw-boned, ring-tailed, long-eared bunch of meanness,' then you can see the team start. Of course it starts. It knows what's wanted, and it moves on..."

found at http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/st...management.pdf