Use of the Term "Civil War"

[Monte5364]

Re: Use of the Term "Civil War"

I find this interesting because I was thinking the same thing the other day. It seems to me from articles I have read from the time period in the New York Times that in the north the war for the most part was referred to as the rebellion during and after the war. As for Confederates or southerners after the war it was commonly referred to as the Lost Cause and during the war they called it The Second War for Independence and other variations of that. I got that info from journals I have read. Even Sam Watkins refers to it as the Lost Cause in his post war memiors.

[Monte5364]

Re: Use of the Term "Civil War"

I appologize for my previous post i forgot to sign my name so here it is....



Thomas Montefinise
119th NYSV Co. H

[hiplainsyank]

Re: Use of the Term "Civil War"

Jay-

While the governments of southern states voted to leave the Union, don't forget that large swaths of the population along the Appalachian mountains were not in favor of leaving the Union, and that in border states such as Missouri and Kentucky, there were many sad incidents like are seen in civil wars. There were families which were divided in their loyalties.

And while I have never confirmed this, I have heard that there were white regiments that fought for the Union from every southern state except for South Carolina. In many cases this was much more a civil war than the post-war tidying up led us to believe.

[RedDemon]

Re: Use of the Term "Civil War"

well when Grant was talking about Shilo and saying it was the must misunderstood battle '' on the war of rebelion''

[Auld Pelty]

Re: Use of the Term "Civil War"

Jay-

While the governments of southern states voted to leave the Union, don't forget that large swaths of the population along the Appalachian mountains were not in favor of leaving the Union, and that in border states such as Missouri and Kentucky, there were many sad incidents like are seen in civil wars. There were families which were divided in their loyalties.

And while I have never confirmed this, I have heard that there were white regiments that fought for the Union from every southern state except for South Carolina. In many cases this was much more a civil war than the post-war tidying up led us to believe.

Yes, but the vast majority of regiments were Confederate, except for previously mentioned Missouri and Kentucky. For example, in Texas, there were just four Union cavalry regiments. But, at one time, the Confederates raised 37 cavalry regiments, 28 infantry regiments, artillery units, and many thousands of volunteers in frontier battalions and other Texas State Troops. Several Confederate states raised more units (mostly regiments) than Texas and the proportion of Union troops was always small except for perhaps Tennessee (56). Alabama had just 6 Union regiments; Virginia -1; North Carolina-8; and South Carolina-5 (All black men).

http://www.civilwararchive.com/regim.htm

It would not have made sense for citizens of the Cotton States, or even Virginia or North Carolina, to refer to a Civil War. It would make more sense for Grant to call it the War of Southern Independence, but he probably did not. So, let's go back to research the question, what did the contemporaries call the War.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Use of the Term "Civil War"

Walt Whitman's works refer to it as the "War of Attempted Seccession".

Gen. J.E. Johnston's writings refer to it as the "War Against the States.".

Chris Rideout
Tampa, Florida