Civil War connections to everyday life

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

This is a thread that once started, I think would be quite interesting to see what everyone comes up with.

I'm looking for things that you come across in everyday life that are connected to the Civil War. Whether it be a name, a person, a product, an expression, etc.

A couple of examples generated in another thread are chapstick, Dr. Pepper, and Coca-Cola (all are connected to Confederate veterans).

Here are the ones I've come across-

Chapstick-

"Dr. C. D. Fleet, a physician from Lynchburg, Virginia, invented Chapstick or lip balm in the early 1880s. Fleet made the Chapstick himself that resembled a small wickless candle wrapped in tin foil.

Fleet sold his recipe to fellow Lynchburg resident John Morton in 1912 for five dollars after failing to sell enough of the product to make it worth his continued efforts. Morton along with his wife started production of the pink Chapstick in their kitchen. Mrs. Morton melted and mixed the ingredients and then used brass tubes to mold the sticks. The business was successful and the Morton Manufacturing Corporation was founded on the sales of Chapstick."

Actually his name was Charles Brown Fleet and as a young man he served in the Fredricksburg Artillery. In his post war writings he states that his unit opened up the cannonade preceeding Pickett's Charge, and that his unit was fired the last Confederate artillery shot at Appomattox at the end of the war.

One of his products that bears his name are enemas, you may have heard of "Fleet enemas", the company is located here in Lynchburg and has a strong business in pharmaceutical products.

When you pass by the pharmacy isle in your local grocery store and notice the various Fleet products, remember the young Confederate Fleet who served his gun throughout the Civil War.

Dr. Pepper (Softdrink) Dr. Charles T. Pepper 1830-1903

Charles Pepper was born in Montgomery County, Virginia in 1830. He later earned a medical degree from the University of Virginia and served as a surgeon for the Confederacy during the Civil War. After the war, Pepper settled with his family in the town of Rural Retreat where he practiced medicine and opened Dr. Pepper's Drug Store. According to legend, it was there where he employed Wade Morrison, who would later become the co-founder of Dr. Pepper.

Coca-cola

Was invented by a Confederate veteran named Pemberton (I think that was his name), not the famous Pemberton but an officer from Columbus, Georgia. He sold the recipe/company to another Columbus family who got tremendously well off from it (have a Coke and smile). One of their ancestors was a significant donor to our museum in Columbus.

Any others?

Greg Starbuck

[FortyRounder]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

With regard to US military units that trace their lineages back to the Civil War, many of our mottos have origins in that conflict. For example, the 13th Infantry (now a basic training unit at Ft. Jackson, SC) uses "Forty Rounds" as a greeting and all-purpose phrase. The 13th was a part of the 15th Army Corps during the War and wore a corps badge that featured a cartridge box with "forty rounds" on the flap. Also, Gen. Sherman authorized the 13th to put "First at Vicksburg" on their colors after their gallantry in the May 1863 assault. 141 years later the regimental motto is still "First at Vicksburg." (Sherman was the first colonel of the 13th and his son was an honorary sergeant in the regiment.)

The 14th Infantry's motto is "The Right of the Line." According to legend, at some point during the war Gen. Meade was asked where the 14th should be placed in a review. His answer was "take the right of the line," the post of honor.

The motto of the 19th Infantry is "The Rock of Chickamauga." There are undoubtedly other examples but these come readily to mind.

[tomarch]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

Let's not forget all the times we have been asked at work to "Hold the Fort" ( based on Gen.Sherman's signal to Corse at Altoona) :D

[courier]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

How about the mascot name of Colleges.I'll start with the Badgers,Wolverines,etc.I know these are state nicknames but some stem from the CW.
Regards,Richard Harris

[FriendlyFire104]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

The saying "keep it under your hat" from what I understand came from the civil war. The story goes when a unit was passing through an apple orchard the soldiers were told not to pick the red fruit. Despite this, they picked the apples and concealed them under their hats.

Also "I heard it through the grapevine" refers to the civil war telegraph system.

Bob Spellman

[JWolf]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

The Army's institute of Heraldry keeps track of all unit emblems, crests/coats of arms, shoulder sleeve insignia, motto, etc. For each emblem it also states the meaning for each icon/color.

https://www.perscomonline.army.mil/tagd/tioh/tioh.htm

In looking at their site at it seemed that most of the regiments that had served in the Civil War had referenced it in their badges or motto.

A couple examples-

I Corps still uses a version of the I Corps, Army of the Potomic badge

The 3rd Infantry Regiment Has three white maltese crosses on its coat of arms, refering to service in Sykes Regular Division. There were a couple other regiments that also had a white Matese cross incorperated into their coat of arms.

13th Infantry Regimental Crest/Coat of Arms: General Sherman was its first Colonel and General Sheridan one of its original Captains. The four blue and white bars of the shield are the old and the present infantry colors and indicate the four wars in which the regiment has participated. The saltire cross is from the Confederate battle flag with the color change from blue to red. The billets are the shoulder straps of the two generals which this regiment has raised. The crest is the corps badge of the 15th Corps of the Civil War and the motto is the proud designation given the regiment by General Grant.

19th Infantry

Motto: THE ROCK OF CHICKAMAUGA.

Symbolism: The 19th Infantry was organized in 1861 and the principal charge on the shield is a reproduction of the regimental insignia of that period. The three stars commemorate the three wars in which the regiment has participated, the Civil and Spanish wars, and the Philippine Insurrection. The crest symbolizes the great achievement of the regiment at the Battle of Chickamauga, 1863, when it formed part of General Thomas' command which earned the name of the Rock of Chickamauga. At the end of the second day (September 20th) there were four officers and fifty-one men for duty and the regiment was commanded by a second lieutenant. The strap of a second lieutenant is shown on the rock.

1ST ENGINEER BATTALION

Distinctive Unit Insignia.
*** **** Symbolism: This regiment has a continuous history from 1846 when Company "A" was organized. At that time the color of the facings of the Corps was black, which has therefore been taken as the color of the field of the shield. Company B was organized in 1861 and both companies served throughout the Civil War in the Army of the Potomac where they were engaged in pontoon bridge building. The Civil War service is represented by the badge of the Engineers and Pontoniers of the Army of the Potomac, an anchor behind two crossed oars in silver. The two crescents are taken from the arms of General Winfield Scott (a silver star between two silver crescents on a bend) and show the service of Company A in Mexico under that General. During World War I, the regiment was cited by the French government for distinguished service at Menil-la-Tour, Cantigny and Soissons. The bend on the chief is taken from the arms of Lorraine where Menil-la-Tour is situated. Cantigny is in Picardy and the lion is from the arms of that province, while the fleur-de-lis is from the arms of Soissons. The indented partition line represents the entrenchments constructed during World War I, while the colors red and white are the present colors of the Corps of Engineers.

[FWL]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

The Army's institute of Heraldry keeps track of all unit emblems, crests/coats of arms, shoulder sleeve insignia, motto, etc. For each emblem it also states the meaning for each icon/color.

https://www.perscomonline.army.mil/tagd/tioh/tioh.htm

In looking at their site at it seemed that most of the regiments that had served in the Civil War had referenced it in their badges or motto.

Lets not forget one of the most famous Old Abe the Screaming Eagle Go Airborne! see below



SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA. Description:. On a shield 2-1/2 inches in height overall, sable the head of a bald eagle proper. A black and yellow airborne tab is attached above the insignia.

Symbolism: The design is based on one of the Civil War traditions of the State of Wisconsin, this State being the territory of the original 101st Division. The black shield recalls the old "Iron Brigade" one of whose regiments possessed "Old Abe", the famous war eagle.

Background: The insignia was originally approved for the 101st Division on 23 May 1923. It was redesignated for the 101st Airborne Division on 28 August 1942, then redesignated for the 101st Air Cavalry Division on 5 August 1968, and on 10 September 1968 it was redesignated for the 101st Airborne Division.

DISTINCTIVE UNIT INSIGNIA. Description: . On and over a medium blue disc, a black demi-eagle with white head, wing details, eye and beak gold, in downward flight issuing from a white cloud in sinister base, all above a gold scroll bearing the motto "Rendezvous With Destiny" in black letters.

Symbolism: The design was suggested by the Division's authorized shoulder sleeve insignia, the black eagle alluding to "Old Abe" an actual eagle carried into combat during the Civil War by one of the regiments of the old "Iron Brigade" from the State of Wisconsin, the territory of the original 101st Division, the color black being symbolic of iron. The eagle issuing in downward flight from the cloud refers to the airborne classification of the Division. The motto "Rendezvous With Destiny" has been the motto of the Division since its founding.


Sorry boys could not get that shoulder patch to copy but you all know what that looks like. Info from link the above fellow posted good site


Frank Lilley

[MoFed]

College Connections

Kansas University (Lawrence, KS): Jayhawks. Derived from Bleeding Kansas Free-State and Civil War era regimental nicknames.
University of Missouri (Columbia, MO): Tigers. This was the name of the local Home Guard unit formed to defend Columbia against bushwhackers.

Rolla, Missouri has "Ft. Wyman Street" and the "Wyman Elementry School" named for an Illinois Colonel who built a fort nearby in 1861.

A subdivision in near Grant's Farm in St. Louis has streets named for Sherman, Ft. Donelson, etc... and the nearby Southwinds subdivision has streets named for various Confederate generals and victories.

Charles D. Hoskins

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

I believe when you say you have a "deadline" on a project, etc. it is referring to the deadline found in the Civil War prison camp. To pass the deadline meant death.

Greg Starbuck

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

To Start,


Beatty St. in my Township here in Ohio is named after Brevet Brigadier General Samuel Beatty. Originally a Captain for Co. A, 19th OVI, later it's Colonel, then Brigade Commander.

In addition, how about the "Fighting 69th" 69th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) New York National Guard.

[KarinTimour]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

Folks:

Depending on where you live and what happened there, you might have a lot of everyday reminders. About two years ago I was doing some work in the Bronx, and suddenly realized that I was on McClellan Ave., just down the way from Burnside Ave., which is just south of Segwick Ave.

And there are a number of places still in use in New York that date from the era -- Cooper Union, where Lincoln spoke, and where the Women's Central Association of Relief was houses (NYC center for San. Comm Supplies); Grammercy Park where Morse, George Templeton Strong and Samuel Tilden all had homes, Union Square, Delmonicos, Trinity Church, St. Paul's Church, Old St. Patricks' Cathedral (home parish of most of the 69th New York), City Hall, The Five Points, are all still standing. Monuments to Farragut, Seward and General Worth (Mexican War) are all in Madison Square Park. McSorley's Ale House, Central Park, the Battery, Castle Garden (where Jenny Lind made her debut) are all still there.

One of my favorites is the statue to Shakespeare that stands in Central Park -- the money to pay for it was raised during special subscription performances by famous actors in 1863(?). Among them the Booth brothers, who gave a performance in the Winter Garden theater on the evening that the Confederate agents set fire to several hotels across New York. Their benefit performance was halted in midstream by the fire in the hotel next door. After the fire was out, the audience and actors returned and the play continued. I've always wondered if Booth knew that it was going to happen.

Crepe paper is named that because it looks like the mourning fabric, crepe, which is no longer made. I had the opportunity to see some original crepe and it looks EXACTLY like black crepe paper.

I'm Episcopalian and in our service there is a prayer offered up for the President. During the Civil War, this was a common bone of contention in occupied areas. Sometimes clergymen would just skip over it. If Federal officers were present early in the war, they would then meet with the pastor and explain that it had to be included. Depending on the occupation troops, they often told pastors that if they refused to read that prayer, the church would be closed.

There is a famous story about a church in Virginia that had box pews -- where you are closed into a little box like a horse loose box, rather than having pews that go in rows across the church. Inside your box pew you had seats and kneeling pads. In the old fashioned, high church Episcopal service there is a comparative amount of movement -- lots of standing up, sitting down and kneeling at different times. At this particular church, the ladies all knelt for most of the service until the prayer for Mr. Lincoln was started -- at that they all spontaneously stood. When that prayer was ended, they all went back down on their knees.

Lots of different food items have Civil War connotations for me -- salt cod, because that is what was commonly given to Confederate women by the occupation authorities when food was scarce -- you had to take the Oath and then you'd be given a plank of this smelly stuff, sometimes a couple of feet long.

Cow peas, because they were commonly raised as animal feed across the Confederacy, and were often what sustained both soldiers and civilians who had no other food. There is a particular breed of cow peas named for Senator Clay, and I always thought of him being tickled that there was sustenance for the South that bore his name. I also always think of civilians surviving on pea bread in Vicksburg during the seige.

Cornmeal, hominy, sorghum all have Civil war associations in my mind.

Parched corn, chickory both bring to mind coffee substitutes.

The dance of the polka, which gave rise to a fad for all things "polka" and thus the name for "polka dots" was born. Very big fad in the 1850s.

Wool and cotton cards always make me think of the Southern women who worked so hard to find, buy and keep their cards in condition so that they could card wool and cotton to prepare it for spinning. And how the shortage of cards, or having them break was a tragedy, because they were well nigh irreplacable.

American Express makes me think of Adams Express and Southern Express, which delivered goods North and South, respectively.

All of the war coverage on television makes me think of the war -- families keeping vigil for soliders, civilian refugees, occupation forces, areas that refuse to quietly submit to occupation, guerilla fighters, spies, accusations of spies, reporters reporting things that you wonder whether they should, or sending pictures from war zones where you know that they had to be under fire to get those images. Medical personnel in the front lines, sometimes under fire. Sending packages to the troops to keep their spirits up, assuring them that we haven't forgotten them in our hearts and prayers.

Nancy Bush, the author of Folk Socks said that every time she picks up her needles she feels a connection to all the men and women who have knit before her, and that she is a link to the knitters of the future. I think that every person who knits for reenactors feels that connection to those who knit in the 1860s.

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

[RN_PAC]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

I have been told the term "hill-billy" was coined to describe the pro-Union southern whites who tended to be poor, residing in the remote mountainous areas of appalachia; this would seem to make sense, since the most pro-Union areas tended to be northern Alabama and Georgia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and of course the 47-odd western counties of Virginia, admitted to the Union as West Virginia in 1863. "Hill-billy (yank)" - seems to make sense.

Any rapid-firing mult-barrel weapon used today essentially decends from the Gatling gun, and any "lever-action" rifle with a tubular magazine under the barrel can be considered the progeny of the Henry rifle.

I don't know if I am dreaming this up or if I came across this idea somewhere; is there any connection between the phrase "your name is mud" and the Dr. Samuel Mudd who set Booth's fractured leg? Or for that matter, the phrase "break a leg", said to actors before they take the stage? Again I am more or less thinking out loud so may be way off here...

There has to be scores of other connections on my mind that I cannot think of right now but will post them if they come to mind!

Best regards,
Tom Scoufalos

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

Plainfield, NJ has streets named after Grant, Lee, Sherman, Sheridan, Pemberton, Johnston, Farragut, McDowell, Jackson, and possibly more. These come to mind immediately.

Then, of course, were the monitors used in Viet Nam. Not everyday life, but modern nevertheless. "Greenbacks", national currency printed on the reverse in green ink, originated during the Civil War.

Ron Myzie

[42va.reb]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

I live in Stuart Va, the County seat for Patrick County Va, birth place of that's right J.E.B. Stuart. IN my life time I've seen a Jeb Stuart rescue squad, highway, restuarant, bank, and even a J.E.B. Stuart Hamburger in a local Cafe.
One of the local Grade School's mascots is the "Rebels", with a picture of a cartoon cavalier on the gym floor. So, you could say I've grown up with reminders of the war my whole life.
Sinc.
Chris Owens

[fidlr1]

Re: Civil War connections to everyday life

Here at Virginia Tech (my workplace), the Corps of Cadets (ROTC) has blue-grey shell jackets with the 6-piece body as one of their uniforms for parades & formal occasions.
Very similar to RD III's.