Civil War Era Terms

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Date:

Instructions: Learn the distinctive vocabulary of the American Civil War period (1861-1865)

1.
During the Civil War, what was a 'secesh'?
A
A military camp
B
A secessionist or Confederate sympathizer
C
A type of weapon
D
A type of uniform
2.
What were 'hardtack and salt horse' in Civil War soldiers' language?
A
Card games
B
A horse-drawn cart and rider
C
Hard biscuits and salted beef — common army rations
D
Military punishments
3.
In Civil War slang, what was a 'Copperhead'?
A
A Confederate soldier
B
A type of cannon
C
A copper coin
D
A Northern Democrat who opposed the war
4.
What did soldiers mean by 'seeing the elephant' during the Civil War?
A
Seeing a hallucination
B
Getting drunk
C
Experiencing combat for the first time
D
Visiting a zoo
5.
In Civil War vocabulary, what was a 'sutler'?
A
A surgeon's assistant
B
A civilian merchant who sold provisions to soldiers
C
A sergeant
D
A military spy
6.
What was the Civil War term 'Butternut' used for?
A
A Confederate soldier, from their brown-dyed uniforms
B
A Northern sympathizer
C
A type of tree
D
A type of ammunition
7.
During the Civil War, what was 'grayback' slang for?
A
A body louse or a Confederate soldier
B
An old soldier
C
A gray horse
D
A silver dollar
8.
What was a 'haversack' in Civil War terminology?
A
A soldier's canvas bag for carrying food and personal items
B
A type of tent
C
A sleeping bag
D
A saddle bag
9.
In Civil War slang, what did 'played out' mean?
A
Exhausted or used up
B
Won the game
C
Finished performing
D
Left the battlefield
10.
What was a 'picket' during the Civil War?
A
A wooden stake weapon
B
A fence post
C
A type of punishment
D
A soldier or group placed on guard duty ahead of the main force
11.
In the Civil War era, what was 'contraband'?
A
Enslaved people who escaped to Union lines
B
Smuggled cotton
C
Stolen weapons
D
Illegal ammunition
12.
What did 'skedaddle' mean in Civil War slang?
A
To set up camp
B
To celebrate a victory
C
To flee or retreat hastily
D
To march in formation
13.
During the Civil War, what was a 'greenback'?
A
A Confederate uniform
B
A type of frog
C
Paper currency issued by the Union government
D
A new recruit
14.
What was 'taps' in the context of the Civil War?
A
Dance steps
B
Drum signals for attack
C
Water faucets
D
A bugle call signaling lights out or played at military funerals
15.
In Civil War terminology, what was a 'Zouave'?
A
A type of cannon
B
A Confederate spy
C
A soldier in a unit wearing colorful French-inspired uniforms
D
A military formation

Answer Key

Question 1

B. A secessionist or Confederate sympathizer

Question 2

C. Hard biscuits and salted beef — common army rations

Question 3

D. A Northern Democrat who opposed the war

Question 4

C. Experiencing combat for the first time

Question 5

B. A civilian merchant who sold provisions to soldiers

Question 6

A. A Confederate soldier, from their brown-dyed uniforms

Question 7

A. A body louse or a Confederate soldier

Question 8

A. A soldier's canvas bag for carrying food and personal items

Question 9

A. Exhausted or used up

Question 10

D. A soldier or group placed on guard duty ahead of the main force

Question 11

A. Enslaved people who escaped to Union lines

Question 12

C. To flee or retreat hastily

Question 13

C. Paper currency issued by the Union government

Question 14

D. A bugle call signaling lights out or played at military funerals

Question 15

C. A soldier in a unit wearing colorful French-inspired uniforms

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