*The term "Great Scott" has its roots in the "Civil War"
making direct reference to the nickname of Gen. Winfield Scott of the union
army.
-- Sent in by Gregory Barr from Lethbridge, Alberta Canada.
* Cadet Lewis Armistead was expelled from West Point for breaking a dinner plate
over the head of cadet Jubal Early.
-- Sent in by Joe Davis of the 63rd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry.
* The first carrier task force of the US Navy, began operations on the Potomac
River, when John La Mountain used the armed steamer "Fanny" to launch observation
balloons off fortress Monroe, at Hampton Roads Va.
*The first vessel dedicated to the launch and recovery, of aerial craft was the
barge, George Washington Park Custis, a coal barge converted especially for this
purpose. These began operation in August of 1861!
-- Sent in by Peter Polly & Glenn Meek of a Confederate Arizona Signal Corp.
*Of the 10 Union officers inside Fort Sumpter, 6 became major generals, 3 were
killed, one of those who went south, and one became a colonel.
-- Sent in by Pvt. Stanton of Co. F of the Patapsco Guard 1st Maryland Vol.
(Union).
*Arlington National Cemetery used to be Robert E. Lee's mansion. But, it was his
wife's house before his. His wife's name was named Mary Lee. She was once Mary
Custis because she was the granddaughter of Martha Washington.
-- Sent in by David B. of Chandler, Arizona.
*General Daniel Sickles of the Federal III Corps, was the first person in the
United States to use the plea of "Temporary Insanity" in the case of
murder. Sickles killed his wife's lover after catching them in the act.
-- Sent in by Pvt. Ashley Elder of the 121st Ohio Volunteers, Marion Ohio.
*A footnote to the Sickles trivia is that the man he caught dallying with his
wife was shot down in Lafayette Park in front of the White House and was the son
of Francis Scott Key.
-- Sent in by Dan Lawrence
*In all the great wars and battles that Gen. George H. Thomas ever fought in, he
was only wounded twice... both at the same battle. He was wounded by arrows in
the chest, and in the chin while fighting Comanche's in northern Texas. The same
warrior also shot 5 other soldiers before he was overtaken.
-- Sent in by Dennis Thomas of Borger, Texas. Great, Great, Great Nephew of
Gen. Thomas
*General George Armstrong Custer captured the first and the last battle flag of the
Civil War. He was also given the table on which the treaty to end the war was
written.
-- Sent in by Pvt. Matt Slechter of the 26th NC from Asheville, NC.
*Confederates belonging to Company B of the 43rd Mississippi Regiment, from an
unknown source managed to secure a camel. In a forced march toward Iuka,
Mississippi, just prior to the battle of Corinth, the camel blundered into the
line of march and spooked horses so badly that there was a terrible stampede. To
them, it seemed just as well when "the camel" was killed by a mini
ball during the siege of Vicksburg.
-- Sent in by Robert P.Rhoads of Ware Shoals, South Carolina
*The first time Signalmen were used to gather battlefield reconnaissance was at
First Manassas. There, Confederate Signalmen reported on an attempt by the
Federals to move on the Rebel's flank. This prompted Beauregard to send reinforcements.
These reinforcements, under the command of General T. J. Jackson, held the
Federal advance in check and earned Jackson the name of "Stonewall."
It is interesting to note that this was also the first time Signalmen were used
in combat in North America!
-- Sent in by 1st. Sergeant K. Peter Polley, Detachment 16 - Confederate
Signal Service
*Abraham Lincoln died in a bed once occupied by John Wilkes Booth.
-- Sent in by Private Jimmy Vaden, 1st TN, Company A
*The 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers had a pet sheep named "Dick" in their
regiment. The sheep would march in their lines and go into battle with them. It
stayed mostly with their Colonel, Elisha Hunt Rhodes. When the regiment got to
Washington from a long march, none of the officers had any money, and so poor
Dick was sold to a butcher for $5.00.
-- Sent in by Elizabeth Jacoby, Bozeman Montana
*The word "deadline" came from the infamous Confederate POW camp at
Andersonville, Ga. A small perimeter between the stockade and the Union soldiers
all the way around the interior of the prison was a no-man's land. Anyone
infringing in this area was subject to be summarily shot. That line of
demarcation became known as "the deadline."
From "Confederates In The Attic" by Mr. Horowitz.
-- Sent in by Corporal Guy Beaven of the 7th Maryland Co. A U.S.
*The shortest man in the Union ranks was a private in the 192d Ohio measuring 3
feet 4 inches.
*In late 1862, due to severe inflation, 1 pound of tea cost $10 in the
Confederate States.
*During a typical week in 1863-1865, 1,250 men deserted the Union forces.
-- Sent in by Musician Paul Boccadoro of the 96th Penn. Vol. Inf. Co. G
*In response to the call to arms following Tennessee's secession, the Nashville
Plow Works altered its manufactory and began beating their plowshares into
swords!
-- Sent in by Andy Augustin.
*"Give me a lite Johnny! " came out of the "Civil War".
-- Sent in by Pvt Poe of the 17th VA Co. G
*In most written records, it was stated that Mosby's men had but one battle
cry... "Give me your wallet and your horse!"
-- Sent in by Greg Jones . Here he
takes possession of a Yankee cavalry horse at Mt. Zion Church, near
Middleburg in N. Virginia.
*The expression "I heard it through the grapevine" was coined during
the war. At the time both armies were using the telegraph and by wars end
hundreds of miles of telegraph wire had been strung. Soldier slang for these
wires was "grape vines." Often when asked how someone came by some
information the reply was usually, "I heard it through the grape
vine!"
-- Sent in by 1st Sgt. Page Johnson, Co. D, 17th Va. Inf.
*Almost everyone knows Gen. Lee's favorite horse was named Traveler . But the
General had a second horse like most other ranking officers . Lucy Long was her
name and she was with the General from day one of the war.
-- Sent in by Gary Davis
*During the "Late Unpleasantness" enlightened doctors regularly
transferred pus from infected wounds to soldiers without infection. This was
called "healthy suppuration". Infection was so common that it was
considered a normal part of the healing process.
-- Sent in by Doby Pilgrim... Scout, Fifth Texas (CSA) Cavalry
*In 1864, Gen. Sedgwick, USA's famous last words were "Those boys can't hit
an elephant from this distance"... (thud)!
-- Sent in by Kevin Johnson kjthemarylander@yahoo.com (soon to be) 2nd Md.
Infantry, CSA
*U. S. Grant never planned to command an army. In fact, after he graduated from
West Point, he applied to teach mathematics at a girls' school in Ohio.
-- Sent in by Sherri George, civilian nurse, Idaho Civil War Volunteers
During the Civil War, if the husband went into the military, the wife could get
a divorce for that reason alone.
-- Sent in by Debbie Dunn (Pvt. D.S. Parker, 61rst N.Y.V, Idaho Civil War
Volunteers)
Ex-president of the United States, and Virginian, John Tyler, died in 1862. His
death was not officially mourned in Washington since he had voted for secession.
-- Sent in by Manuel Vega
The Civil War ended on Palm Sunday in 1865.
-- Sent in by Tim McDonald 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
On the top of Culps Hill, in Gettysburg, there was a small sign that forbid the
discharging of firearms.
-- Sent in by Graham Platner of Company B, 20th Maine
Did you know that Robert E. Lee wore a boot size of 4 1/2 and was buried without
his boots on because he could not fit in the casket with them on?
-- Sent in by Pvt. Erik Moore of 1st Tennessee Inf. Co. B
During the battle of mobile bay a Confederate cannon ball was fired back at Fort
Morgan with the words "Return to Sender, Postage paid" on it.
-- Sent in by Robert ward of the 15th Kentucky Vol. U.S.
The last cannon ball to explode and kill a person at Gettysburg, was three weeks
after the battle. A young boy poked it with a stick, and lets just say he
wouldn't make that mistake ever again.
-- Sent in by Corporal Michael Bilder, 42nd PA Company E.
When Lincoln was assassinated John Booth ran from a theater to a warehouse, When
JFK was assassinated his assassin ran from a warehouse to a theater.
-- Sent in by Tim Lyons Company C Prairie du Chien Volunteers 6th Wisconsin
While firearms technology has changed dramatically in the times since the Civil
War, the calibers used for pistols have remained the same. We still use bullets
measuring from .355 to .36 of an inch the .380, 9mm, .38 Special, and .357
Magnum; and bullets measuring .434 to .452 calibers for 44-40, .44 Specials, .44
Magnums, .45 auto, and .45 Colt. One can load the same projectiles into our
modern cartridges and still fire them today. (Keith Rockefeller, Lanham,
Maryland)
-- Sent in by Keith Rockefeller, Lanham, Maryland
George Bean, Grandfather of Leon Leonwood Bean ( designer of the Maine Hunting
Shoe and founder of the world famous L.L. Bean Co. of Freeport, Maine ),
enlisted in in the 56th Massachusetts Regiment in 1862 and died at Andersonville
26 June, 1864 at the age of 61!
-- Sent in by Pvt. Wayne Reuel Bean of Co. A 79th New York
U.S. Grant's name was really Hiram Grant, but he was called "Lyss" as
a child, so his West Point sponsor, in only knowing the nickname, made a mistake
and wrote "Ulysses'" on the application.
-- Sent in by Cpl Andy Davis of the 116th PA
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