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civil war terms #swag$$

Terms in this set (48)

Abolishionist
A person who believes in abolishment and is against slavery
artillery
large powerful weapons such as cannons and mortars
assassination
the murder of an important person such as the president
battery
a unit of 4 or 6 cannons on a fortified position
battle
a large scale combat between 2 forces (scrimmages and engagements are smaller)
blockade
the closing off, using naval forces, of a city or other area to traffic communication
border state
slave owning states that did not secede from the union.
cartridge box
a leather box in which the soldier carried his rounds or bullets
casualty
a person killed, wounded, captured, or missing during the war.
cavalry
sounders mounted on horseback fighting as a unit
chloroform
the liquid drug used to anesthetize (put to sleep) wounded soldiers in the war
Confederacy
The alliance of 11 Southern states to form the Confederate States of America.
contraband
goods illegally traded during war time
what were slaves sometimes called during the war
contraband
copperhead
a northern democrat who agreed with southern secession and protested for peace during the war
deploy
to spread out army's to create a battle line
desertion
to leave ones military post or to run away from battle, which was often punished by death
dixie
slang term for the confederacy
draft or conscription
the selection of citizens for mandatory military service
drill
the process of instructing recruits how to march and practice the military arts as a unit
dysentery (n)
an often fatal disease of the human intestine caused by unsanitary conditions of military camps and battle sites
envelopment
an attack against the flanks of an enemy's army, in hopes of eventually encircling it
emancipation
the formal release of slaves from bondage
flanks
the sides of army's line in battle
forage
to search for food
greenback
it was paper money used during the civil war in the north
hardtack
a quarter inch thick hard cracker eaten by civil war soilders. also known as biscuits crackers or army bread
haversack
cloth bag used by soilders to carry rations and food
infantry
foot soilders marching and figuring together
ironclad
warship covered with protective iron plates
main attack
the big, concentrated attack against the enemy's weak or critical point
minie ball
a standard riffle bullet used in war
picket
when one or more soilders responsible for guard duty
rank
military leadership in order of importance
rations
military term for food
Rebel or Confederate, Butternut, Grayback, Johnny Reb or Reb
A slang term for a soldier fighting for the South
recruit
an inexperienced soilder signed up for battle
riffled musket
standard infantry weapon used in war
salt pork
most common meal ration during war
secede
to withdraw from the union
strategy
an overall plan of war
sutler
dry goods salesmen who traveled with the northern armies and sold them overpriced items
tactics
the art of maneuvering troops on a battlefield
torpedo
an underwater mine that explodes.
turning movement
sending troops around the enemy's side (flank) to attack the line of communications.
union
the collection of 23 northern states which fought the rebellious confederacy during the civil war (the US)
yank or The blue federals or billy yank
term for soldier who fought for the union
zouave
soilders in colorful uniforms patterned after french infantry soilders who specialized in precision drilling
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