artillery -- cannon and other large weapons
bayonet -- knife-like weapon attached to the front end of a musket or rifle
bedroll -- blankets rolled and carried by soldiers, containing personal belongings
blue coats -- Union soldiers
bummer -- soldier who would take needed items from farmers and townspeople
bushwhackers -- bands of runaway soldiers from both sides of the war who robbed citizens and looted small towns
Camp Nelson -- Union military camp near Nicholasville that became a large refugee center for the families of newly freed African-American Union soldiers
canteen -- tin or wood container on a strap, used to carry liquid
cap -- a small device used to explode powder in a musket barrel
cap box -- a small leather box attached to the belt to hold caps used to fire muskets
cartridge -- paper tube which held a bullet and gunpowder
cartridge box -- box made of leather used to hold cartridges
cavalry -- group of men fighting from horseback
Confederacy -- the group of 11 Southern states that separated themselves from the United States
corps badge -- An army was divided into several units called corps. Each Union soldier wore a badge to show which corps he belonged to.
emancipation -- the act of setting someone free. When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in the Confederate states became legally free.
foraging -- roving the countryside in search of food, which was sometimes taken from farmers
gray coats -- Confederate soldiers. Many soldiers could not afford the military-issued gray uniforms and made their own uniforms using natural dyes. Their uniforms were more of a brownish-yellow or "butternut" color.
guerrillas -- small units of Confederate soldiers who went behind the Union lines and destroyed railroads, supply depots, and county courthouses
hardtack -- a biscuit made of flour, salt, and water that was very hard
haversack -- a small canvas sack used by soldiers to carry their food
Home Guard -- a military police force formed by local citizens to protect themselves during the war. The Home Guard was loyal to the Union.
housewife -- a small sewing kit
infantry -- group of men fighting on foot
jacket -- four-button woolen or cotton coat worn by Civil War soldiers
kepi -- a cap or hat, part of the uniform of the Civil War soldier
knapsack -- a canvas container strapped to a soldier's back, carrying his personal belongings
Missionary Society -- a church-sponsored organization that provided aid at the refugee camps where families of African-American soldiers stayed
neutrality -- Not taking a side on an issue. Kentucky voted to stay neutral during the Civil War.
oath of allegiance -- a promise to be loyal to the United States that captured Confederate soldiers and Confederate sympathizers were forced to take to avoid being put in prison
pickets -- guards who stood on the outskirts of a military camp
plantation -- a large farm on which cotton, tobacco, or sugarcane is grown
Rebels -- Confederate soldiers and sympathizers
rebellion -- when a group refuses to submit to the authority of the larger group and starts a fight
rifled-musket -- a muzzle-loading gun, fired with cartridge and cap
secession -- when a group refuses to be a part of the larger group and instead forms its own group. Right before the Civil War, many Southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America.
Secesh -- Confederate soldiers and sympathizers
shoes -- made of leather; a necessity that was often scarce in the South
slave trade -- the business of buying and selling slaves. Selling slaves to the Southern states was a profitable business for many Kentuckians.
slavery -- the system of one person "owning" another
slouch hat -- wide-brimmed hat, sometimes worn instead of a kepi
suspenders -- strips of cloth or leather used to hold up pants
tin cup -- a cup used to hold water and cook with
Union – The United States; the Northern states during the American Civil War
CDV-- carte-de-visite a form of photographic calling card, invented by French painter and photographer Adolphe Disdéri in 1854
Ambrotype-- was nothing more than a glass negative backed with black material, which enabled it to appear as a positive image. Patented in 1854.
Slang chief cook and bottle washer -- person capable of doing many things
sheet-iron crackers -- hardtack
sardine box -- cap box
bread basket -- stomach
greenbacks -- money
graybacks -- Southern soldiers; lice
Arkansas toothpick -- large knife
pepperbox -- pistol
Zu-Zu -- Zuoave soldier
fit to be tied -- angry
has horse sense -- is smart or on the ball
top rail #1 -- first class
hunkey dorey -- great!
greenhorn, bugger, skunk -- officer
snug as a bug -- comfortable, cozy
sawbones -- surgeon
skedaddle -- run, scatter
hornets -- bullets
bully -- hurrah! yeah!
possum -- a buddy or pal
blowhard -- big shot
fit as a fiddle -- in good shape, healthy
uppity -- conceited
scarce as hen's teeth -- rare
grab a root -- have dinner; eat a potato
tight, wallpapered -- drunk
bark juice, tar water -- liquor
nokum stiff, joy juice -- liquor
hard case -- tough person
bluff -- cheater
jailbird -- criminal
hard knocks -- beaten up
been through the mill -- done a lot
quick-step -- diarrhea
played out -- worn out
toeing the mark -- doing the job
Jonah -- bad luck
goobers -- peanuts
Sunday soldiers, kid glove boys, parlor soldiers -- insulting words for soldiers
fresh fish -- raw recruits
whipped -- beaten
