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The Encyclopedia of Civil War Usage: An Illustrated Compendium of the Everyday Language of Soldiers and Civilians | 
 enlarge | Authors: Webb B. Garrison, Cheryl Garrison
Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
Buy New: $11.72
You Save: $7.23 (38%)
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Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 450143
Media: Paperback
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 7 x 0.9
ISBN: 1581822804
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9781581822809
ASIN: 1581822804
Publication Date: February 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
NOW IN PAPERBACK! There are few systematic guides to the language used by the generation that fought the American Civil War. In the 150 years since the great conflict, our language has changed, and as meanings have become obscure or lost, links with this vibrant past have dissolved and much of that which had meaning to our forefathers no longer has the same meaning to us. PWhat did it mean #147;to cross the bar#148;? What did it mean #147;to see the elephant#148; or #147;to go South#148;? Why did the armies have so-called ninety-day men and hundred-day men? What were soldiers supposed to do when their commander shouted, #147;Let her go, Gallagher#148;? How did one #147;pay tribute to Neptune#148;? What was a #147;picket pin#148;? Could one make a passable meal of #147;possum beer#148; and #147;secession bread#148;? How did one #147;vibrate the lines,#148; and why would anyone want to attempt such a maneuver? PTo address this need, Webb Garrison has pored over his notes from more than thirty years of research and study to produce this dictionary and encyclopedia of words and phrases (including nicknames and slang) commonly used during the war. Where appropriate, examples and anecdotes are included to illustrate meanings. Often overlooked naval terms and esoteric formal and informal military expressions are addressed as well as short descriptions of oceangoing vessels and river craft. PMore than 2,500 entries and 250 illustrations cover the terms, equipment, and organization of the three million soldiers who fought in the war. HISTORY; CIVIL WARbr ILLUSTRATED; PHOTOGRAPHSbr 7#148; X 9#148;, 288 PAGES
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
Very interesting September 19, 2008
Krista R. Stiller (Pittsburgh, PA)
This is a good resource for those interested in 19th Century speech, terminology and idiomatic expressions, particularly those associated with the US Civil War. The book lists words or phrases, explains the origin, and often gives an example, as many words and phrases functioned as both nouns and verbs. br / br /As a resource for Civil War-era nautical language, this book is excellent. br /Many of the terms in the book are nautical, which makes this book stand out from other books that relate to Civil War-era language. As I am not a Civil War re-enactor, I am not really qualified to recommend it as a resource for infantry or cavalry use, however, if I was re-enacting as part of the USA or CSA Navy, I would definitely consider this book a must-have.
 Don't Waste Your Greenbacks (pun intended) March 28, 2008
shinplaster shaw
This book could be devided into a few paphlets. 1. "Nicknames-Names of a Few Oficer's Horses, 2. "A few (very few) Forts and Prison Camps of the Civil War," 3. "Ships of the Civil War: or Some of Them," 4. "Nicknames of a Few General Officers: or How 'Wild Bill' and 'Mean Jack' Got Their Nicknames", 5. "Common Military Terms: What the Army Called it in 1862 is What They Still Call it Today," and so on and on and on. A good 90% of what's left are words are terms that a high school senior could determine by the context of their use. The bibliography seems longer than the book. Honestly, and I really mean this, this book appears to be words jotted down by a civil war student (a true scholar, even) while they were pouring through endless volumes of books, letters, etc, and a term came up that they did not INSTANTLY understand. Then these terms and phrases were collected for decades and dumped together in this book with a "definition." It almost appears to be a shameless attempt to put the scraps of a fading historian together, for the sole purpose of financial gain. This book is not worth YOUR money.
Civil War Usage September 8, 2006
Debbie History (ME, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I purchased this book to help me understand the terms used during the Civil War for a history project I am working on. The book is easy to read and the terms that I needed where easy to find as well as suggestions for terms that went along with what I was looking for. It will be a great addition to my history part of my home library and the price was reasonable. The book has also spurred my interest in other subjects connected to some of the terms I found in the book. Great book for anyone working on the Civil War.
CW Encyclopedia March 22, 2006
Raoul F. Camus (Whitestone, NY USA)
A helpful guide to words phrases current in the Civil War. Entries, alphabetically arranged, are brief and concise, sometimes overly so. Military ceremonies are mainly ignored, and in one case not quite correct. Still, very useful to explain those obscure references one finds in diaries and newspaper accounts.
 The Encyclopedia of Civil War usage February 24, 2006
D. Kimball ((Wilbraham, Ma USA)
An invaluable tool to help you understand change in word usage--excellent for reinactors, writers and scholars of the Civil War era.
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