Historical Trivia

Things and viewpoints change over time and as writers we need to remind ourselves of this fact.

During the American Civil War for instance:

The average wages in 1861: Union Private $13 a month, Black Private (1864) $6 to $10 a month, Confederate Private $11 a month, Southern worker $4 per day, Teacher $2 per student per month.

Currency was issued in 1 cent pieces, 2 cent pieces, 3 cent pieces, half dimes, dimes, quarters, half and full dollars. Also in $2.50 quarter eagles, $3 gold pieces, $5 half eagles, $10 eagles, and $20 double eagles.

Some basic prices in 1861: Cotton fabric 12 cents per yard, dresses $9 each, tallow 4 cents pound, modest farm house $2,000, rent for a house $500 year, bacon 12 cents pound, butter 20 cents pound, coffee 35 cents pound, flour $6 a barrel.

Soldiers were poorly fed during the Civil War and malnutrition contributed greatly to illness and the dreaded screamers. The concept of the mess hall was unknown except in some barracks areas. In the field Union soldiers subsisted mainly on hardtack, a thick hard cracker, three and a half inches square made from flour, water and salt. Such "teeth-dullers" were commonly issued to soldiers in one-pound packages.

The average Union solider usually mixed his crushed hardtack with other ingredients, usually borrowed from local gardens, creating such infamous dishes as, Bully soup, hellfire stew, lobcourse, and skillygalee. Soldiers preferred sowbelly (salt pork) to bacon because the bacon would melt and ruin other items in their packs and soil their uniforms. Union favorites consisted of camp potatoes, capillaire, hoppin john, and mud larks.

The average Confederate soldier lived off the land in the deep South and was trained to do so from birth, but he normally received issued cornmeal, shelled corn, treacle, blue beef, and flour in garrison environments. Corn dodgers was a favorite. By the end of the war in 1865, the Confederate soldier was lucky to get a handful of shelled corn mixed with acorns or dried beans about ever third day.

Reading, games, and music was very popular among both armies due to the tedium of camp life between battles. Dice was popular, being made out of flattened and squared musket balls or carved from wood. Popular board games were checkers, chess, cribbage and backgammon. Music was very popular and most units not only formed bands, they had many singing groups who challenge each other. Reading material was cherished and passed around. Publications like Harpers Bazaar and Godey's Lady's Books, and authors such as Louisa May Alcott and Augusta Jane Evans were very popular. Newspapers from both sides were read until they were completely worn out.

Some common words and terms used during the Civil War era are carried over to modern days, while others have disappeared from general use.

Here are a few and I will let you figure out their meaning: Smearcase, skedaddle, shoddy, shillelagh, Sherman's sentinels and Sherman's hairpins, seceshers, pinder, juba, Irish hoist, goober, chego, cooter, cushie, embarcadero, chinch, calaboose, buckra, Black Maria, abatis, savvy, shebang, snood, camisole, housewife, reticule, lobcourse, bummer, butternuts, couter up, blue belly, bodega, hoosegow, wellingtons, Beecher's Bibles, bootee, brogans, caltrops.

Remember when writing to check your history facts very closely. After all, you wouldn’t want some character from the court of Henry VII eating French Fries.