Interesting & Sometimes Funny Facts About the Civil War ..
General Longstreet fought the Battle of Antietam in Carpet Slippers, due to an injured heel.
The most contested town in the war was Winchester, Va., changing hands 76 times.
When U.S Grant married in 1848, his best man was James Longstreet.
The South only made 3% of all firearms produced in the USA in 1860.
In 1861 there were almost 4,000 illnesses for every 10,000 men in the Union army (and I suspect the Southern army as well...)
Both armies regularly passed the time by staging lice races.
The oldest officer in the war was 83 when commissioned in 1862... Maj.General William Wilkens.
The youngest officer in the war was made 2nd Lt. when he was 13 years old... E.G. Baxter of the 7th Kentucky (Confederate).
Although 4000 shells were fired at Ft. Sumter (in 1861), not a single man was wounded or killed in the exchange.
The only living person ever honored on an American Stamp was Jefferson Davis.
The Record for most horses shot out from under a rider is 29 ... and that rider was Lt. General N.B. Forrest.
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 dinnerplate 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 observeration ballons off fortress Monroe, at Hampton Roads Va.
The first vessel dedicated to the launch and recovery, of aerial craft wasthe barge, George Washington Park Custis, a coal barge converted especiallyfor 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 Cemetary 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 Commanches 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 reenforcements. These reenforcements, 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 Boothe.
-- 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 NYV, 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 14 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 assasinated John Booth ran from a theater to a warehouse, when JFK was assasinated his assasin 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
