Johnny Reb and Billy Yan

[Southern Son]

I don't know, if this question was asked before here?
Please can you tell me how did the nicknames of Johnny Reb and Billy Yank started?
Who was the first to say Johnny Reb or Billy Yank.

[brett4733]

If I am not mistaken, "Billy Yank" was invented by Bell I. Wiley when he wrote the follow up to "Life of Johnny Reb." I don't think it has any sort of historical documentation at all. It was just his answer to finding a catchy title for the book.
I could be wrong on that, so maybe someone else has some answers for you.
Cheers and Fairwinds,
Brett Silver

[ole]

'Spect you're right, Brett. It'll do for me.
Ole

[blue_zouave]

Bell Wiley, in the introduction to "The Life of Billy Yank," cites a book from 1905 called "Billy Yank and Johnny Reb" as a source for the name. He says that he found numerous references to Johnny Reb during the war years, but none to Billy Yank until long after. Why Johnny and Billy? Still have not found the answer to that!

Zou

[ole]

Why Johnny and Billy?

Why not Zeke and Jacob? Having heard it for so many years, it's a bit hard to imagine anything else. They're common, non-regional, and rhythmical -- Billy Reb and Johnny Yank don't have the same sound.

Just filling time.
Ole

[blue_zouave]

Ohhhh Ole, If you're just filling time, come to my house, I'll put you to work!

I looked in my "Dictionary of Historical Slang" last night but Billy Yank wasn't listed. I'll pull down Volume II tonight and see if "Johnny Reb" merited a listing.

And BTW, observe my number of posts, I have nearly reached the requisite number to earn another stripe!

Zou

[brett4733]

From Bell I. Wiley's "The Life of Johnny Reb:"

Preface, pg. 13

"The common soldier of the Confederacy has for a long time borne the title of Johnny Reb. The name seems to have orignated from the practice of Yankees who called out, "Hello Johnny" or "Howdy, Reb" to opponents across the picket line. Gray-clads liked the sobriquet, and accustomed as they were to appropriation of Federal food, clothing and guns, they saw no reason to spurn a catchy name because it was used first by their opponents. So they adopted the term in both its seperate and combined forms. Descendants might be irked by the connotation of rebellion, but not the original Johnny. He not only considered himself a rebel, but he gloried in the name."

Just thought I'd share that one. My copy of "Life of Billy Yank" in packed away in a box somewhere, so I have no way of transcribing it. Maybe someone else could take up the effort...
Cheers and Fairwinds,
Brett Silver

[ole]

If you're just filling time, come to my house, I'll put you to work!

Filling time in this case, Zou, means putting off installing the water softener. However, I could come to your house and fritter away the time on your computer.

Brett:
Thanks for filling in the blanks.

Ole

[gary]

The book mentioned earlier is Alexander Hunter's Johnny Reb & Billy Yank. Hunter was in the 17th Virginia Infantry and then transferred over to the Black Horse Cavalry. The terms are hardly original to Hunter and I'll take Irvin Bell Wiley's explanation.

[blue_zouave]

"Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang" cites the first use in print of "Johnny Reb" in 1862, in "4 Bros" by R. G. Carter. Like I said before, no citation for Billy Yank.

There are other attributions for "John" and "Johnny" as well, such as Johnny Raw for a new recruit (1813) and Johnny Newcome for a novice or newcomer (1815). Even older are the uses of John as "a direct address to a man whose true name is unknown." (1818) "Hullo Johnny" would be the equivalent of "Hey, Mac!"