What are traps?

[hoosier]

I receive the newsletter of a reenactors' unit. Every issue contains a message advising members to be sure to bring their muskets and traps to all events.

I won't identify the unit, because, as you can probably guess from the following question, I fall a long, long way short of having the amount of knowledge necessary to live up to their standards of authenticity.

What are traps?

When I see the word "trap," I think of a big old steel-jawed thing that you use to catch bears with. Somehow, I have a hard time believing that all Civil War soldiers were required to have such a thing in their possession at all times.

Can any reenactors help me out on this?

[unionblue]

George,

I THINK what this unit might be referring to is 'leathers' or the other equipment worn by a soldier needed to get into a fight. A soldier's leathers consisted of his wide, leather belt and everything that hung from it, such as cap box, cartridge box, & bayonet scabbard. Other items considered as indispensable would also be a soldier's tarred haversack (a sack used to carry three days rations and his tin cup and plate) and his canteen. This would be the minimum gear for a soldier going into battle.

Now, if you add a knapsack or blanket roll, you might be in for a long serious march, carrying you shelter half, wool blanket, rubber blanket or ground cloth, extra socks and shirt, but not a whole lot else.

Maybe the group in question is just lumping all of the above into one short expression, like 'traps' to indicate that one should bring everything to an event. I do not know for sure if the expression is authentic, 19th century terminology for said equipment, but usually our group specifies each piece of equipment to bring rather than use a generic term.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

[raywilson]

George,

My money is on Neil's explanation. "Traps" is probably short for "trappings" (at least, that's my guess).

Regards,
Ray

[scone]

That would be my guess Neil. leathers, canteen, and haversack.

[qwincbruce]

A friend of mine who goes to schools and talks to kids about the Civil War, tells them that when a soldier puts all the leather accoutrements on his body-cartridge box w/sling, haversack, canteen, waistbelt, knapsack or blanket roll-he feels like he's "trapped" inside all that leather, feeling more like a plow horse that a man.

I tend to believe that, as time went along, the Civil War soldier used the word "traps" to describe the above condition.

(Message edited by qwincbruce on July 23, 2004)

[jeffdavislegion]

Actually, "traps" is short for "trappings" which derives from the middle English, i.e., gerund of "trappen," which means "to adorn." It's use goes back way before the civil war. It was often used to describe ornaments on horses.

Or tilting furniture, imblazon'd shields,
Impresses quaint, caparisons and steeds,
Bases and tinsel trappings, gorgeous knights. . ." - John Milton (1608 - 1704), Paradise Lost, Book IX

(Message edited by jeffdavislegion on July 31, 2004)

[rbenne]

Traps is indeed trappings, just as cooters is used for Accoutrements. They talked lazy like we do