kenbadoian
Cadet
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2020
Assistance Please - require information on the extent of and what profanity was used, not written but spoken during the CW. I have researched and have not found any definitive list, references, etc.
Thanks for that link, you learn something every day. What a bizarre thing to do.
This is also starting to sound like old logging camps in the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the western banks of NH, along the Connecticut River, when they were floating down the logs, there was an older sex worker called “Old Colorado.” I’ve tried to search on her and find out more but I haven’t out anything. Our local PBS station did a thing on logging years ago and this is where I found out about all this.Thomas Lowry is an extremely frustrating figure in the historical community. His book "The Story the Soldiers Wouldn't Tell" is extremely enlightening. But he also got caught altering documents.....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_P._Lowry#Lincoln_document_forgery_controversy
Anyways...he quotes another soldier as having written (WARNING EXTREMELY NSFW) that they had "some fun in Farmsville" with an "old wench":
“So they all began to pitch in keen. Tom Michael held the light and she received about 60 big schlorgers one after another. I nearly killed myself laughing. The darned old b**** could hardly stand.”
I haven't heard it in years, but I used to hear it in a lot of Down East accents and in the mountains of Vermont. I've heard many an old-timer talk about "agoing" somewhere and growing up, instead of saying horses with an "r" in it, I used to hear ALL the old-timers talk about my "hoss" or the "hosses" coming down the road.For example - "going" becomes "agoing" or "agonter"
"Word! The wording worder is wording well worded!" (replace "word" with you know what) - Heard coming from a range instructor in reference to an M60 machine gun that had malfunctioned to the extent that it required a replacement part and armorer level maintenance.True about the f-word - pretty widespread as the verb synonym but its expansion as an adjective, pejorative, etc must have started evolving.......
I think we have a winner.According to Dr Lowry, there were two versions: One written in 1863 by Bernard Covert described the Confederate president trembling at the thought of a Yankee noose around his neck, and criticised England and France for aiding the rebels. All the themes are political.
Utterly different is the second version, which appears in numerous hand-written editions - this will be the version that 'The Common soldier in the Civil War' was alluding to.
Not sure if I can get away with posting this on here, but I'll give it a go. No worse than any Rugby song, but I warn you, Shakespeare it ain't
One night as Jeff lay fast asleep
With his wife huged to his heart.
A little closer she did creep,
And chanced to let a fart.
The fart it smelt so strong,
And sounded so much louder
He though that something wrong must be
For he smelt the Lincoln powder.
Hark, Hark says he yet unawake,
How will I show my spunkey?
And reaching down his gun to take
His fingers touched her monkey.
Twas then his courage did appear
He thought he had found a pistol,
He brought his arse up in the air
With his c*** as hard as crystal.
"Swab", he cried, "Swab out the gun,
And give old Lincoln thunder -
Oh, now my boys we'll have some fun
And show him his great blunder."
His c*** into his monkey went
His arse it went to bobbing -
He let a fart and then it spent -
Says Jeffrey's wife, "I'm co-co-coming."
"Fine, fine," cried Jeff, "the gun is clean,"
He strained enough to split -
And throwing his arms around his dear
He strained again and ****.
"Oh, oh," cried Jeff, "I'm shot, I'm shot,
"My leg is bleeding - bleeding.
"Help, help, come here to this spot,
"Oh, death is slowly feeding.
"Oh, would that I were loyal now
"I hear old Abe coming,
"He'll hang me, he will, I vow,
"Yes, yes, I hear him drumming."
"You've ****, you fool," Jeff's wife says
As she held him on a level:
"I never saw such rebel strife
"You nasty stinking devel."
"Oh dear," says Jeff, now wide awake,
"What have I done indeed?
Oh, my wife please take my trembling hand
And we will both secede."
I don't think Walt Whitman would have felt threatened by the wordsmith who came up with that
Oh you've reminded me of my favourite Soldier's letter phonetic spelling (think I first read it in Wiley's Billy Yank) ...I haven't heard it in years, but I used to hear it in a lot of Down East accents and in the mountains of Vermont. I've heard many an old-timer talk about "agoing" somewhere and growing up, instead of saying horses with an "r" in it, I used to hear ALL the old-timers talk about my "hoss" or the "hosses" coming down the road.
While doing research on local soldiers, I found the court martial papers filed against one of "my" soldiers. When scolded by an officer for neglect of duty, Private Lawrence replied "You damned son of a *****, I will do as I please" (added the report: "or words to that effect" ). The private was charged with "Contempt and disrespect towards his commanding officer". Unfortunately, Private Lawrence went on to add the charge of "Striking his superior officer".Some choice examples of cursing that Thomas Lowry found in court martial records, which made an effort to get down the words as accurately as possible. None of the men were charged for cursing, it was just included in the report.
I saw this in a record of a Federal army court martial at NARA years ago. The enlisted man was tried for saying this to an officer.I remember reading somewhere "not worth a pinch of s---" . But it's a fascinating subject in my opinion.
John
I am currently transcribing the private journal of a Union sailor on the Western Waters. In January 1863 he writes: "A twelvemonth ago every man on board seemed eager for a fight and devoted body and soul to the Union cause, now all seemed to rush above all things to see the war come to an end, no matter how, and many stated openly enough that if they had thought the they had been coming to fight to free (African Americans) they would have seen the Navy in Jericho before they would not have joined it for any such purpose."I’ve come across a number of diaries where they keep using “Jerusalem” for some sort of stand in, but wouldn’t use even that around the ladies.
That is on my books to buy list.It was heavily used during the war by both sides, using about the same words we use today with one exception, and that word never came into use until about the late 1880's to 1900 or later. A good book about this subject is the Anatomy of Swearing by Ashley Montagu.
During my many trips to the UK, I have been fortunate to attend several of Shakespeare's plays performed at the Globe. During one such performance, a tall young American male wearing a backpack, a "groundling" standing in front of the stage, must have locked his knees because he passed out and fell backwards, and hit the ground, seemingly stiff as a board. A cloud of dust rose from the scene, A collective gasp went up and people seated stood up to see. For a moment the played stopped, or rather paused. Then one of the actors spontaneously said "Well, we are knocking them dead today." The audience laughed and the play continued as if nothing had happened.One small point - you may underestimate Shakespeare and how things were actually acted out/adlibbed at the Globe Theater (and the "French" in Henry V gives a slight hint). The crowd seated at the foot of the stage was not necessarily constrained by "oaths" . .
It must be one of those, "Well, you just never know till you try it!" type of acts.This is also starting to sound like old logging camps in the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the western banks of NH, along the Connecticut River, when they were floating down the logs, there was an older sex worker called “Old Colorado.” I’ve tried to search on her and find out more but I haven’t out anything. Our local PBS station did a thing on logging years ago and this is where I found out about all this.
Anyway the Driver came ashore and asked her for a group discount and she counted up how many men and they came to some sort of deal and she pitched her big white tent on the shores.
I guess as a different type of female, my brain literally turns circles thinking about this type of thing. Can’t comprehend it.