Trivia 10-16-17 Greybacks

[Trivia Master]

Who did both Northern and Southern soldiers call the "graybacks"?

credit: @JohnW.

 

[Jimklag]

Who did both Northern and Southern soldiers call the "graybacks"?

credit: @JohnW.

What both sides called "graybacks" was Pediculus humanus corporis and Pediculus vestimenti–body lice.

 

[captaindrew]

Both sides called lice graybacks. Union soldiers called Confederate soldiers graybacks and the Confederate dollars were called graybacks but if looking at something soldiers on both sides called graybacks I believe lice is the correct answer.

 

[Brenal]

"Graybacks" was the common name for Pediculus humanus corporis and Pediculus vestimenti–Body Lice.

 

[realevergreen]

Who did both Northern and Southern soldiers call the "graybacks"?

credit: @JohnW.

lice

 

[FarawayFriend]

Hah, I will not even look this one up ...

Graybacks are lice!

But as I'm currently reading the book "Company Aytch" by Samual R. Watkins and right this morning came across a paragraph describing the eternal fight soldier vs. lice, I will illustrate my answer with a little clip from this book. Enjoy!

https://books.google.de/books?id=9x...ch&hl=de&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[Wallyfish]

"Graybacks" was the common name for Body Lice.

Trivia question from August '16.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/8-30-16-gross.126887/page-3

 

[William G Hendry]

"Graybacks": A slang term for lice, or occasionally an offensive "Yankee" slang term for Confederate soldiers

Now I lay me down to sleep,
While gray-backs oe'r my body creep;
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord their jaws to break. (Wiley 1994)

 

[MRB1863]

"Graybacks" was the common name for Pediculus humanus corporis and Pediculus vestimenti–body lice.

 

[DBF]

Pediculus humanus corporis and Pediculus vestimenti - otherwise known as body lice.
http://home.freeuk.com/gazkhan/lice.htm
http://www.experts123.com/q/who-did-both-northern-and-southern-soldiers-call-the-graybacks.htm

 

[Stony]

Lice
source-http://www.civilwarpoetry.org/union/songs/grayback-exp.html

 

[hughes]

CSA currency

Edit - It is correct that CSA paper money was sometimes referred to as graybacks (or greybacks). In fact, that is the first definition listed for that term in "The Civil War from A to Z" section of this website.

However, the question began with the word "who," indicating that the desired answer would have to be, if not a person, at least a living creature of some sort. That being the case, currency just doesn't fit.

hoosier

 

[Copperhead-mi]

Lice

 

[truthckr]

Graybacks" was the common name for Pediculus humanus corporis and Pediculus vestimenti–body lice

 

[Waterloo50]

Gray or Grey, Grey Backs were lice.

 

[SWMODave]

Graybacks were typically referring to gray coated Confederate soldiers when used by Union troops, but not so much by similarly dressed fellow Confederates, who felt it was derogatory.

Both sides however, used the term to refer to lice.

Source

 

[adisciu9]

lice

 

[István.AT]

Lice.

"Grey Backs - lice, also derogatory term for Confederate soldiers" from Civil War Slang.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~poindexterfamily/CivilWar.html

 

[Malingerer]

Pediculus humanus

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Lice. Fun!