Trivia 9-26-17 Say what?

[Trivia Master]

What was known to Union soldiers as "avalanches"?

credit: @sarladaise

bonus: "Trick Question"
Based upon trivia known about Grant and Lee, who would be expected to be the better singer.

credit: @unicornforge

 

[hughes]

The two wheeled carts used to transport the wounded.

Bonus:

Lee sang much while in church, so, I go with him.

 

[Copperhead-mi]

"Avalanche" - an early war two-wheeled ambulance that was considered unsafe by Union soldiers.

Bonus - General Lee

 

[DR_Hanna]

According to this site, "Soldiers' derisive slang for the unsafe two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war."
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/avalanche.1687/https://civilwartalk.com/threads/avalanche.1687/

As far as singing goes... Grant's famous quote that he only knew two songs..., I can only speculate that Robert E. Lee sang in church pretty regularly. I say Lee was the crooner.

 

[Schwallanscher]

regular:

to quote from my source:

soldiers' derisive slang for the unsafe two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war

source

tricky:

this question is strange - as we are supossed to judge by 'trivia knowledge' i go with robert e lee

it doesn't say anything about their abillities as singers, grant may have rocked the charts with his take on 'yankee doodle' and lee may just have spoken of the importance of music for marching and signals and never hit a tone correctly - i just don't know how to prove either of it.

 

[Jimklag]

What was known to Union soldiers as "avalanches"?

credit: @sarladaise

bonus: "Trick Question"
Based upon trivia known about Grant and Lee, who would be expected to be the better singer.

credit: @unicornforge

First question - ambulances were called "avalanches".

Bonus: Lee would be ecpected to be the better singer as Grant was famously tone deaf.

 

[nextcity]

"gutbusters" : Two-wheeled ambulances pulled by horses or mules that offered a rough ride, often broke down or flipped over.

 

[Mike Serpa]

Avalanche - Soldiers' derisive slang for the unsafe two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war.
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/avalanche.1687/

Lee - Grant had congenital amusia - difficulty in perceiving or making sense of music
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/grants-congenital-amusia.124285/

 

[Brenal]

Avalanche: Soldiers' derisive slang for the unsafe two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/avalanche.1687/

Bonus:

Lee, Grant had a tin ear, only knew 2 songs, one was Yankee Doodle and the other wasn't....

 

[SWMODave]

Soldiers' derisive slang for the unsafe two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war.
(source - civilwartalk)

On trick question, have no clue but guessing Lee since he has a closer descendant that was a professional singer than Grant does. Mary Carpenter is a 3rd cousin to Lee, while Taylor Swift is a 5th cousin to Grant.

Sad battle song from movie 1776

 

[FarawayFriend]

First question:

An unsafe, two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war. Another name for them was "gutbusters"

Sources:
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/avalanche.1687/#post-29762

Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine, page 14
https://books.google.de/books?id=WW...WAhUPa1AKHQHAD4gQ6AEINTAF#v=onepage&q&f=false


Second question:

As we have often discussed U.S. Grant's congenital amusia here on CWT, I think Robert E. Lee would be expected to be the better singer. Indeed music played a vital part in the Lee family life, all his daughters studied music. I just hope their Dad would be able to sing also.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/grants-congenital-amusia.124285/

And here is proof that Robert E. Lee indeed was a gifted singer of "Bonnie Blue Flag", , coming from the movie "Gods and Generals"

 

[captaindrew]

Main question: they called a ride in an ambulance an avalanche because they were so unstable. Bonus: Lee

 

[adisciu9]

Bonus: witho0ut knowing anything about Lee would still say Lee given this quote from Grant," I Know Only Two Tunes: One of Them Is Yankee Doodle, and the Other Isn't."
Regular answer TBP

 

[adisciu9]

I would say massive Union trop movements.
See quote from Sam Houston:
"Let me tell you what is coming. After the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives, you may win Southern independence if God be not against you, but I doubt it. I tell you that, while I believe with you in the doctrine of states rights, the North is determined to preserve this Union. They are not a fiery, impulsive people as you are, for they live in colder climates. But when they begin to move in a given direction, they move with the steady momentum and perseverance of a mighty avalanche; and what I fear is, they will overwhelm the South."
Several other commentators refer to the Union movements as an avalanche.

Edit - The question asked about what Union soldiers referred to as an avalanche. Sam Houston does not fit as a Union soldier.

hoosier

 

[Wallyfish]

Obion Avalanche
Company H, 9th Inf. TM


The Avalanche was organized 22 May 1861 at Jackson TN; re-organized 8 May 1862 and consolidated into a field organization with the 6th Tennessee, December 1862. It formed part of Company E, 1st Consolidated TN Infantry, 9 April 1865 and was paroled at Greensboro NC, 1 May 1865. Company H, Obion Avalanche was recruited in the vicinity of Troy.

http://tngenweb.org/obion/records-data/military/civil-war-avalanche/


Bonus.

Robert E Lee was the better dresser according to this Grant passage. If the war had been decided with a fashion contest between Grant and Lee, we'd all be singing "Dixie". According to Grant: I assume this statement is the trick question.

http://deadpresidents.tumblr.com/post/115974003697/grant-and-lee

Edit - According to the link, the Obion Avalanche appears to have been a single company within the Confederate Army. It's doubtful that Union soldiers referred to individual companies on the enemy side by their nicknames.

The answer to the bonus question doesn't say which one you would have expected to be the better singer. The statement about what we'd all be singing if the war had been decided with a fashion contest appears to be a statement by the author of the linked article, rather than a quote from Grant. (Too bad - if it had been a quote from Grant, it could have solved the long-standing mystery of what song Grant knew that wasn't "Yankee Doodle.")

hoosier

 

[WJC]

What was known to Union soldiers as "avalanches"?

credit: @sarladaise

The unsafe two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war.

bonus: "Trick Question"
Based upon trivia known about Grant and Lee, who would be expected to be the better singer.

credit: @unicornforge

Lee: Grant suffered from Congenital Amusia.

 

[truthckr]

bonus: Lee, Grant did not like music (according to some sources)

 

[truthckr]

main: Soldiers' derisive slang for the unsafe two wheeled ambulance that carried the wounded early in the war.

 

[chellers]

Question: Soldiers' derisive slang for the unsafe two wheeled medical ambulances that carried the wounded early in the war.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/avalanche.1687/#post-29762
http://historum.com/american-history/813-civil-war-slang.html

Bonus: Lee

 

[MRB1863]

Two wheeled ambulances
**********************************************************
Confederate General Robert E. Lee once remarked, "I don't believe we can have an army without music."

Grant used to say he knew only two tunes; one was "Yankee Doodle," and the other wasn't. In the days when he was received on all occasions to the music of brass bands he would say with mock pride that he really believed he had added a third tune to his repertoire–"Hail to the Chief!"

So based upon this, I expect Lee to be the better singer, since he seemed to have a fondness for music.