Parlance! Terms that need to go.

[major bill]

Over the years reenactors have developed their own parlance or phraseology. This is common with groups that share common interests. So are there some reenacting terminology that are a result of modern reenactors getting together and have little basis in Civil War vernacular? If so, should reenactors make an attempt to use period terms instead of modern reenacting terms?

I will start with "Brogans". I do not seem to see this term being used in many Civil War letters or newspaper reports. The most common term soldiers seem to use in letters is "shoes'. Newspapers seem to most often use the terms "Army shoes" or "shoes". Officially they are often called "bootees".

I am not sure that during the Civil War theses were much called "Blucher pattern boots", "Balmoral shoes", or Monticello boots/shoes". I do see these terms used by modern authors to describe Civil War footwear.

So is the term "Brogans" over used by reenactors? Perhaps it is and maybe reenacotors should attempt to use the period term "shoes" as much as possible.

Can anyone think of other reenactor jargon that could be replaced with more period correct terms?

 

[Schwallanscher]

obviously i can't contribute to hunt down the culprits but i wholeheartedly support the crusade

 

[major bill]

So how about the proper term for caps? Army regulations use the term "forage cap" but I am not sure this is what the soldiers called them. I more often see the terms "cap","Zouave cap", or "kepi" being used. Newspapers seen to use the terms "regulation cap", "Zouave cap", or "cap". I have not seen the term "Bummer cap" being uses much during the Civil war period but modern authors seem to like it.

The term "Austrian cap" seems to have been the semiofficial term for what we call the McDowell-pattern forage cap. Was the term "McClellan cap" used much during the Civil War?

 

[major bill]

obviously i can't contribute to hunt down the culprits but i wholeheartedly support the crusade

In my research of Michigan issued uniforms I have seem maybe 30 reports of footwear being issued. The term "shoes" is almost always used in letters and in the newspaper reports. Occasional the newspapers and letters will say "Army shoes" or "heavy shoes". I do not recall a single use of the term 'Brogans".

Now this could well be a regional thing and other areas of the nation could have used other terms.

 

[thomas aagaard]

When you are at it, will you please kill the following orders "reload" "fire at will" "and "come to the shoulder when ready"
And the term "column of fours"...

 

[7thWisconsin]

"Leathers." "Accoutrements" or "traps" s a better period term. There is an eminently readable and otherwise accurate magazine length treatment of the private soldier once published by Civil War Times Illustrated called "The Common Soldier of the Civil War." I think it's still out there in print by someone else. Anyway, that's the first place I ever remember seeing "brogans" for shoes, along with a list of other nicknames like "gunboats." I've never seen it in a letter or diary either. I wonder if that author (Bell Wiley maybe?) saw it in a newspaper article about Irish soldiers, shortened it up for a magazine article and left us with the wrong impression of it common usage. Francis Lord also records it in the Collectors Encyclopedia, but both of those are secondary sources.

 

[O' Be Joyful]

obviously i can't contribute to hunt down the culprits but i wholeheartedly support the crusade

I have isolated the miscreant that popularized the term "brogans."

But...you can only hope to contain him.

​

 

[DaveBrt]

Over the years reenactors have developed their own parlance or phraseology. This is common with groups that share common interests. So are there some reenacting terminology that are a result of modern reenactors getting together and have little basis in Civil War vernacular? If so, should reenactors make an attempt to use period terms instead of modern reenacting terms?

I will start with "Brogans". I do not seem to see this term being used in many Civil War letters or newspaper reports. The most common term soldiers seem to use in letters is "shoes'. Newspapers seem to most often use the terms "Army shoes" or "shoes". Officially they are often called "bootees".

I am not sure that during the Civil War theses were much called "Blucher pattern boots", "Balmoral shoes", or Monticello boots/shoes". I do see these terms used by modern authors to describe Civil War footwear.

So is the term "Brogans" over used by reenactors? Perhaps it is and maybe reenacotors should attempt to use the period term "shoes" as much as possible.

Can anyone think of other reenactor jargon that could be replaced with more period correct terms?

I have seen dozens of Confederate uses of the word for infantry footware and it is always "shoes." These references are from Lee's letters, Quartermasters' letters & vouchers, unit commanders letters, etc.

However, a search for "brogan" in Virginia newspapers in 1862 came up with scores of uses of brogan. Many were advertisements for civilian shoes, but not all were.

 

[TerryB]

My grandfather lived up on the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee. He called his shoes "brogans" with emphasis on both syllables. Other things he said that I remember ...cartridges were catridges, partridges were patridges, wounded was pronounced like "sounded" and a hunk of chewing tobacco was a quid. When kinfolks were spotted coming up the hill to the house, he or my grandma would say "here comes Bragg's Army." His way of saying brogans was like BRO-Gans, more accent on the bro part, with gans sounding like "hands."


He was of Irish descent.

 

[mofederal]

http://www.missouribootandshoe.com/u-s-military-brogans--shoes.html

I don't know about brogans, but they were called Jefferson Bootees, from what I am seeing the name stuck for a number of years. Of course this ia an ad for reenactment gear.

 

[thomas aagaard]

I have seen dozens of Confederate uses of the word for infantry footware and it is always "shoes." These references are from Lee's letters, Quartermasters' letters & vouchers, unit commanders letters, etc.

However, a search for "brogan" in Virginia newspapers in 1862 came up with scores of uses of brogan. Many were advertisements for civilian shoes, but not all were.

note that "shoes" was also used for horse shoes... and it is the context that tell what the person mean.

 

[John Hartwell]

I will start with "Brogans". I do not seem to see this term being used in many Civil War letters or newspaper reports. The most common term soldiers seem to use in letters is "shoes'. Newspapers seem to most often use the terms "Army shoes" or "shoes". Officially they are often called "bootees".

I am not sure that during the Civil War theses were much called "Blucher pattern boots", "Balmoral shoes", or Monticello boots/shoes". I do see these terms used by modern authors to describe Civil War footwear.

So is the term "Brogans" over used by reenactors? Perhaps it is and maybe reenacotors should attempt to use the period term "shoes" as much as possible.

Can anyone think of other reenactor jargon that could be replaced with more period correct terms?

Actually "army brogans" is very common usage in period newspapers, both North and South, mostly in advertisements but also in other srticles:

[Richmond Examiner, Dec. 1862]
​

Advice to new officers, in a letter from "Gen Banks' Division," Sept. 28, 1861:

[Boston Transcript, Oct. 1861]

[Commercial Bulletin, Sept. 1861]

[Augusta (Ga.) Daily Constitutionalist Nov. 1862]​

Very likely, however, the men in the field would normally just simplify it as "shoes" in letters and everyday speech.

 

[7thWisconsin]

"Brogans" is Irish, the term for the rawhide shoes that the poor Irish wore. Originally they were a piece of leather that was laid under the foot, holes for a lace were poked near the top, then the whole gathered around the foot and tied. A shanty Irish moccasin, if you will.

 

[Tailor Pete]

While not an inappropriate term, I have noticed that 'trousers' was oftentimes spelled 'trowsers' in period letters and articles. Wish folks would use that spelling from time to time.

 

[major bill]

I seen that in Army regulations in 1861 they used trowers. However before and after that it was spelled trousers.

 

[Tailor Pete]

I've found 'trowsers' in several places... as I locate them, I'll post them for all to see.

 

[Chattahooch33]

I have isolated the miscreant that popularized the term "brogans."

View attachment 182475

But...you can only hope to contain him.

​

This was Ron Maxwell's attempt to ruin an incredible movie. He almost succeeded.

 

[Northern Light]

You don't like Buster? I really liked how Kevin Conway played him.

 

[Stainless Steel Mucket]

Buster is Chamberlain's imaginary friend. No one conversed with him other than Chamberlain. Next time you watch the movie, imagine that Buster isn't really there and is only a product of Chamberlain's heat stroke.

- S.S. Mucket

 

[Craig L Barry]

Yep, no Buster Kilrain with Chamberlain on Little Round Top. "Buster" was also not a name or nickname that was common to the Civil War-era. For whatever that is worth.

And I think maybe the term "brogans" (which was sometimes used as pointed out) took such a hold in the modern-era is that the word "bootees" sounds a little silly to to us, like children's shoes.