Schoolmasters are all dead.

[gary]

From the dustbin of hystery, I offer this tidbit written by a sucker:

"Lieut. Borland sent home to the True Democrat an interesting relic from Fort Henry. It was an 'Arkansas tooth-pick,' being a knife about one foot long, made from an old rasp, and enclosed in a leather sheath, on which was rudely printed the words - 'deth to all ablishners.' I judge from the spelling that the schoolmasters had already been killed off in Arkansas."

 

[FSPowers]

Considering the level of basic education in that time period, I'm not surprised.

 

[olerebel]

I have been fascinated by 'Arkansas toothpicks' for a long time. Something about them- they are designed for one purpose, to use on another person or critter, as a weapon of defense or offense. They are too long to be a good skinning knife, or butcher knife. They are an offshoot of an ancient dagger. Some were attached to the collar where they could be easily grabbed and thrown or used to slash.
The guy that made the one in question probably didn't know why he was going to kill 'ablishners', but he had killing on his mind. (chuckle)

 

[Fifth Iowa]

Education

I've read a number of unpublished letters and diaries written by members of my ggf's regiment. I'm not at all surprised by misspellings (most of which are quite easy to decipher since they are spelled phonetically). On the contrary, I am impressed with how well the average trooper was able to communicate despite their sometimes modest schooling.

 

[unionblue]

Fifth Iowa,

I have been informed that the myth that most troops, Northern or Southern, who could not read or write was actually quite small. I understand the literacy rate in the North was about 90% while it was about 80% in the South. I can't remember where I saw this, but I am inclined to agree with it.

I too, have a letter, written during the time of the civil war. I had trouble understanding what the man was having trouble with because of the spelling of one word 'mossquitows' but then I realized the word was 'mosquitos!'

Maybe all the school masters weren't dead, just doing things a bit differently than we do today.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

 

[nbforrest]

I think you are right about the relatively high literacy rates...I have read the same thing, that the illiteracy was not as rampant as sometimes thought. That being said, some of those boys were pretty creative with their spellings. Sort of makes the letters all the more interesting though.

Respectfully

 

[blue_zouave]

Hookt on fonix

\I too, have a letter, written during the time of the civil war. I had trouble understanding what the man was having trouble with because of the spelling of one word 'mossquitows' but then I realized the word was 'mosquitos!'Unionblue

I've found that with odd spellings in those old documents, if you try to sound them out you'll hear the correct word. My son is a throwback, can't spell fur nuthin'.

Zou

 

[blue_zouave]

Whazza sucker??

From the dustbin of hystery, I offer this tidbit written by a sucker:

"Sucker" was a term for someone from Illinois, IIRC. "Hoosiers" of course were from Indiana.

Bit of local color, here in my area there is an area called "Sucker Flats." I always thought it was because of the sucker fish that live in the river shallows. But noooo, found out that a group from Illinois settled down there when this area was opened for homesteading.

I'd tell you what the colorful name for a Missourian was, but some folks might be offended.

Zou

 

[ole]

Zou;
For those who found enlightenment in the derivation of "sucker," I will risk offense by offering that Missourians were known as "pukes."
Ole

 

[blue_zouave]

Yes indeedy, Ole...

In fact, there's a whole list of these nicknames in Walt Whitman's writings. Rather than burdening the board here, I would direct those interested to

http://www.bartleby.com/229/5009.html


Zou

 

[ole]

Thanks, Zou:
I was wondering what some of the other state "handles" were -- or even if there were any.

It's easy to conjure up how Ohio became Buckeyes, or Michigan became Wolverines; but, Pukes? Suckers?

Any one have a hint?
Ole

 

[Wild_Rose]

Zou;
For those who found enlightenment in the derivation of "sucker," I will risk offense by offering that Missourians were known as "pukes."
Ole

Pukes? That's a strange handle. I've always heard Missourians referred to as "fence riders".

Rose

 

[Fifth Iowa]

Livin' in Southern Illinois

Living less than an hour from Saint Louis, I've finally gotten accustomed to hearing natives of that state pronouncing it "Missourah." However, I really cringe (and usually correct) the people here (out of state military folks, I hate to confess) who pronounce this state as "Illinoise." And, as a Washingtonian, I also hate it when people mispronounce the name of my neighboring state as "Oregone," rather than "Oregun" as the natives do. Reminds me of when we moved to the capital of Idaho when I was a child. People could immediately tell we were "immigrants" because we pronounced it "Boize" while the natives pronounce it "Boice." (It's spelled with an "s," of course.) Well enough about pronunciations. My personal feeling is that we should defer to the locals in the pronunciation of their own homes' names, unless it's an absolute phonetic abomination.

 

[samgrant]

From the dustbin of hystery, I offer this tidbit written by a sucker:

"Lieut. Borland sent home to the True Democrat an interesting relic from Fort Henry. It was an 'Arkansas tooth-pick,' being a knife about one foot long, made from an old rasp, and enclosed in a leather sheath, on which was rudely printed the words - 'deth to all ablishners.' I judge from the spelling that the schoolmasters had already been killed off in Arkansas."

The "Boise" thing and a nice pursuit of nicknames not withstanding, I was wondering about this 'toothpick' vs. a 'Bowie Knife' and I found this:

http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/bowie.html

regards, Sam

 

[hoosier]

Fifth Iowa, when I was in school, I once had an English teacher of French descent who insisted that the proper pronunciation of the name of the capital of Idaho was "Bwah-Zay."

Wonder what the natives would have thought of him if he'd ever come to town?

 

[Fifth Iowa]

Boise

Wonder what the natives would have thought of him if he'd ever come to town?

I suspect he would have found the natives a bit perturbed by his sophisticated enunciation...

 

[blue_zouave]

You say BOIZEEE and I say BOISEEE

When I lived in that particular town, it was still one step up from a cow town. Now it's very very full of itself... wouldn't be surprised if they are ALL calling it Bwa-zay now!!

Zou

 

[gary]

Medina, Ohio. I pronounce with the Italian style as in May-deen-na. The locals pronounce it Ma-Dine-Na.

I think the Illinois folks are called suckers because of a fish that is popular there. Back then, "sucker" did not have a negative connotation attached to it.

 

[olerebel]

In browsing census records, I have noticed that in 1850 and 1860 most people in a household could read and write. In the 1870 census no one in the family could read or write. I guess the war caused memory lapse. G-G-G'pa's Bible, has births entered until 1863 in a very fine handwriting, with a quill pen and ink (probably made from pokeberries), but the entries made after 1865 were made in pencil, with the writing skill of a first grader.

 

[blue_zouave]

I think the Illinois folks are called suckers because of a fish that is popular there. Back then, "sucker" did not have a negative connotation attached to it.

We have sucker fish here too. They're considered trash fish, although in a pinch, with lots of tomato and garlic, you can eat them.

The Hutchinson Family sang the song "Lincoln and Liberty" wherein Abe was referred to as "The pride of the suckers so lucky!"

Zou