Civil War Vocabulary

Term for soldier who fought for the Union. 

Foot soldiers marching and fighting together. 

A soldier who has just signed up to be a soldier, who hasn't fought before. 

Soldiers in colorful uniforms, and who specialized in precision drilling. 

Cloth bag used by soldiers to carry rations and food. 

Military term for food. 

The standard infantry weapon used in the war. 

The formal release of slaves.

The alliance of 11 Southern states to form the Confederate States of America. 

One or more soldiers responsible for guard duty, alwayswatchful for enemy approach. 

A person who believed in the abolishment slavery. 

The murder of a prominent person.

An often fatal disease of the human intestines. 

Slave-owning states that didn't secede from theUnion Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, & Missouri. 

Large, powerful weapons such as cannon and mortars. 

The search for food by soldiers often at the expense offarmers in a battle area. 

The standard rifle bullet used in the war.

Sending troops around theenemy’s flank to attack his line of communications. 

A Northern Democrat who agreed with Southern secession & wanted peace during the war. 

The most common meal ration during the war, alongwith hardtack and coffee. 

To withdraw or separate yourself from a country. 

A half-inch thick hard cracker eaten byCivil War soldiers.  

A unit of 6 cannons.

A leather box in which the soldier carried hisrounds or bullets. 

The liquid drug used to anesthetize (put to sleep) wounded soldiers in the war. 

Soldiers mounted on horseback fighting as a unit. 

A slang term for a soldier fighting for the South. 

Paper money used during the Civil War in theNorth. 

The selection of citizens for mandatory military service.

The art of maneuvering troops on a battlefield. 

The art of military command as to an overall plan ofwar. 

Civil War term for an underwater mine that exploded. 

The collection of 23 Northern states which fought the Confederacy during the Civil War.  

A person killed, wounded, captured, or missing duringthe war. 

Goods illegally traded during wartime. 

Dry goods salesman who traveled with the Northernarmies. 

Large-scale combat between two armed forces 

To leave one’s military post, or to run away from battle, often punishable by death. 

Slang term for the Confederacy.

Military leadership in order of importance and decision-making responsibilities.

The sides of an army’s line in battle. 

The closing off, using naval forces, of a city or otherarea to traffic and communication. 

The big, concentrated attack against the enemy’s weak or critical point. 

Attack against the flanks of an enemy’s army. 

To spread out armies to create a battle line. 

Instructing recruits how to march and practice the military arts as a unit. 

A ship covered with iron plates and used in the CivilWar.