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Civil War Reenactor Glossary
 Civil
War reenactors have a language all their own. Here is a glossary of
commonly used terms:
Artillery - The unit that operated the cannon, mortar and heavy
weapons.
Brogans - low quarter shoes that are period-appropriate for
the Civil War, particularly common with enlisted soldiers.
Bummer - A forage hat.
Cavalry - A unit that traveled and fought on horseback. The
hallmarks of a cavalry unit were speed and mobility.
Civilian - A person who reenacts a non-military impression during
reenactments. Many people create extensive civilian impressions to participate
in reenactments.
Colors - The flag. This refers to the unit flag, the state flag,
the national flag - any flag on the battlefield. A unit's colors were
not only a form of communication but a banner of great pride during
the Civil War, one to be defended to the death.
C.S. or C.S.A. - Confederate States or Confederate States Army
Dismounted Cavalry - A hybrid of infantry and cavalry. Dismounted
Cavalry traveled by horseback but normally fought on foot.
Drill - The unit practicing maneuvers or marching. Typically
a unit will drill prior to a reenactment to learn particular moves that
will be used in the battle. (See the photo above.)
Facing the Elephant - The Civil War soldier's term for going
into battle.
 Farby
- A reenactor's term for anything not period-appropriate. Reenactors
try to avoid "being farby" - some go to great extremes (see
the definition of "threadcounter"). As you develop your impression
over time you can replace items that are not period-appropriate in your
uniform and camping setup. This may include anything from getting period
gear for your tent to picking up authentic wire-frame glasses.
Federal - the Northern Army. Also called Union.
Forage
Hat - similar to a kepi but taller on the top so that it falls forward
to the bill of the cap. See right.
Impression - A fictional persona of someone living during the
Civil War that has been created by a reenactor. The reenactor then takes
the role of the impression. Impressions can be military or civilian.
Infantry - The foot soldiers who marched into battle.
Kepi - The standard hat you think of as a Civil War hat. See
right.
Living History - Another name for reenacting. A living history
event might include a static display or presentation at a school or
community occasion. Living history events are designed to educate the
public on a soldier's life during the Civil War.
Maximum Effort - An event where all members are strongly urged
to attend.
Muster - A gathering, especially of troops, for service, inspection,
review or roll call.
National Event - A large event, commemorating an actual battle,
normally attended by units nation wide
Period-Appropriate - If something (clothing, weapons, camping
gear, etc.) is in the same form, style and manufacture as it was during
the war, it is said to be period-appropriate.
Reenactor - A person who recreates the War Between the States
or Civil War as a soldier.
Threadcounter - A reenactor who insists on a historically accurate
impression, right down to having a uniform made of the correct fabric,
with buttonholes having the same threadcount as those uniforms worn
in the 1860s. The opposite of a threadcounter would be "farby"
(definition above).
 Sack
Coat - the standard coat for Civil War soldiers. A simple style
of coat that was easy to produce in large quantities.
Shell Jacket - Cut shorter than a sack coat, the shell jacket
extends down to the waist. It can be worn buttoned up, completely open
or buttoned only at the top.
Slouch Hat - Similar to what many refer to as a cowboy hat,
the slouch hat was worn by officers and enlisted alike. Particularly
for Union soldiers, the slouch hat would have a colored braid to indicate
the type of unit that soldier was with - yellow braid meant cavalry,
blue braid meant infantry and red braid meant artillery. This helped
commanders identify their troops from long distances.
Sutlers - Merchants who followed troops during the Civil War.
Today, modern Sutlers set up tents at reenactments to sell a wide variety
of uniform items, clothing, tools, equipment, souvenirs and other Civil
War-related items.
Union - the Northern army. Also called Federal.
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