Civil War Interactive Discussion Board Home 
Home Search search Menu menu Not logged in - Login | Register


 Moderated by: javal1 Page:    1  2  3  Next Page Last Page  
New Topic Reply Printer Friendly
Amusing comments by the soldiers  Rate Topic 
AuthorPost
 Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 03:51 pm
  PM Quote Reply
1st Post
Widow
Member
 

Joined: Tue Sep 19th, 2006
Location: Oakton, Fairfax County, VA
Posts: 321
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
Now and then I run across some remark from a diary or letter that sets me giggling.  The quote sticks with me, even though I can't remember the source.  The soldiers had a knack for the wry comment, the sardonic humor that kept them from crying.

It was raining hard.  Not just a Presbyterian rain, but a good Baptist rain.

. . . as thin as butter spread on a slice of boarding-house bread.

When the shooting started, the Home Guards skedaddled.  Reckon they were guarding their homes.

What have you run across that makes you smile?

Patty

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 05:07 pm
  PM Quote Reply
2nd Post
Widow
Member
 

Joined: Tue Sep 19th, 2006
Location: Oakton, Fairfax County, VA
Posts: 321
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
We Civil Warriors in the 21st century have our humor too.  Last Saturday our Bull Run Round Table toured the tiny 5-acre remnant of the 500-acre battlefield of Ox Hill (Yankee) or Chantilly (Rebel) in Fairfax County, Virginia.  It was fought on September 2, 1862, as an aftermath of Second Manassas.

A bicyclist approached and we all moved off the sidewalk.  Somebody called out, "Infantry yields to cavalry!"  To which somebody else added, "Mister, here's your mule!"

Later a jogger came by with a friendly tail-waggiing sniffer.  It was attracted by the scent of dogs on some of the members' clothes.  Somebody commented, "Looks like a Yankee dog to me."

Patty

"Private," Bull Run Civil War Round Table, Centreville

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 09:24 pm
  PM Quote Reply
3rd Post
Fuller
E Pluribus Unum


Joined: Mon Oct 23rd, 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 249
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
Comrade Shriver - or "Dick," as he was familiarly called - was one of the "all-around" good boys of the old 78th Ohio, and, if I am not mistaken, was on every march and took part in every skirmish and general engagement participated in by that organization, from the surrender of Fort Donelson, in February, 1861, to the musterout of the regiment, in July, 1865.
The very complimentary announcement made brings fresh to mind a circumstance that the comrade may have forgotten.
One day while we were marching through Georgia, or some other State south, the writer and possibly a score of others were surprised to see Dick step quickly out of ranks, and without a word fling his trusty old Springfield onto the ground. Before a stuttering boy could count to ten he had unburdened himself of knapsack and accoutrements, tossing them in a promiscuous heap, and then, in one time and two motions, off came his blouse.
We looked on in astonishment, and while cogitating in our own minds as to whether he had suddenly made up his mind to muster himself out and quit the service, or was getting ready to climb some fellow's frame, the sight of smoke issuing from the inner folds of the blouse, and the odor of "fried wool" and brimstone, revealed pretty clearly to our bewildered minds the true status of the case, accounting for Dick's strange actions, the only time we had ever known him to become "rattled."
A bunch of matches, rolled in paper and placed in the inside pocket of his blouse, from friction or outside pressure, had been ignited, and were making things hot in that locality.
The whole scene from beginning to end occupied less time than required to write this, and Dick was back in ranks and cool as a cucumber. The only serious results were a red spot on his left side and a partially-consumed blouse pocket, the latter a total loss, for Uncle Billy's boys didn't care to assume the additional burden of carrying a fire or life insurance policy, particularly when the other fellows were the ones who needed such things most. J.P.Ross, 78th Ohio, Indianola, Iowa.

Fuller

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:47 am
  PM Quote Reply
4th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"I never wear blue, I saw too much of it running in the last unpleaseantness." Reply. "Yep, we ran the whole way to Appomatox, then we stopped running."

Conversation between Unnamed US Senators

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:48 am
  PM Quote Reply
5th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"... Sgt if a Texan is merely a Mexican who couldn't make it further north... then by God give me ten thousand of those Mexicans and I'll whip the Yankess clean to hell." CSA Major after witnessing the Texans charge at Antietem.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:48 am
  PM Quote Reply
6th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"Sherman will never go to hell. He'll flank the devil and make heaven despite the guards."

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:50 am
  PM Quote Reply
7th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
In this army one hole in the seat of the breeches indicates a Captain, two holes a Lieutenant and the seat of the pants all out indicates the individual is a private." Texan outside of Atlanta 1864.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:51 am
  PM Quote Reply
8th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"We'll fight them, sir, 'til hell freezes over, and then, sir, we will fight them on the ice."

A Confederate soldier at Gettysburg

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:52 am
  PM Quote Reply
9th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"The Potomac Army has no doubt had some hard fighting, but it has been on a different scale than ours and most of it was done in the newspapers." Alonzo Brown

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:53 am
  PM Quote Reply
10th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
Now I lay me down to sleep
In mud that's many fathoms deep;
If I'm not here when you awake,
Just hunt me up with an oyster rake.

Revised prayer of the "Mud March." J. Billings

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:54 am
  PM Quote Reply
11th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"Any man thinks this is too hard can go join the Confederate Army. Fighting's easier in Virginia anyway." Unnamed Texas captain of a Frontier Company on fighting Commanches on the Texas frontier.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:55 am
  PM Quote Reply
12th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"I'll take orders; might whip ya later but I'll take orders."

"There's nuff a us ta fix his wagon if he gets out of line."   Texas Volunteer refering to his Captain

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:56 am
  PM Quote Reply
13th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
At the battle of Shiloh in April 1862, a wounded soldier who had been told to leave his weapon and go to the rear soon returned, saying, "Gimme another gun. This blame fight ain't got any rear."

 

Quite fiting considering my current research on the Hornet's Nest...

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:00 am
  PM Quote Reply
14th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"Damn you Sir! I don't want a flag of truce I want an American flag!" General Force, Battle of Atlanta before being wounded.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:03 am
  PM Quote Reply
15th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
When asked by Genl Bragg, "Do you know what a retreat looks like?"  The reply he heard was: "Ought to General; been with you the entire campaign."

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:05 am
  PM Quote Reply
16th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
"Priority for furlough is for shooters, not tooters."  DH Hill in denying a musicians request for furlough.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:08 am
  PM Quote Reply
17th Post
susansweet
Member


Joined: Sun Sep 4th, 2005
Location: California USA
Posts: 1420
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
I found two quotes in American's Civil War from 1991 when I was cataloging them for the Drum Barracks.  I have been sharing the quotes with friends so friends here hey are .  They were both from an article abou the North Carolinia Junior Reserves , 17 year olds that were enlisted at the end of the war .  They fought bravely at Bentonville but were still 17 year olds

First one :  " An officer found one of the boys with an unexplored shell between his knees , trying to exract the powder.   When he was reprimanded for endangering himself and ohers He responded. . . "I ain't skeered of he damn things when they're coming at me though the air and I know I ain't skeered of 'em when I got 'em in my hands.:

Second quote  or more story.  After the surrender  the boys realized the war was over for them  but they talked of going to Mexico together.  "An indication of of the desperation felt by the youths is exemplified by an incident that occurred as they crossed the swollen Haw River.  One of the smaller boys went under the water, and a bigger comrade pulled him out.  He went under again, and still a third time.  His friends assumed he was attempting suicide , but on being questioned he answered , "My gun's down there, and I been trying to git hit."

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:12 am
  PM Quote Reply
18th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
Charleston is too small to be a country and too large for an insane asylum.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:14 am
  PM Quote Reply
19th Post
susansweet
Member


Joined: Sun Sep 4th, 2005
Location: California USA
Posts: 1420
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
I like the Charleston one , I heard it said when I was there this fall. 

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:14 am
  PM Quote Reply
20th Post
Johan Steele
Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352


Joined: Sat Dec 2nd, 2006
Location: South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA
Posts: 1051
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
Away down South in the land of traitors,
Rattlesnakes and alligators,
Right away, come away, right away, come away.

Where cotton's king and men are chattels,
Union boys will win the battles,
Right away, come away, right away, come away.

Union version of Dixie

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

Current time is 03:39 am Page:    1  2  3  Next Page Last Page    
Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > The Participants of the War - Mikitary & Civilian > Other People of the Civil War > Amusing comments by the soldiers Top



Lead Theme By: Di @ UltraBB
UltraBB 1.17 Copyright © 2007-2008 Data 1 Systems
Page processed in 0.3041 seconds (11% database + 89% PHP). 26 queries executed.