RAG OUT - a slang term meaning to dress well.

RAM - to press or drive down a charge into a cannon.

RAMMER - a staff which has a spongehead at one end and a solid, flared head (called the Rammer Head) at the other end; the flared head used for pushing home the charge in a cannon, the spongehead used for damping sparks or embers remaining in the tube. The rammer is a most critical and important piece of equipment, and prone to splintering or shattering if the charge is not rammed (more or less) straight down the center of the tube (rather than the rammer being allowed to "bounce" within the tube during ramming); for those reasons, cannons are equipped with two rammers, one serving as a spare. 

RAMMER HEAD - the solid, flared end of a rammer, used to apply to a charge to send it home in the cannon tube.  Rammer heads are made of ash, maple, or other hard woods.  For howitzers, they are countersunk in order to receive the fuzes in ramming shells.

RAMMER STAFF - a staff at whose ends are found a spongehead and a rammer head; used by the No. 1 position. Also known as a SPONGE STAFF.

RAMMING (See also DOUBLE-RAMMING)

RANGE - the horizontal distance between cannon and its target, or between the cannon to the point where the projectile strikes the ground. (See also EFFECTIVE RANGE and MAXIMUM RANGE)

RANK - a formation of men in which they stand side-by-side (abreast) of each other. To determine the proper distance between men, place your right hand on your hip and move to the right until your elbow lightly touches the arm of the man on your right. When in two or more ranks, there should be eighteen inches between the ranks, and the elbows should be touching lightly.

RANK-AND-FILE - all privates and non-commissioned officers.

RATION - the daily allotment or allowance of food and beverage.

READY - a command to assume the position appropriate to the Number on a piece in preparation to fire the cannon. Refer to the specific positions in the Artillery Drill Manual to determine the specific posture for each position.

RECONNOITER - to examine or survey.

RED-EYE  -  a slang term for cheap whiskey.

RED-EYE GRAVY  -  gravy made from ham drippings.

REDOUBT - a small fortification.

REGIMENT - a unit consisting of three or more companies or batteries and forming a basic element of a battalion. Artillery regiments existed but were rarely if ever employed as such during the War.

REINFORCE - the thickest part of the body of the piece.

RELIEF - defined as one-third of a guard; each third is to stand duty two hours on and four hours off.

REPLACE EQUIPMENTS - to return the equipment, such as gloves, thumb stall, vent prick, and so forth, to the limber chest or other designated storage place.

RE-PRIME - to prime again. This is typically part of the command "Re-prick and re-prime", an order given in the event of a misfire.

RESERVE - a select body of troops retained in the rear of the troops as an additional, fresh source of manpower to be used as needed.

REVEILLE - a signal given by bugle call or drum beat to wake the troops.

RICOCHET - the bouncing of a shot at an obtuse angle on impact with any object.

RIDING A DUTCH GAL - a slang term, meaning to consort with a prostitute.

RIFLE - can refer to a shoulder gun or an artillery piece with spiral grooves cut into the inner surface of the barrel to fire a projectile with greater range and accuracy.

RIFLING - the cutting of spiral grooves on the inside of a barrel to make the projectile spin when fired; the spinning motion gives the gun greater accuracy and range by stabilizing the travel of the projectile. Most rifles are right-handed, meaning that they impart a clockwise or left-to-right rotation of the projectile.

RIGHT-HANDED - with reference to firearms, it means that a rifled barrel imparts a clockwise, or left-to-right, rotation to the projectile as it is fired.

RIMBASE - short cylinders which unite the trunnions with the body of the gun.

RIMBASE ENDS - the shoulders of the trunnions which are in planes perpendicular to the axis of the trunnions.

ROSTER - a list of officers and men by which duties are assigned and regulated.

ROTATING BAND - a band of soft metal, often copper, which forms a circle around the projectile base for the purpose of engaging the lands of the tube’s spiraled rifling which then causes the projectile to rotate. Rotating bands used with muzzle-loading cannons were expansion rings which were expanded into the rifling grooves by the powder blast.

ROUND - a single shot from each of a number of rifles, artillery pieces, or a shot from a single gun or cannon. Ammunition for such a shot may also be referred to as a round.

ROUNDABOUT - a waist-length jacket.

SABOT - a bushing or similar device fitted around or in back of a projectile to make it fit the bore of the gun barrel or launching tube.

SARDINE BOX - a slang term for a cap box (See CAP BOX).

SASS  -  a slang term meaning to talk back in an impertinent way, "sass" originally referred to garden vegetables.   "Long sass" refers to parsnips, carrots, and the like; "short sass" refers to turnips, potatoes, and onions.  The latter use of "sass" is found even today, but it is extremely rare.  The term "sass" is a corruption of the word "saucy", and first appeared in mid-19th century America and England at about the same time.

"Fat and sassy" has been a term for someone in good health since the mid-19th century, as well.  In his "Larkin Snow the Miller", published in 1859, Hardin E. Taliaferro noted that "The fryin'-pan stunk with fat eels, and we all got fat and sassy."

SCALE - on a pendulum-hausse, a sheet brass piece with a lead-filled brass bulb located at the bottom. The scale passes through the hausse-slit to which it is connected in order to form a pivot on which the scale is then able to vibrate laterally.

SCREW JACK  -  used for field service, the screw jack has a stand height of 19", and the length of the screw is 15".

SEAT - in reference to a pendulum hausse, and iron component fastened to the base of the breech.

SECTION - a basic military unit, usually having a specific function, as "an artillery section.".

SECTION CHIEF - position responsible for command of a section; normally a Captain or First Lieutenant.

SECURE THE PIECE - a command to place sponge-and-rammer, sponge bucket, and worm in their proper storage places on the piece, to buckle the vent cover over the vent, and to fasten the tampion in place over the muzzle of the piece.

SECURING THE CHEST - to make the limber chest secure and accessible only by the Gunner or No. 6.

SERGEANT - a non-commissioned rank above Corporal and below the lowest commissioned officer rank, which is Second Lieutenant. The primary grades of Sergeant are: Sergeant, represented by three chevrons; First Sergeant, represented by three chevrons with a diamond above them; and Sergeant Major, represented by three chevrons capped with three arced stripes. Also referred to as "soldier.

SERGEANT MAJOR - the highest non-commissioned officer rank, and therefore ranked immediately below Second Lieutenant, the rank is represented by three chevrons capped with three arced stripes.

SERVICE THE PIECE (See WORM AND SPONGE)

SERVICE THE VENT (See VENT BRUSH)

SHEBANG - a slang term for a shelter tent. Also known as a PUP TENT.

SHEET IRON CRACKER - a slang term for HARD TACK.

SHELL - an explosive artillery projectile containing high explosives and sometimes shrapnel or other objects. It may also be a pyrotechnic charge which explodes high in the air.

SHELL HOOKS  -  made of iron, shell hooks are comprised of two branches that are .5" in diamter, formed into the shape of an "S", and joined by a rivet.  Shell hooks were used to lift large shells.

SHIN PLASTERS - a slang term for paper money.

SHOVEL  -  the blade, made of sheet iron, is pointed with steel.

SHRAPNEL - the balls scattered by the explosion of a Shrapnel Shot, or any fragments scatted by an exploding shell.

SHRAPNEL SHOT - an artillery shell filled with an explosive charge and many small metal balls which is designed to explode in the air over the objective (typically, enemy troops).

SHODDY - a term of Welsh origin that originally meant inferior-quality quarry stone or coal of inferior burning quality, it came into popular use during the War Between the States and was used to describe something cheaply imitative, or hastily and poorly done. The term also refers to a wool of better quality and longer staple than mungo (reclaimed wool of poor quality and short staple) made from materials that are not felted (felting being a process in which wool, fur, and natural fibers together make a fabric through the action of heat, moisture, pressure, and chemicals). Typically the process began with old woolen rags that were passed through a machine that reduced them to wool, then saturated with oil or milk, mixed with new wool, and then run into large shallow pans, partially dried, and finally pressed between cylinders to make new cloth. The recycled end product had the appearance of good wool, but had a short life span in use. Many of the Federal uniforms of 1861 were made of shoddy.

Another version of the origin of the name "shoddy" asserts that a manufacturer called Shoddy Manufacturing in Easton, Massachusetts provided wool clothing made from blended wool scraps to the Federal War Department. The wool was notorious for its inferior quality and brevity of life; being nothing more than scraps of wool pasted together with a glue of sorts, it even separated or fell apart when it got wet. The Massachusetts manufacturer’s mill was located by a pond called "Shoddy Pond" (which reportedly still exists and still bears that name), and it was from that pond that they derived the name of Shoddy Manufacturing. Once the War Department canceled its contract with them, such was the reputation of the manufacturer that, ever after, anything provided to the government that was found to be substandard was referred to as "shoddy".

SHOT - a non-explosive, solid projectile.

SHOULDER STRAPS - the markings of a commissioned officer’s rank in the Federal Army, shoulder straps were rectangular stripes edged in gold embroidery worn on each shoulder over a ground of a facing color with the officers’ rank badges embroidered inside. The term was also used as a slang term for any officer.

SIGHT - a device used to aid the eyes in lining up a gun on its target.

SIX-POUNDER - in the 17th century, the practice of naming cannons after their maker or fancied characteristics slowly began to give way to a more standardized method of identification, resulting in the naming of guns based on the weight of the projectile typically fired from that gun. The six-pounder, therefore, typically fired a six-pound projectile.

SKEDADDLE - a military slang term of the War Between the States, it probably originally described or suggested a fanciful military formation. It quickly came to mean to run off or run away, or to leave in a hurry.  It is believed (and cited by Joel Chandler Harris on one of his "Uncle Remus" stories) as having derived from the earlier Negro term "skaddle", which had the same meaning as "skedaddle".  The term "skaddle" was still in common use among slaves and freemen alike at the time of the War and afterwards.

SKIRMISH - a brief fight or encounter between small bodies of troops.

SKIRMISHERS - a group of soldiers sent out before the main body of troops to scout out the enemy’s location and, when directed, to harass and engage the enemy. In most cases, the level of engagement with the enemy would be relatively light so as to determine enemy troop concentration and enemy troop strength.

SLEEP TIGHT - a slang term meaning to "sleep well" that came as a reference to the bed itself. Rope beds were the predecessors of today’s mattress and foundations. Wooden frames held ropes strung from side to side, end to end, in a continuous run of rope that served as the foundation. Straw or feather mattresses were laid on this rope network. With time and certainly with use, the ropes would loosen, and the bed would become increasingly uncomfortable; the bed then required the attention of a person with a "bed key" or "rope key" that was used to put tension back into the ropes - to tighten them. Thus came the term "sleep tight".

SLIDER - a thin brass piece which may move up or down the scale, and is secured in place on the scale by means of a set screw when the proper graduation mark is ascertained.

SLOUCH HAT - a wide-brimmed hat, sometimes worn instead of kepi among soldiers of the South.

SNAKE MEDICINE  -  a slang term for cheap whiskey or moonshine.

SNAKE OIL  -  a slang term for any one of a multitude of substances or mixtures sold by a traveling medicine show for which extravagant curative and restorative claims were made.

SOLDIER - an enlisted man who is not a commissioned officer.

SOLDIER’S DISEASE - Opium addiction was not generally known or understood until the Was. Due to its prevalence among soldiers of the period who had been wounded, given opium to relieve the pain, and subsequently become addicted to opium, the sobriquet "soldier’s disease" was attached to either opium addiction or the withdrawal symptoms of an opium addict.

SOLDIER'S HEART  -  a malady that has plagued those who went to war since the days of the Pharaohs of Egypt, Soldier's Heart became known during World War I as "shell shock", and in World War II and the Korean War as "battle fatigue".  Since Viet Nam, it has been identified by the more clinical-sounding term "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder".

SON OF A GUN - an expletive that has a muddled history whose direct application (that of one being a bastard, arguably) is indeterminate. As the story of its origin is told, we are given to understand that after sailors had crossed the Atlantic to the West Indies, they would take the native women on board the ship and have their way with them in between the cannons. Some of the women the sailors left behind would have boys, who were called sons between the guns. Others hold that in the early days of the British Navy, women were allowed to join up in what were ostensibly non-combative roles. The voyages long and feelings of loneliness growing resulted in babies being born while the mothers were still at sea in their capacities as sailors. If the woman concerned would not name the father, the Captain would log the birth as being the son of a gun - the gun deck(s) being the only place where a reasonable degree of privacy could be had for such an event.

Still others hold that the term "son of a gun" actually referred to irresponsible sailors, a version that could either pre-date or post-date the origins noted above. They maintain that a soldier or common seaman was called a "gun" (for much the same reason that a woman used to be called a "skirt", or a beatnik was a "beard" or an "eared beard" - association with a distinctive characteristic; soldiers carry guns and seamen manned guns on shipboard). Consequently, a "son of a gun" was understood to be the son of a sailor.

Yet another version says that desertion from a ship was so common when ships would put into their home port that the seamen would not typically be allowed shore leave. Their wives and girlfriends, though, were allowed to board on the gun decks with their mates or lovers. On the rare occasion, women would begin labor while visiting her husband on shipboard. For those who had a difficult labor, it’s said, the cannons on either side of her were fired as an "aid" in the process. Male children born under these circumstances were referred to as "sons of a Gun".

SOW BELLY - a slang term for bacon.

SPHERICAL CASE SHOT - the shot portion of cannon ammunition in which the shot in the container is spherical.

SPLINTER BAR - on a limber, the splinter bar is fastened to the fork and the hounds, and is used to hitch the wheel horses for which function it has four trace hooks.

SPONGE - a command to the No. 1 position to ram the wet spongehead of the rammer in to the tube of the cannon in order to dampen and extinguish sparks and embers remaining in the tube after a discharge of the piece.  It is also the other end of the rammer, and refers to the coarse, well-twisted wool yarn that has been woven into a warp of strong thread, somewhat like a Brussels carpet.  A sponge may also be made of alum-dressed sheepskin with the wool left on.

SPONGE BUCKET - a bucket which is part of the equipment of a cannon in which water is maintained in order to provide a place in which the spongehead of the rammer is to be wetted in order to extinguish sparks and embers remaining in the cannon tube after discharging the piece.  Made of sheet iron, the sponge bucket has a diameter of 7.8", and a height of 9".

SPONGE COVER  -  made of Russia duck or canvas and painted to match the gun carriage, sponge covers were used to cover the sponge head when the implement was not in use.

SPONGE HEAD - one end of a rammer.  A sponge head is made one inch smaller in diameter than the bore of the cannon for which it is provided.

SPONGE STAFF (See RAMMER STAFF)

SPRUE - an opening through which molten metal is poured into a mold, or the waste piece of metal cast in such an opening. Cast musket balls often had a sprue.

STADIA SIGHT - a two-part sight commonly used with the Parrott Rifle, the stadia sight consists of a fixed sight located on the right rimbase and a socket-mounted moveable brass sight, with the socket screwed into the rear of the wrought iron breech reinforce. The moveable sight included a sliding eyepiece with 10° graduations, and which could be adjusted laterally up to 10° to compensate for drift and wind.

STAFF - a pole.

STANDARD - the flag carried by a mounted command.

STOCK - comprised of squared wood in two pieces which are joined to the cheeks to connect the two parts of the carriage together. It is also used in directing the piece.

STOP VENT - a command of warning which any member of a gun crew may give to indicate that the vent was not adequately sealed with the thumb stall of No. 3, and serving as a directive to No. 3 to re-seal the vent with the thumb stall (by applying pressure with the thumb encased in the thumb stall), and to No. 1 to re-sponge the tube. Due to the nature of leather, the condition requiring No. 3 to re-seal the vent may necessitate No. 3’s wetting the thumb stall to ensure a good seal; this is often done simply by licking the thumb stall.

SUBALTERN - any commissioned officer below the rank of Captain; or one of lower rank.

SUTLER  -  a merchant whose merchandise was supposed to supplement, not supplant, the goods available from the Army.   According to the 1861 Army regulations, Article XXV

    211.    Every military post may have one Sutler, to be appointed by the Secretary of War.
    212.    A Sutler shall hold his office for a term of three years, unless sooner removed; but the commanding officer may, for                  cause, suspend a Sutler's privilege until a decision of the War Department is received in the case....
    214.    Troops in campaign, on detachment, or on distant service, will be allowed Sutlers, at the rate of one for every                  regiment, corps, or separate detachment; to be appointed by the commanding officer of such regiment, corps, or                 detachment, upon the recommendation of the Council of Administration,.subject to the approval of the general or                 other officer in command....
    217.   No Sutler shall sell to an enlisted man on credit to a sum exceeding one-third of his monthly pay, within the same                 month, without the written sanction of the company commander, or the commanding officer of the post or station, if                 the man does not belong to a company; and not exceeding one-half of the monthly pay with such permission,

SWALE - a low-lying, or depressed, stretch of land; often wet because it is low-lying.

SWELL OF THE MUZZLE - the large part of the piece in front of the neck which gives strength to the gun at its termination and facilitates the pointings; and into which the muzzle sight is screwed. A muzzle band takes the place of the swell of the muzzle in field howitzers.

TACTICS - the order, formation, and disposition of troops.

TAKE EQUIPMENTS - a command by the Gunner to take up and don the equipment required to perform the functions of the assigned Numbers by a gun crew.

TAMPION - a wooden plug with a leather harness used to plug the muzzle of a cannon to prevent foreign objects from being introduced into the tube.

TANGENT SCALE  -  made of sheet brass, No. 13, the tangent scale has a flange that is .5" wide, cut to fit the base ring of the piece; the upper edge is cut into notches for each 1/4º of elevation.

For guns, the tangent scale table is:

                                6-pounder            12-pounder
Elevation                    Inches                        Inches
1° 15'                                 0.256                            0.333
2°                                        1.025                            1.334
3°                                        2.051                            2.670
4°                                        3.077                            4.006

TAR BUCKET  -  made of sheet iron, the tar bucket has a diameter of 7.2", and a height of 8", making it slightly smaller than the sponge bucket.

TARHEEL  -  North Carolina was a source for tar (pine pitch from their abundant pine trees) long before the War Between the States.  The term "tarheel" was evidently introduced in 1862 as a term of ridicule for North Carolina because of its having been last to secede from the Federal Union.  Their tardiness or reluctance resulted in the South naming North Carolina "the reluctant state".  It was the combination of North Carolina's supply of tar to the naval industry and their holding last place in secession that led to jokes being circulated about them, including one which said a Southerner held an exchange with a North Carolinian that went::

" Got any tar?"
"No, Jeff Davis has bought it all."
"What for?"
"To put on you fellow's heels to make you stick."

The term lost its shameful connotation in 1864 when, during a visit to the Army of Northern Virginia, Governor Vance of North Carolina said in a speech to the troops:

"I do not know what to call you fellows. I cannot say fellow soldiers, because I am not a soldier; nor fellow citizens, because we do not live in this state; so I have concluded to call you fellows 'Tarheels'."

A brief silence followed before an onslaught of applause came.   From that time forward, "Tarheel" was an honored name worthy to be offered to a North Carolina soldier.  (History courtesy of 1st North Carolina Regiment of Cavalry - Stuart's Tarheels Website.)

TARPAULIN  -  made of canvas and used to cover cannnons when they are in the field so as to protect them from the weather, tarpaulins standardly come in one of two sizes: a large tarpaulin that is 15' by 12'; and a small tarpaulin that is 5' square.

TAR WATER - a slang term for liquor or strong adult beverage.

TATTOO - originating with the Dutch term "taptoe" which meant to shut the tap (a signal for closing a bar), it is a signal on a drum, bugle, or other instrument to summon soldiers to their quarters at night.

TEAMSTER - (See Driver)

TEETH DULLER - a slang term for HARD TACK.

THREE CHEERS AND A TIGER  -  when "Three cheers and a tiger" was called for, there is division as to what that represented.  There is no apparent dispute that the first portion - the "Three cheers" - represented three "Hurrahs!".  The "tiger" portion of that is argued as either a growl from the crowd, slowly rising in volume and pitch until it became a roar of approbation; while others contend that it the addition of   the chant "Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!" at the end of the third "Hurrah!", the series of "Hi!"'s also rising in both volume and pitch.

THREE-INCH RIFLE - a rifled cannon whose bore is 3 inches in diameter.

THREE-MINUTE RULE - a rule established for re-enactors, employed most commonly in live firings, which requires the Gunner to keep track of the time passed since a piece was last discharged before it may be re-loaded. The amount of time required to elapse before re-loading after a discharge is a minimum of three minutes. The duty to watch the passage of time may be delegated to another of the gun crew, and is especially desirable when a multiple number of pieces are being directed by a Gunner.

THUMB STALL - a kind of thimble or protective sheath of leather for the thumb; used by the No. 3 position.  Made of buckskin, the thumb stall has a cushio that is stuffed with hair, and is 2.5" long and 1" thick.

TO SEE THE ELEPHANT - an expression which dates to the Mexican-American War period, meaning to not receive what you were hoping to get; to be short-changed or cheated; a disappointment. Unfortunately, many today in re-enacting have come to assume wrongly that it means to see the excitement or to view a novelty, often applied to men going off to the War. It became a popular term during the California gold rush when many gold prospectors who had come in search of easily gained wealth found that almost all of them had to work extremely hard for little return. It is believed that the term originated from bogus circuses which came into being during the 1840’s.

TO YOUR POSTS - a command to a gun crew to assume the starting position for their drill, each man to assume his proper place according to his Number.

TOAD STICKER - a slang expression for a knife, bayonet, or sword.

TOMPION (See TAMPION)

TONGUE (See POLE)

TOW HOOK  -  made of iron, the handle is .4" in diameter and 13" long and the hook is 1"; the other end forms a hammer which is .6" in diameter, and 2" long.  It is used for unpacking a limber chest.

TRACE HOOKS - on a limber, there are four trace hooks which are affixed to the splinter bar; trace hooks are used to hitch the wheel horses.

TRAIL - the curved part of the stock which rests on the ground when the piece is in battery.

TRAIL HANDLE - placed on either side of the stock, the trail handles serve to raise the stock.

TRAIL HANDSPIKE (See HANDSPIKE)

TRAIL LUNETTE - a heavy ring fastened at the end of the trail which receives the pintle hook.

TRAIL PLATE - a piece of iron fastened at the trail which has a heavy ring (the trail lunette) which receives the pintle hook.

TRAIN - the act of aiming a piece.

TRAJECTORY - the curved path of a projectile from the time it leaves the muzzle of the gun and travels through space until it lands.

TRANSOM - a horizontal beam located between the cheeks of a gun carriage.

TRAPS - a slang term for a soldier’s belongings or equipment.

TRAVELING FORGE - a carriage equipped with smiths’ and armorers’ tools and stores for shoeing and ordinary repairs.

TRAVERSE CARRIAGE - a stationary gun mount which consists of a gun carriage on a wheeled platform which can be moved about a pivot for the purpose of aiming a cannon to the right or to the left.

TRUNNION (LEFT or RIGHT) - either of two projecting journals or gudgeons on each side of a cannon on which the cannon pivots. These projecting cylinders are located at the sides of the gun which support the gun on its carriage. Their axes are in a single line perpendicular to the axis of the bore and in the same plane as the bore.

TRUNNION PLATE - one of two metal pieces fastened on either side of the cheeks to receive the trunnions.

TRUNNION SHOULDER - the end of a rimbase.

TUBE (See PRIMER TUBE)

TUBE POUCH - similar to an infantryman’s cartridge pouch, it is a pouch worn on the belt of No. 4 in which friction primers (primer tubes) and lanyards are stored.  Made of leather, the sides are 4,25" high, and 7.25" long.  The vent prick, or priming wire, and the gunner's gimlet are carried with the tube pouch in the loops.

TWELVE-POUNDER - a cannon which fires a twelve-pound projectile. (See also SIX-POUNDER for an explanation of the nomenclature’s origin.)

UNFURL - to unwrap or unroll a flag from around a flag staff or pole.

UP THE SPOUT - a slang term, "up the spout" was sometimes used to indicate that a round was ready to be fired from any weapon; typically a piece or a battery, when ready to fire, is considered "in battery," and when all cannons were ready to fire, they were said to be "up the spout". "Spout" was a lift use long ago in pawnbrokers' shops up which the articles pawned were taken for storage. This evolved so that "spout" was slang for a pawnshop; the term dates at least to 1834. "To put (or shove) up the spout" was to pawn; "up the spout" meant to was pawn or pledge; and that changed until "up the spout" meant something or someone who was in a bad way, in a hopeless condition, or out of the question. The latter definition dates at least back to 1829. "Up the spout" was frequently applied to the Confederacy toward the end of the war, as well as to individuals. In the early twentieth century the phrase came to mean "to make pregnant, especially out of wedlock."

UPPITY - a slang term for someone who is conceited or believes himself to be above his true "station in life".

VEDETTE - also spelled "vidette", a sentry on horse-back.

VENT - a small hole or opening in the barrel of a cannon near the breech into which the primer fuse is inserted in order to set off the main charge, causing the cannon to discharge.

VENT BRUSH - a cleaning tool used to remove the fouling in the vent caused by the explosion of black powder inside the tube. Although this was not the practice during the War Between the States, it is important to brush the vent clear of debris from time to time so as to prevent misfires which may be caused by bits of aluminum foil (the wrapper around a charge), plastic (most measure the powder into a plastic bag before wrapping the bag with foil), or even bits of the last primer.

VENT COVER  -  a leather accoutrement for field pieces, it measures 6" long and 4" wide, and has a copper pin riveted in it that is seated in the vent when the vent cover is placed on the piece.   The length of the leather strap varies according to the size of the piece. 

VENT FIELD - the area surrounding, or proximous to, the vent of a cannon.

VENT PICK (See PRICK)

VENT PIECE - a wrought copper article which is screwed into the gun in the vent where fire is communicated to the charge in the tube.

VENT PRICK (See PRICK)

VENT PUNCH  -  the steel wire body is .175 inches in diameter, and 4.3 inches long.

VOLLEY - at the order of an officer, the simultaneous discharge of a number of firearms.

WATER BUCKET  -  used for the traveling forge, the water bucket was made of oak.  Diameter at the top of the bucket is 11"; diameter at the base of the bucket is 10.25"; and the height of the bucket is 11".

WATERING BUCKET  -  made of sole leather (two thicknesses for the bottom) and used for field service, the watering bucket had an interior diameter at the top of the bucket of 12"; a diameter at the bottom of 10"; and a height of 9".

WHEEL - a circular frame connected by spokes to a central hub, capable of turning on a central axis; used to move a cannon.

WHITWORTH 12-POUNDER RIFLED CANNON - a British-made rifled cannon which is reputed to have a range of up to five miles. According to contemporary accounts from the War, the Whitworth was said to have a very distinct whistling noise which could be distinguished from all others of the period.

WIGWAG - to signal by waving a flag back and forth, normally in a prescribed manner using a code.

WINDAGE - the difference between the diameter of the bore and the diameter of the shot.

WING - the left or right division of an army.

WOOL - a fabric woven from the soft, wavy or curly hypertrophied undercoat of sheep. The chief advantages of wool include its insulating properties; and due to the tightness of its weave, its tendency to repel water. The insulating property of wool helps preserve the wearer’s body heat, an advantage in winter. It also does not support combustion, meaning that it will burn so long as a flame is held to it, but will cease to burn as soon as the flame is removed from it. For that reason soldiers were required to wear wool clothing, especially the No. 1 and 2 positions on a cannon.

WORM - a shaft which has a pointed, spiral end. Used to remove fouling and to clear debris from the cannon tube. Because multiple layers of aluminum foil are commonly used to wrap the powder charge which is to be inserted into the tube, worming after every shot is necessary, as it is the norm for large remnants of foil to remain in the tube. Most artillery organizations require worming the tube after the gun fires and immediately prior to sponging.

WORM AND SPONGE - a command for No.’s 2 and 1 to execute the worming and sponging aspects of their position without necessarily preparing to load the piece with a charge. Also referred to as "servicing the piece."

WORM CASTLE - a slang term for HARD TACK.

WORM HEAD - the pointed, spiral end of a worm which is used to remove fouling and clear debris from the cannon tube.

YOKE BRANCHES - on a limber, these support the pole and are attached with sliding rings to the wheel horses’ collars.

ZOUAVE - a soldier or military unit, either North or South, who adopts the fanciful and colorful dress and drill of the French Zouave troops, often distinguished by the wearing of a fez in place of more standard headgear.