Comments on: What State’s Troops Were Called Tarheels During the Civil War?

By: Wayne

Wayne — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:48:13 +0000

I was able to get through to Robert F. Hancock the Director of Collections at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va. which is where my Dad saw the names. According to Bromfield L. Ridley an Aide-de -Camp on General Alexander Stewarts staff the following nicknames were given to soldiers from a particular state.

AL “Yaller Hammers”
AR “Toothpicks”
FL “Gophers”
GA “Goober Grabbers”
KY “Corn Crackers”
LA “Tigers”
MS “Sandlappers”
MO ” Border Ruffians”
NC ” Tarheels”
SC ” Rice Birds”
TN “Hog Drivers”
TX “Cowboys”
VA ” Tobacco Worms”

By: Robert Welch

Robert Welch — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:51:58 +0000

I’ve heard a couple of stories about the origins of the Sucker nickname. One apparently has something to do with the number of sucker fish in Illinois waters. The other, which I give a little more credence to, had people in Indiana and Ohio calling settlers traveling to Illinois suckers for moving to the treeless prairie. Prior to heavy settlement in the region, the prairies were thought to be infertile grasslands that could not support agriculture. The infertility was linked to the lack of trees, trees being a harbinger of soil fertility in the heavily wooded east.

By: admin

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:49:04 +0000

All,

Thanks for the interesting comments! I’ve learned of several new nicknames as a result.

Yes, the Illinois troops were called “Suckers”. If I recall correctly, a book from the 50s or 60s was called “Arming the Suckers”.

Brett

By: elektratig

elektratig — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Illinois “Suckers”? Yikes. That’s a new one on me. Is it true? Were they really called that? Where did the name come from?

P.S. I was born in Illinois (though I had the good sense to get out before I could crawl).

By: Robert Welch

Robert Welch — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:56:08 +0000

It’s actually Hawk Eyes or Hawk-Eyes for the Iowans. Illinois, as stated, were Suckers; Missourians were Pukes or Pukers.

By: Greg Rowe

Greg Rowe — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:31:16 +0000

I know the 8th Texas Cavalry was called “Terry’s Texas Rangers.” Col. Benjamin F. Terry was the commander. Ironically, most of these soldiers, who are usually associated with Hood’s Brigade, had never officially served in a ranger company before the war.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:02:19 +0000

Some are fairly obvious, and tend to fit with the states’ collegiate athletics names:

Indiana Hoosiers
Ohio Buckeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Massachussetts Bay Staters
Connecticut Nutmeggers
Michigan Wolverines
Wisconsin Badgers
Tennessee Volunteers
North Carolina Tarheels
Arkansas Razorbacks

Others don’t. For instance, Illinois State is The Prairie State, yet I don’t believe I’ve ever read of Illinois troops being referred to as “Prairie Staters”. Usually they’re called “Suckers” in Civil War literature (another of Illinois’ state nicknames).

Still other states’ nicknames are seemingly never referenced when discussing their troops. Ever read about New York “Empire Staters”, Pennsylvania “Keystone Staters”, Kentucky “Bluegrass Staters”, Louisiana “Pelicans”, Maine “Pine Tree Staters”, or Minnesota “Gophers” in Civil War books? Neither have I. These states’ troops are hardly ever nicknamed; they’re just referred to as New Yorkers, Pennsylvanians, Kentuckians, etc.

Maybe someone ought to break the mold and use some of these seldom-used nicknames in the context of CW books…?

By: Coly Hope

Coly Hope — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:28:47 +0000

Some that I know of:

1. 8th Michigan Infantry was called the Wandering Regiment because they fought battles all over. They fought in the Carolinas then went East during Antietam then went to Tennessee in 1863 and back to Virginia in 1864.

2. 1st Indiana Artillery was called the Jackass Regiment.

3. 20th Massachusetts was called the Harvard Regiment because of the number of Harvard students and graduates who were officers in the regiment.

4. 1st Colorado was called the Pikes Peakers.

5. 2nd Missouri was called the Minutemen.

6. 1st Maine Cavalry was called the Puritans. Not sure how a fighting unit got that name.

Coly

By: P. Swan

P. Swan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:46:26 +0000

So, did Wayne’s message really say S.C. Tarheels?
South Carolina??