The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

What is a "Secesh?"

My brother Bob wanted to know what the term "secesh" means which I am using to sign off my entries, since Old B-Runner or Old B-R'er is now used in the Naval blog.

Secesh was a term used derisively by Northerners to call Southerners who had seceded from the Union.  If you seceded, you were a secessionist which they shortened to secesh.

I'd seen the term before, but it really struck home when a fellow teacher came up to me with some family letters from the Civil War in which her ancestors, fighting for the Union, continually referred to Confederates as the Secesh.  She had never seen the term before.

I explained it to her.  Case solved.

What's in a Name?  --Old Secesh

No comments: