Abolish: To get rid of completely.
Ammunition: Anything that can be thrown or shot—such as a bullet, rock, or cannonball—for use in attack or defense.
Artilleryman: A soldier who, as part of a team, mans heavy weaponry, such as cannon.
Belle: A popular, attractive girl or young lady.
Bondage: Bound to serve another with practically no hope of freedom.
Cadet: A student at a military school who is training to be an officer.
Campaign: In military terms, a series of battles, or other operations, in a particular area to accomplish a specific goal.
Casualties: In war, the victims: the injured, killed, captured, or missing in action.
Cavalryman: A soldier who is trained to fight on horseback.
Civilian: A person who is not an active member of the military or police.
Commemorate: To observe or honor the memory of a person or event.
Confederacy: In the American Civil War, the alliance of states that broke ties with the U.S. government to form a new government, called the Confederate States of America. The states that did not secede supported the Union.
Contraband: Smuggled goods. During the Civil War, it was a term used to describe an escaped slave behind Union lines.
Enlist: Sign up for service in the military.
Garrison: A military post.
Hatch: An opening, especially in a ship or aircraft, to pass between sections or into compartments.
Infantry: The branch of the military consisting of soldiers who are trained to fight on foot.
Legislature: A group of elected representatives whose job it is to make laws that govern a state or nation.
Minié ball: A cone-shaped rifle bullet with a hollow base that expands when fired.
Pickets: Troops sent out in advance to warn of an enemy’s approach.
Plantation: A large estate, often with resident workers, that produces income crops.
Raiders: Small groups of armed soldiers that detach from their main troops and force entry into a place, especially to steal valuables.
Reenactment: An event that attempts to accurately portray a past moment in history. People who participate in reenactments are called reenactors.
Regiment: A military unit of ground troops. Regimental refers to something orderly and strict.
Review (as with soldiers): To conduct a military inspection.
Smokehouse: A place where meat or fish is preserved with smoke.
Sutlers: Army camp followers who provide items to the soldiers.
Sympathizer: To share the opinions and goals of a group, organization, or party.
Trench: A long, narrow ditch used for concealment and protection of soldiers during a battle.
Underground Railroad: A secret network of people who helped house and otherwise aid escaped slaves in their journey north to free states.
Veterans: People who have served in the armed forces.
Wardrobe: A cabinet built to hold clothes.
Whirligig: A toy that features parts that spin, often by means of a breeze.