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For It’s About Time column Written by Susan Parsons The Civil War and Body Lice Body lice, Pediculus Vestimenti, had various nicknames during the Civil War. They were called vermin, graybacks, rebels, blue bellies, Bragg’s Body Guard, tigers, cooties, pants rabbits, and seam squirrels (lice would lay eggs in clothing seams) among other names. Body lice are a bit larger than head lice. They feed on human blood causing itching at the minimum, general malaise from blood loss with a heavy infestation and could cause death from typhus infested lice resulting from typhoid fever. During the Civil War, wool clothing provided favorable humidity and temperatures for body lice, aggravated by crowded conditions and lack of capacity for good personal hygiene. No doubt, soldiers and sailors also suffered from head lice and pubic lice, too, but the War, occurring during the Victorian Age, inhibited discussion of the latter malady. Like death, body lice were no respecters of men. They lived on the heroic and the cowardly, the general and the private, the honest and the The cleanest men might have escaped the longest but unavoidably, they were forced to accept the inevitable invasion. When the new recruit first shamefully discovered the presence of the grayback he would secretly attempt to annihilate the one or two using his fingernail with the futile hope that he had saved himself from a personal epidemic. Then he would inspect his clothing inch by inch, and seam by seam (known as doing his “knitting.” After a time this delousing: “knitting” or “skirmishing” or “search for happiness” was done in the open as every soldier needed to do the work. By now he had lost his sense of shame. ---PAGE BREAK--- The adoption of cotton underwear instead of wool aided the soldiers. Cotton was easier to wash and body lice did not multiply as quickly in cotton. Though cold water washing was done, cold water would not kill body lice in clothing. Sometimes they would try to singe the clothing items or, if they had a suitable container, boil them in salt water, known as “fighting under the black flag.” Because the soldier had to carry his food, clothing and shelter on his back along with arms, ammunition, cooking utensils, canteens, tools and all “comforts” he found necessary, most often items were tossed aside as the soldier became hardened to conditions. The haversack or knapsack seemed to grow heftier as he marched on. Added to this was the problem of heating water for thoroughly laundering clothes. A soldier most probably had to use his own mess kettle, requiring great courage on the part of the new soldier, knowing the lice and filthy water would end up the same pot as supper. Most of the men opted for wearing the same underwear until their families sent more or until some could be seized from the enemy. It was just not worth the effort to carry the weight of extra clothes. When a whole new suit of clothes was the only solution the old togs were sometimes burned. Probably within a week the poor soldier was reinfested. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pediculus Vestimenti or body lice; each is about the size of a sesame seed Mess plate On a positive note, lice became a source of entertainment during days of tedium in the lives of the men. They would bet on louse races which might take place on someone’s mess plate. The first louse that crawled off would win. Soldiers might gamble on these races. Lice fights were held in which soldiers bet on various lice which were pitted against each other or against ants. In these cases, the insects would rear up against each other and attack. Even our northern prisoners in the Confederate Andersonville Prison in Georgia participated in these lice fights. Of the 324 men from the Town of Sterling that served as soldiers, sailors, members of the National Guard or prison guards during the Civil War, we can assume that many of them were not able to escape the woes of body lice. For example: James Clone of Ira was imprisoned for 13 months at Andersonville. Martin Douglas of Sterling died of tifoid [sic] fever. Charles Garner of Sterling died at Andersonville Prison. ---PAGE BREAK--- Sources: Insects and the Civil War by Gary L. Miller Soldier Life in the Union and Confederate Armies, edt., by Philip Van Doren Stern Centers for Disease Control Pioneers of Sterling, by Hallie Sweeting