Some Civil War armor was made of... cotton?

When the Civil War began in 1861, the United States Navy had just 90 warships.

Some Civil War ships used cotton for armor.

U.S. History

W hen the Civil War began in 1861, the United States Navy had just 90 warships. By the conflict's end four years later, it had 626. Sixty-five of the ships were ironclads, which were the strongest seafaring vessels in the world at the time. But they were also expensive and made from scarce resources, which is why they accounted for such a small percentage of either side's fleet. Hence the Confederacy's eventual reliance on "cottonclads," which were armored with 500-pound bales of cotton lining their sides. Because they were weaker than their iron counterparts, cottonclads would often steam at full speed toward their combatants as the cotton absorbed as much enemy gunfire as possible, then would attack once they were within firing range.
This proved more successful than you might expect. The Battle of Galveston began before dawn on January 1, 1863, with cottonclads playing a crucial role in the Confederate victory; the South held the Texas port for the rest of the war. Nevertheless, the Confederates were ultimately bested on the sea just as they were on land, failing to defend their rivers, coasts, and seas en route to their eventual surrender.

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By the Numbers

Members of the Union Navy at the beginning of the Civil War 9,000 Members of the Union Navy at the end of the Civil War 59,000 Members of the Union Navy at the end of the Civil War 59,000

Soldiers who fought in the Civil War 3 million Battles recognized as having a significant impact on the Civil War 384 Battles recognized as having a significant impact on the Civil War 384

Did you know?

Civil War generals were more likely to die in combat than privates.

We often think of the lowest-ranking soldiers as the most vulnerable when it comes to dying in combat, but that wasn't the case during the Civil War. Generals and other high-ranking officers personally led their troops into battle during the internecine conflict (which remains the war with the most American fatalities by a considerable margin), making them 50% more likely to die in combat than privates. Six generals were killed and several more were wounded during the Battle of Antietam alone, the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Perhaps unsurprisingly, generals have rarely entered the fray in subsequent wars.

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Why do we say “hit the sack”?

The legacy of this phrase goes back to ancient sleeping bags and sailors, with the etymology revealing how our ancestors caught their z's.

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Why do we say "hit the sack"? The legacy of this phrase goes back to ancient sleeping bags and sailors, with the etymology revealing how our ancestors caught their z's. Bennett Kleinman U nless you're an avid hacky sacker, telling someone you're going to "hit the sack" means you're going to bed. As far as idioms go, this one is widely understood in English. But its origins are less clear. In order to better understand this playful phrase, let's look at a similar idiom: "hit the hay." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "hit the hay" was likely coined sometime in the early 1900s — decades before "hit the sack" made an appearance. We can likely attribute this to the fact that some of the earliest beds were just piles of hay and grass, providing a bit of soft cushioning from the hard ground. When someone said "hit the hay," they were likely referencing the rudimentary beds people slept on long before soft memory foam mattresses were created. People also needed a way to contain loose hay. There's evidence going all the way back to ancient Egypt that people were stuffing grasses, hay, and straw into bags for a mattress, and this practice was widespread across cultures for centuries. By 1825, the term "sack" became popular slang among sailors to refer to their bedding. If you were a sailor on "sack duty," that meant you were sleeping. But the idiom "hit the sack" only gained wide recognition in the mid-20th century. An early printed example is found in the 1943 war diary of James J. Fahey, who served as a sailor on the Pacific front in World War II. He wrote: "I hit the sack at 8 p.m. I slept under the stars on a steel ammunition box two feet wide." So, if you say you're going to "hit the sack" or "hit the hay," it's all a reference to how people slept in in the past. 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The shape varies slightly, but it's always red. Usage: [Text to the group chat:] Ready for girls' night! 💃👠 High-Heeled Shoe Meaning: Displays a pump-style high-heeled shoe, often symbolizing fashion, femininity, or dressing up. Evolution: The high heel was one of the original emoji set's fashion items, and the design has remained relatively consistent across platforms, featuring a distinctive stiletto heel. The shape varies slightly, but it's always red. Usage: [Text to the group chat:] Ready for girls' night! 💃👠 Have you read? Still Life at Eighty By Abigail Thomas "Memoirist Thomas ('What Comes Next and How To Like It') takes a tender look at aging and memory in this meditative account. Opening the narrative with a vow to embrace 'living in the ever-shifting constancy of now,' Thomas describes the surprising lightness she felt in the wake of her 79th birthday in 2020, eating leftover cake for breakfast, surrendering to adult diapers, and happily napping to excess." Publishers Weekly review Shop now We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Still Life at Eighty By Abigail Thomas "Memoirist Thomas ('What Comes Next and How To Like It') takes a tender look at aging and memory in this meditative account. Opening the narrative with a vow to embrace 'living in the ever-shifting constancy of now,' Thomas describes the surprising lightness she felt in the wake of her 79th birthday in 2020, eating leftover cake for breakfast, surrendering to adult diapers, and happily napping to excess." Publishers Weekly review Shop now We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. You might also like Idioms 4 MIN READ 20 LIKES 7 Funny Foreign-Language Idioms Idioms add flavor to our everyday conversations in unexpected ways. Discover how cultures around the world infuse their languages with humor through idioms. Continue reading Popular stories 01 Slang Where Did These Internet Abbreviations Come From? 02 Language Isn't It Ironic How You Use "Ironic" Incorrectly? 03 Language According to the Dictionary, "Irregardless" Is a Word

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