Base Ball of the 1860's

When you are at an event and you are looking for something to do, you can always get a few of your friends together for a rousing game of base ball (notice the period two-word spelling). In camps in the Union and Confederate army all over the country, the troops overcame boredom by playing a popular new game that originated in New York in 1842. It was originally played in a vacant lot on 4th Avenue by a club called the Knickerbockers Base Ball Club.

(Photo courtesy of Julio Zangroniz)

Base ball was originally played with 90 foot baselines just like it is today. A small leather ball filled with beans, cork, or some other material was thrown underhand by the pitcher to the batter, who would make an attempt to hit it with a crudely-fashioned bat. Bats were often made from fenceposts or sticks in camp. On the homefront, they were more carefully fashioned and looked more like the wooden bats of today. Then, the batter would try to run around all of the bases without being tagged with the ball. Home runs were referred to as "aces" and batters were called "strikers".

The soldiers even formed impromptu teams that formed intense rivalries out on the diamond. One regiment would play against another. Often, the markers that identified which team was which were small pieces of ribbon pinned to the front of the shirt.

One observer of Confederate soldiers playing base ball in Fort Henry Prison Camp said, "The prisoners nearly every day are engaged in a game they call 'base ball'". He went on to say, "I don't understand the game, there is a great deal of running and little apparent gain, but those who play get very excited over it."

Baseball grew to be very common in prison camps on both sides. It boosted morale and prevented boredom. In regular camps, officers on both sides encouraged the soldiers to play baseball for the same reasons.

So, the next time you need something to do at an event, grab a stick and wrap a cork up with rags for the ball. Use tin plates or canteen halves for the bases and get two teams together. It can be great fun for you and spectators love it too. Once you get started, you can make more permanent teams and really get competitive. You might even hit a few aces yourself!

To learn more about base ball in the 1860's visit this site.

To buy some period equipment, visit Jersey Skilletlicker.

Sources:

www.oha.alexandriava.gov/fortward/special-sections/baseball. Nov. 2, 2007

Comments

[Sandy (justplainsassy)]

You paint a very vivid picture. I didn't realize that the soldiers played "base ball" way back then!

[william]

Thanks for the compliment. They actually played quite a bit. Bare-knuckle boxing, cockfighting, snowball fights, and lots of practical jokes were common too. The soldiers also played card and dice games incredibly frequently. Poker, chuck-a-luck, dominoes, faro, and other games were also really popular.