a game of "cat"

[Jonathan Lighter]

OED includes this well-known predecessor of baseball as "cat," n., 10.b., but the cites, going back to the 17th century, all appear to be British. Here's an interesting American quotation that mentions some other similar games played by Confederate soldiers:

  1863 Samuel Pickens (5th Ala. Volunteer Infantry Regt.), in G. Ward Hobbs,ed., _Voices from Company D_ (Athens: U. of Ga. Press, 2003) 146: There were games of Bull pen, cat, town-ball going on all day except at times for drill[in]g.

  OED dates _town-ball_ and _bull pen_ (both marked _U.S._) to 1852 and 1857 respectively.

  JL


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