Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a secessionist, i.e. a supporter of the South in the US Civil War; thus attrib.

1861		White Cloud Kansas Chieftain 5 Dec. 2/1-3: [headline] Two Secesh are reported killed.
1861		White Cloud Kansas Chieftain 13 June 1/1: A powerful large Secesher came up and embraced me.
1862		letter q. in Wiley Life of Billy Yank (1952) 61: Our reg [...] look moor like a reg of secesh than northern troops .
1864		‘Edmund Kirke’ Down in Tennessee 94: Ye doan’t ’spose Tom’s a secesh? a dinged, rottin-souled, blue-blasted, son uv a Rebel, does ye?
1866		Sportsman 30 Oct. 2/1: Notes on News [...] ‘Belle Boyd,’ who distinguished herself as a daring [...] ‘Secesh’ spy.
1872		(con. US Civil War) Schele De Vere Americanisms 280: Southerners were Secesh or Rebs, or, more good-naturedly, Johnny Rebs.
1889		Irish Standard (Minneapolis, MI) 27 Apr. 7/2: ‘They’re secesh, an’ I’m ergoin’ t’ burn th’ house down’.
1896		Omaha Dly Bee (NE) 16 Feb. 9/4: They [...] came back next day [...] bringing with them a ‘secesher’ and two of his horses.
1899		Monroe City Democrat (MO) 14 Sept. 2/3: There was always a suspicion in the minds of the secesh that the draft master was a beneficiary in the bounty business.
1911		Mt Sterling Advocate 14 June 7/4: The Captain interrogated who lived in each residence, were they loyal or secesh.
1944		(ref. to Civil War) J.S. Pennell Hist. of Rome Hanks 41: He thought you were a Secesh.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1861		Illus. London News 3 Aug. 19/2: ‘It war the Secesh farmer’s ole cow [...] Berry excellent meat, sar!’.
1862		Dundee Courier 26 Nov. 4/2: If Secession has anything of a fugitive meaning, she has become a ‘Secesh woman,’ She has run away [etc.] .
1889		Irish Standard (Minneapolis, MI) 27 Apr. 7/2: ‘That secesh flag’s got ter come down’.
1894		G.A. Sala Things I Have Seen I 218: ‘Bloated Miscreant,’ ‘Fat Cockney,’ ‘Venal Hack,’ and ‘Secesh Spy.’.
1902		Knickerbocker (N.Y.) Apr. lix 392: Guess she must a-had Secesh beaux, / And gone to Jayhawker parties from her youth up. This bangs the Dutch of St. Louis, / And they kin swear some.

3. used of secession movements in Australia.

1906

Sun. Times (Perth) 28 Oct. 1/1: A figure in the big secesh agitation is the only other subscriber.