I am actually known as "JD" in "real life." And I'm not from Alabama, but my parents were and their families stretch back to the first white settlers and, in the case of my mother's Creek ancestors, beyond. So my blood is 100% Alabamian. In some circles this is nothing to brag about, but "we is what we is." The Flicker is a woodpecker found in the deep south, also known as a "Yellowhammer" for its bright golden plumage.
During the War Between the States, a company of young cavalry soldiers from Huntsville, Albama, under the command of Rev. D.C. Kelly, arrived at Hopkinsville, KY, where Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's troops were stationed. The officers and men of the Huntsville company wore fine, new uniforms. The sleeves, collars and coattails of the new cavalry troop sported bits of brilliant yellow cloth. Gen. Forrest's cavalry, who had long been on the battlefields, were dressed in faded, worn uniforms.
As Kelly's Troops rode past Forrest's Company A , Will Arnett cried out in greeting "Yallerhammer, Yallerhammer, flicker, flicker, flicker!" The greeting brought a roar of laughter from the men and from that moment the Huntsville soldiers were spoken of as the "yellowhammer company." The term quickly spread throughout the Confederate Army and all Alabama troops were referred to unofficially as the "Yellowhammers."
When the Confederate Veterans in Alabama were organized they took pride in being referred to as the "Yellowhammers" and wore a yellowhammer feather in their caps or lapels during reunions. The Univ. of AL is still nicknamed after the flicker, as in "Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer!"
My persona is an Alabama boy who served in the Army of Tennessee, somehow managing to survive, and who went west after the carnage finally ended. He traveled widely, from Tombstone to Deadwood to San Francisco, sometimes gambling, often working for rather shady enterprises, but generally avoiding total outlawry. <wink>