Civil War Digital Digest gives an overview of the proscribed rations for Union soldiers and discusses their variances. This episode will set the stage for a number of episodes about the rations and what to do with them.
Learn how a soldier made hardtack more edible! William Bircher of the 2nd Minnesota wrote this recipe.
Caffeine Headache? Don’t worry! Here’s a recipe from an original source showing how soldiers might have brewed their “cup of joe” when in a camp situation.
It wasn’t all salt pork for the meat ration of the Union soldier. Beef was also issued. Volume II of Civil War Digital Digest starts with a period soldier’s recipe for preparing issued beef.
At the beginning of the war, army cooks were provided mess kettles, pans, and little information. In fact, they were usually men detailed from the ranks for the duty. General Silas Casey recognized this weakness and decided to help.
Flour was one of the more perplexing ration items for a soldier to deal with in the field. The army could issue flour in the form of “bread.” How do you prepare it?
Alcohol was forbidden for men in the ranks through the war – though the officers were allowed to have it. One of those officers developed his drink. It became so popular amongst his comrades that a friend mentioned it in his journal. Developed after the Battle of Chancellorsville, he named it “Hooker’s Retreat.”
Salt Pork was a staple in soldiers’ diets on both sides of the war. The salt was a preservative that allowed the meat to arrive at the front safe to consume. However, it took some work to make it palatable. It’s the same today if you are a living historian preparing salt pork at an event.
Soldiers loved a good cup of coffee. Then the ration arrived, and the beans were still green. What could they do? Episode 22 teaches how green coffee beans can be roasted in camp to prepare them to be made into the soldiers’ favorite drink. We feature a memory left by a surgeon from the 18th Ohio Infantry. Pay close attention to the story and the beans – he’ll tell you what happens if you don’t.
Have the US Ration? Need a meal but don’t know what to do? Are you in one place for a little bit? Make soup! To open Volume III, we prepare a recipe provided by the Beedle Dime Company to soldiers for “Camp Soup.”
One way the bread ration could be issued was to give the men flour. How could they handle that in the field? In this episode, we explore the description of how “dough gods” were made. This simple recipe was recorded by William Bircher, a drummer in the 2nd Minnesota Infantry.
Want to learn about a simple dish for soldiers on both sides? In this episode, we demonstrate how to make a simple, hot, filling meal out of cornmeal. Cornmeal mush is documented on both sides of the war to prepare a cornmeal ration. It is much better than it might sound and is easy to try at home or in the field. A tip is also provided for finding cornmeal better suited for 19th-century living history than what is mainly found in today’s grocery stores.
In this episode, we demonstrate taking minimal ingredients and cooking implements to make a meal in the field. Cornmeal hoecakes are documented on both sides of the war to prepare a cornmeal ration. The method we demonstrate is explained in an 1861 soldiers’ handbook and uses just a wood plank to bake on.
Bubble and squeak is a dish that is familiar to many. See this Civil War soldier’s version from a handbook aimed at helping the recruits. Camp Fires & Camp Cooking or Culinary Hints for the Soldier was written by Captain James M. Sanderson and published in January 1862. This episode on rations steps beyond what was issued and includes items foraged or purchased. Don’t worry, several ration items are used in this recipe – including the vinegar ration.
This episode continues our exploration of how to prepare rations in the field. Frying meat is a quick and simple preparation, and we take it up a notch with a simple, flavorful gravy. This recipe comes from a primary source available to the soldiers. It utilizes the ration’s fresh beef, flour, vinegar, salt, pepper, and pork grease.
In this episode, we prepare rice pudding in the field. The recipe comes from the Military Handbook and Soldiers Manual of Information, published in 1861. This is a great way to liven up the simple rice ration and even make a dessert in the field.
In this episode, we bring you a sergeant’s account of a stew he made while on the picket line for his men. He used ration items from the men and foraged items, including the equipment needed for the cooking. While preparing the stew, there is a chat about the need for soldiers to share the workload and for sergeants to care for their men.
Everyone likes to learn more about the soldier’s ration and what to do with it. Of course, we also enjoy continuing to explore this topic. The time has come to dig into hominy! This episode covers what hominy is and one way to make it editable over a small campfire. This simple yet documented method leads to additional cooking options later for any leftovers.
Many enjoy a warm stack of fluffy pancakes covered in syrup! In this episode, we share two veterans’ accounts, one Confederate and one Union. They describe making pancakes, or as they called them, slapjacks or flapjacks. These might be slightly different from what you enjoy today since soldiers often had limited ingredients!
Are you interested in learning how to replicate hardtack, a staple of the Union soldier’s diet? Just request it! Three different manufacturers make hardtack cutters—we review all of them in the video.
How do you make salt pork tender and good to eat? In this episode, that question is answered! It is not hard to do; it just takes a little patience! A soldier who served in the 17th Michigan Volunteer Infantry left behind the method and directions for this episode on preparing salt pork rations.
We are back at Historic Fort Wayne in Michigan to share what to do with leftovers, hominy ration leftovers! If you have not yet watched the episode on boiling hominy, check that out; it sets the stage for this one! A veteran shares one idea of what to do with all that leftover hominy the next day, and Will shows you how to do it. If you are unfamiliar with hominy, we encourage you to try using these two methods as a great way to connect with history.
A hot stew on a cold January evening is enjoyable today and would be welcomed in Civil War-era hospitals. The source for this simple beef stew recipe comes from an original copy of the Hospital Stewards Manual.
John Billings wrote in Hardtack and Coffee, “Drunk my pint or so of coffee, and felt as fresh and invigorated as if just arisen from a night’s sound sleep!” In this episode, a bracing kettle of coffee is prepared with directions from the Hospital Stewards Manual. Fill up your cup while you watch to taste and smell the coffee, further adding to your connection with history.
Coffee is the elixir of life – especially to the Civil War soldier! Join us as we use Private Grove Sevey’s diary notes to make coffee according to his specifications. Grove was a member of the 17th Michigan Infantry, and we are thankful to historian Bill Christen for sharing this transcription of his diary with us. It allows us to gain another connection to the life of a soldier in the American Civil War!
The Union armies consumed massive amounts of hard work during the war. Each soldier was allotted a pound of hardtack per day, and a crate held 50 pounds. With the Union force at times totaling over 600,000, that is a lot of hardtack crates daily! The men learned to repurpose these “Amazon cardboard boxes” of their day in many valuable ways. In this episode, Will takes a look at a couple of documented utilitarian crate builds.
In this episode, enjoy a new twist on a soldier’s favorite drink—coffee. It’s a new twist that is 162 years old, anyway! Thanks to Spared and Shared, we have access to a letter written home by Edward Wade of the 14th Connecticut. In this letter, he tells his wife about the best cup of coffee he has ever had and details how to make this breakfast in a mug.
Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and not much was different for Civil War soldiers of the 19th Century. Join historian Douglas Ullman, Jr. as he details the consumption of coffee and its substitutes in Union and Confederate camps from 1861 to 1865.
Douglas Ullman Jr. of the American Battlefield Trust details what Union and Confederate soldiers ate during the Civil War. Would you be able to live on the same diet as Civil War soldiers?
We are back on the campaign and were lucky enough to get a haversack full of apples! With an Ohio soldier’s letter home and an 1860s cookbook, Will knows just what to do with them. Let’s enjoy a hot meal that is far from hardtack and coffee! This is an easy and delicious dish to make at home to connect with history.