food in the civil war

EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolATasteofFoodintheCivilWarWhat’sthewaytokeepasoldieralive?Strategy?Weaponry?Medicine?Orisitsomethingasbasicasfood?Whilemanyofustakeourmealsforgranted,theCivilWarwasimpactedbythedistributionandintakeoffood.Contrarytopopularbelief,mostUnionsoldiershadplentyoffood.TherestrictionsexperiencedbyboththeUnionandConfederatesoldierswerethetypesoffoodavailableduringthecivilwar.Thearmywiththesoldierswellnourishedgainedanadvantage.Societalnormsregardingwhopreparedthefoodwasalsoafactoranddifferedbetweenslavestatesandfreestates.Withoutkitchenswithexperiencedchefsorslaves,soldiershadtocopewiththeunvariedandinsufficientrationstheyreceived.Asthewarbegan,Unionsoldiersstartedtorealizethebleakrealityofthefoodtheyweregiven.TheUnitedStatesSanitaryCommission,alsoknownasSanitary,supportedandsupervisedallfoodallocationintheNorth.CaptainJamesSandersonwasanotablevolunteerwhoworkedfortheSanitary.Henoticedtheimportanceoffoodinaman’sbodyandhowadvantageousanable­bodiedmancanbe.Afterauthoringthefirstcookbookdistributedtosoldiers,Sandersonhelpedraiseawarenessaboutmealsonthebattlefield.InSanderson’scookbookitwasevidenthewaspassionateaboutsoldiers’nutritiononthebattlefield.“Rememberthatbeans,badlyboiled,killmorethanbullets;andfatismorefatalthanpowder.Incooking,morethaninanythingelseinthisworld,alwaysmakehasteslowly.Abigfirescorchesyoursoup,burnsyourface,andcrispsyourtemper.”­UnionCookbookbyCaptainJamesSanderson11​Sanderson,JamesM.,Captain.​CampFiresandCampCooking,CulinaryHintsforaSoldier​.Washington:GovernmentPrintingOffice,1862.​GoogleBooks​.21Jan.2016.Page5EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolHowever,Sandersondidnotwriteacookbookaboutcrabcakesorprimerib,butinformedpeopleabouthardtack,saltedmeatanddessicatedvegetables.Hardtackwasahardbreadthatwasovercookedtobepreserved.Forperspective,soldierscalledhardtack“toothdullers”and“sheetironcrackers.”HardtackwastheSpamoftheera,itwasnotmadetotastegood,justtolastalongtime.Hardtackofferedasourceofproteinasmanysheetshadwormsinthem,oftenbymistake.Soldiers’othersourcesofproteinwereporkandbeef.Freshvegetablesdidnotpreserveeasilysotheywererarelytransportedtowarcamps.Campsendedupwithdessicatedvegetablesinstead,whichwassoonnamed“desecrated”vegetables.Vegetableswerepackedintocakes,dried,andboiledbysoldierswhenreadytoeat.Freshvegetableslastforaweekwhiledessicatedvegetableslastformorethanayearandcancompress16,000servingsintoonecubicyard.CoffeewasalsoalargecomponentoftheNorth’sdiet.Manysoldiersreliedoncoffeetogivethemanextrapepintheirstep.Waterwasdistastefulbecausethetroopsdidnotfilterit.Whencoffeewasmixedwiththiswaterthetasteimproveddramatically.Soldierswerethenabletobearthetasteandretainliquidsintheirbodybecauseofthecoffeebean.AnotherfactorintheUnion’sfoodsupplywastheir20,000milesoftraintrack.ThiswasnearlydoubleincomparisontotheSouth’s9,000miles.Byhavingsomuchtrack,foodcouldbequicklytransferredtoalmostanysoldiertomakesuretheycouldbefed.Unionfoodwasfairandalwaysinthesoldier’sbestinterests.Torewardthesoldiers,patrioticandgenerousNorthernerssentqualityfoodtotroopsonThanksgivingin1864.Poetrywassparkedbythiswarm­hearteddonation.Onecontributorwroteonanote:“Pleasefindenclosed,MylittlemiteTogivethesoldiers,AnextrabiteBeitturkey,gooseorhen,EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolIdon’tcarewhich,ifitsuitsthem.”2Asoldierreplied:“Turkeyshotandturkeyscold,dittoyounganddittoold,Dittotenderanddittotough,AndthanktheLord,wehadenough”3IncontrasttotheUnion,theConfederatedietduringtheCivilWarwasnotasformalized.Beforethewar,wealthyandmiddleclassmenatethreelargemealsaday.Onthebattlefield,mostsoldiersaterationsofbacon,Jonnycakes,imitationcoffee,andmolasses.BaconwasplentifulandboiledforalmosteverymealandalongsideitwasJonnycakes.Jonnycakesaretheconfederateversionofhardtackmadeofcornmealandmilk.Additionally,theSouthdidnothavegoodsupplyofcoffeebeanssotheytheymadeimitationcoffee.Theycrushed,fermentedandbrewedacorns,​peanuts,chicory,rye,peas,driedapplesandanythingthatwascheapinordertomakethewatertastebetter.Unionblockadespreventedgoodsfromothercountrieslikeflourandcoffee,fromreachingtheConfederatetroops.​​ThereforegivingtheUnionatacticaladvantagebecausetheycontrolledthepriceofcoffeeandhadnocompetition.​TobaccofromtheSouthwastradedtotheUnioninreturnofcoffee.AnotherconcernoftheConfederatetroopswashowthepriceoffoodwasincreasinginsideandoutsidethewar.OnlyintheSouth,womenstartedbreadriots.Breadriotswerewhengroupsofpeoplepetitionedthepriceoffoodinviolentways.Forexample,MaryJacksonanda2​Smith,AndrewF.GivingThanksandNoThanks.​StarvingtheSouth:HowtheNorthWontheCivilWar​.NewYork:St.Martin's,2011.155.Print.andquotedin:Goodrich,FrankB.ChapterXVI.​TheTributeBook:ARecordoftheMunificence,Self­sacrificeandPatriotismoftheAmericanPeopleduringtheWarfortheUnion​.NewYork:DerbyMiller,1865.433.Ebook.3​Smith,AndrewF.GivingThanksandNoThanks.​StarvingtheSouth:HowtheNorthWontheCivilWar​.NewYork:St.Martin's,2011.155­166.Print.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolfewhundredwomenintheworkingclass,metatachurchinRichmond.Thewerearmedwithstones,clubs,knives,hatchetsandgunswhiletheydemandedfoodpricedecreasefromtheVirginiagovernor.Foodwascostlyandtheycouldnotgrowtheirownastherewasnomentodothelabor.Oneclerksaidjokingly,“ThepriceoflookingatfoodsinRichmondisfivedollars.”4Duringthewar,saltincreasedfromsixtyfivecentstosixtydollarsfortwohundredpounds.ThishinderedtheConfederacygreatlybecausethepricebecamehigherandhighertopreservemeat.OnthebattlefieldConfederatemensometimesatenearlyrottenmeatbecausethetheircommissarydidnotpayforsalttopreservethemeats.Howeveranalternatecheapmethodwasdiscovered.“Weneedsaltasarelishtoourfood,butitisnotessentialinthepreservationofourmeats.TheIndiansusedlittleornosalt,yettheypreservedmeatandevenfishinabundancebydrying.Thiscanbeaccomplishedbyfire,bysmokeorbysunshine,butthemostrapidandreliablemodeisbyalltheseagentscombined.”­ConfederateReceiptBookcompiledbyG.W.Gary5Manyspeeches,proclamations,andharanguesencouragedfarmersintheSouthtoplantmorefood,butnotcottonandtobacco,asthesedidnotdirectlyaddresstheupcomingproblemoffamine.GeneralBraxtonBraggcameupwithathreepartplantopreventwidespread4​Smith,AndrewF.BreadRiots​StarvingtheSouth:HowtheNorthWontheCivilWar​.NewYork:St.Martin's,2011.53.Print.AndQuotedin:Jones,JohnB.ARebelWarClerk'sDiaryattheConfederateState'sCapital.(1866):.Web.5​Gary,G.W.,comp.​ConfederateReceiptBook​.Richmond:WestandJohnson,1863.DocumentingtheAmericanSouth​.Web.Page:16.21Jan.2016.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolstarvation.First,thepresidentoftheConfederateStatesofAmericawouldprohibitallgrowingofcottonandtobaccoorclearingofnewlands.Then,allplanterswouldhavetoseedanamountofgrainproportionaltotheamountofslavesandclearedlandtheyowned.Lastly,anyownerswhodidnotintendtoseedwithedibleitemswouldhavethegovernmenttakepossessionoftheirland.ManyhistoriansbelievethisplancouldhaveresultedinaConfederatevictory.Howeverthisplanwasignored.NosouthernerwouldacceptaplantopreventfaminethatwastoreliantonacentralgovernmentbecausetheywerefightingaCivilWarpartlyaboutstrongerstaterights.IftheplanwouldhavebeenacceptedtheConfederacypotentiallycouldhavegainedassistancefromEuropeancountries.TherewaswordgoingaroundthattheSouthwasapproachingfamine.EnglandandFrancecaughtwindofthiswhichmadethemmoreunsureofhelpingtheConfederacy.Thewar’stidecouldhaveshiftediftheplanwasadopted.Thesouthernersstucktruetotheirbeliefsandrefusedtolettheircentralgovernmentgainmorecontrol.Thisfoodthesoldiersatepossiblyaffectedwhowonthewar.Yet,italsocomparestoourfoodtoday.PreservationwasagreathinderancetotheCommissairesintheNorthandtheSouth.Onepreservationmethodofthe1860swascoveringthegoodsinsaltandthensoakingtheminabrine.Furthermore,goodscouldalsobepreservedbyairandheatdrying.ThismethodwascopiedfromtheNativeAmericansandisstillusedtoday.Wedon’teatdessicatedvegetablesnorhardtackbecausewehavesophisticatedpreservationmethods.Inthepresent,wepreservemeatsandgoodsbyrefrigerationandchemicals.TheseamenitieswerenotavailabletoEllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolsoldiersorpeopleathomeinthe1800s.FoodpreservationwasanecessaryaspectoffoodintheCivilWarandithaschangedovertimeDifferencesinaccess,quantity,preparation,andqualityoffoodbetweentheSouthandtheNorthgavetheUnionanadvantage.UnionsoldierscouldoperateatahigherlevelthantheConfederatesoldiersbecauseoftheirfoodsupply.Foodmayseemlikeasimpleunimportantsubject.However,itwasveryinfluentialandnecessaryintheCivilWar.WhentheUnionsetupablockadetostopallforeigntradingwiththeSouth,theConfederacyhadtorelyonthemselvestoproducefood.TheNorthcontinuedtotradewithothercountries.​Aneffectoftheblockade,wastheSouth’spooraccesstofood.Inaddition,theUnionhadbuiltamorevasttrainsystem,asmentionedearlier.ThistrainsystemhelpedtheUnion’sCommissarysystem.JamesSandersonwasabletocontinuetodistributefoodwhiletheConfederateCommissarycouldnot.AnotherexampleofgreateraccesstofoodwastheUnitedStatesgovernmentmoneyandfundingfortheUnion’sfood.TheConfederateStateshadanunstableeconomy.Intheantebellum,thesouthernstatesreliedonthecentralgovernmentandstategovernments.Whentheydidn’thavethisreinforcementduringtheCivilWar,therewaslargepriceincreaseinsouthernfood.​TheSanitary,trains,funding,andblockadesgavesoldiersmoreaccesstofoodintheUnion.Withmorefood,theNorthcouldbedominantcomparedtothehungrySouth.​AnexampleoftheimportanceofanabundanceoffoodwaswhentheSouthdefeatedtheUnionatthefirstbattleofBullRun.Atthisbattle,t​heConfederatearmywondespitethedepletionofsupplies.SomehistorianssuggestedthatiftheConfederacyhadalargersupplyoffood,thearmycouldhavemarchedtheirwaytoWashington­whichatthetimewasdefenseless.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolInJuly1861,thewarcouldhaveendedwiththeConfederacy’sindependence.Yet,theCivilWarcontinuedbecausefoodwasnotontheConfederategeneral’sprioritylist.Incontrast,theUnionwasawareofitsquantitiesoffoodsothesoldierscouldbepreparednearlyallthetime.OneprimarystruggleforboththesoldiersoftheNorthandtheSouthwastheirinexperienceincooking.Soldiersonbothsideswereaccustomedtowomenorslavescooking.However,onthebattlefield,therewereveryfewslavesorwomentocook.InConfederatecamps,itwasevenmoreofaproblembecausemenviewedthejobofcookingasaslave’swork.Hewhofoughtinbattleforhiscountrycouldnotstooptothelevelofaslave.IntheNorth,womenusuallydidthecooking,sotheFederalsoldiersdidnotviewcookingasunacceptableastheSouthdid.Infact,manyUnionmenvolunteeredtocook,distributeorharvestfood.CaptainSandersonevenwroteacookbooktoinforminexperiencedmenhowtocook.Somethingasbasicawillingnesstopreparefood,gavetheUnionanedgeovertheConfederacyandtheirrefusaltocook.SocietalnormsaboutwhopreparedfoodvariedbetweentheNorthandtheSouthandtiesbacktohowdifferentbeliefsaboutslaverystartedtheCivilWar.ComparingcaloriesandqualityoffoodshowsyetanotherbenefitthattheUnionhad.Calorieswerenotdiscoveredtillthe1900showeverwecanstillestimatetocompare.AnaverageUnionsoldierreceivedalittlemorethanonethousandcaloriesperday.AConfederatesoldierreceivedslightlylessthanonethousandcalories.Today,wearerecommendedtohaveovertwothousandcalories.Quantityoffoodalsocorrelatestotheweightofsoldiers.Beforeandafterthewar,theaverageweightofamanwasconsiderablyhigherthanasoldier’sweightofonehundredfortypounds.Today,anaveragemale’sweightistwohundredpounds.Thesoldierslostweightbutneverstarved­thatdoesn’tmeantheyweren’thungry.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolTheoverallconceptoffoodisinterpreteddifferentlyallaroundtheworldandindifferenttimeperiods,butalwaysessentialinhealthofhumans.TheUnionstarvedtheSouthtogaintheirvictoryinthebrotherversusbrotherwar.Blockades,railroads,cookbooks,preservationmethods,andinexperienceintheculinaryfieldallplayedapartintheCivilWar.Howeverwestillquestion,whatdoesreallykeepasoldieralive?Weaponry?Strategy?Medecine?Orfood?OnethingweknowisthatfoodisessentialinourlifeandthatnoonewantstofacethefoesoffoodintheCivilWarwhilefightingfortheirlives.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolAppendixA:FromHarper’sWeeklyandSonoftheSouthWebsite6ThisnewspaperwaspublishedintheHarper’sWeeklyonNovember2,1861.ItdepictstheprocessoftheUnionproducingtheirfood.Ontheotherhand,theConfederacy,usedlessefficientmethodstodistributeandmanufacturetheirfooditems.Abovewaspublishedtoeducatethoseoutsideofthewar,withthemethodsthattheUnionused.6​ProvisionsfortheArmy.​Harper'sWeekly​[NewYorkCity]2Nov.1861:695+.​SonoftheSouth​.Web.21Jan.2016.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolAppendixB:FromLibraryofCongress7Thisdrawingwaspublishedin1867bytheartist,EdwinForbeswhilehewatchedasergeantweighmeatsfortheCommissarycook.Therationswerecarefullyweighedbecauseofthelimitedresourcesandthelargeamountofsoldiersthatneededtobefed.Normally,theCommissarycookwouldnothaveasmallsheltertopreparefoodin.Thisallowedafairandequalrationforeverysoldierofthesamerank.Thisdrawinggivesusanideatodaywhathappenedwhenrationsweremeasured.7​Forbes,Edwin.​TheCommissary'sQuartersinWinterCamp​.1876.​LibraryOfCongress​.Web.21Jan.2016.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolAppendixC:ThefollowingarerecipesforJonnyCakesandBeefStew.Theyareadaptedfromcookbooksauthoredinthethe1860s.BeefStew:“Takethepiecesofbeefreservedforfryingorbroiling,andcutthemintopiecesabouttwoinchessquareandoneinchthick;sprinklethemwithpepperandsalt,andputthemintofryingpans,withalittlefat;placethemoverthefireuntilhalfcooked;thenturnthemintocampkettles,addingahandfulofflourandsixonionscutinquarterstoeachkettle,withjustenoughcoldwatertocoverthemeat;addalsotoeachkettletwodozenpotatoesparedandcutinquarters.Stewslowlyoveramoderatefire,skimmingeverynowandthen,forthreehoursandahalf;thenstirineachtwotablespoonsfulofvinegar,andservesmokinghot.Allkindsofvegetables—suchasleeks,carrots,parsnips,andturnips—canbeaddedtothisstewwithadvantage.”8JourneyorJonnyCakes:“Tothreespoonfulsofsoftboiledriceaddasmallteacupofwaterormilk,thenaddsixspoonfulsofthericeflour,whichwillmakealargeJonnycakeorsixwaffles.”98​Sanderson,JamesM.,Captain.​CampFiresandCampCooking,CulinaryHintsforaSoldier​.Washington:GovernmentPrintingOffice,1862.​GoogleBooks​.Web.21Jan.2016.9​Gary,G.W.,comp.​ConfederateReceiptBook​.Richmond:WestandJohnson,1863.DocumentingtheAmericanSouth​.Web.21Jan.2016.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschoolBibliographyPrimarySources:Forbes,Edwin.​TheCommissary'sQuartersinWinterCamp​.1876.​LibraryOfCongress​.Web.21Jan.2016.Gary,G.W.,comp.​ConfederateReceiptBook​.Richmond:WestandJohnson,1863.DocumentingtheAmericanSouth​.Web.21Jan.2016.Goodrich,FrankB.ChapterXVI.​TheTributeBook:ARecordoftheMunificence,Self­sacrificeandPatriotismoftheAmericanPeopleduringtheWarfortheUnion​.NewYork:DerbyMiller,1865.433.Ebook.Jones,JohnB.ARebelWarClerk'sDiaryattheConfederateState'sCapital.(1866):.Web.Mixter,CalvinS.​CivilWarDiary​15September(1861):n.pag.​TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmericanHistory​.Web.21Jan.2016.Owsley,FrankL.,J.B.Jones,andHowardSwiggett.ARebelWarClerk'sDiaryattheConfederateStatesCapital.​TheJournalofSouthernHistory​1.3(1935):402.Web.ProvisionsfortheArmy.​Harper'sWeekly​[NewYorkCity]2Nov.1861:695+.​SonoftheSouth​.Web.21Jan.2016.Sanderson,JamesM.,Captain.​CampFiresandCampCooking,CulinaryHintsforaSoldier​.Washington:GovernmentPrintingOffice,1862.​GoogleBooks​.Web.21Jan.2016.SecondarySources:Avey,Tori.CivilWarCooking:WhattheUnionSoldiersAte.​PBS​,21Sept.2012.Web.21Jan.2016.CivilWarSoldiersNeededBraveryToFaceTheFoe,AndTheFood.​NPR​.3July2013.Web.21Jan.2016.Davis,WilliamC.​ATasteforWar:TheCulinaryHistoryoftheBlueandtheGray​.Mechanicsburg,PA:Stackpole,2003.Print.Smith,AndrewF.​StarvingtheSouth:HowtheNorthWontheCivilWar​.NewYork:St.Martin's,2011.Print.WhatDidtheCivilWarSoldiersEat?​PDFReport.CivilWar.org.Web.21Jan.2016WilliamC.FoodandRationsintheCivilWar.​FoodandRationsintheCivilWar​.,Mar.1965.Web.21Jan.2016.EllieSchweikerJoleneOnoratiManningschool