Union Civil War Rations - Vol. I, Episode 2
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2015
- Episode 2 of Civil War Digital Digest gives an overview on what the proscribed ration was for the Union soldier and talks about its variances. This episode will set the stage for a number of episodes about the rations - and what to do with it.
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The ration is proscribed in the US Regulations. Get a your own copy of the full text here: amzn.to/2cbcRws (affiliate)
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As a US History teacher I have been looking for a Civil War Era video series like this (Similar to Townsends) that I can use for extra credit in my classroom. Thanks!
We are thrilled you find it useful! We also are building an email list for teachers. Will you reach out to us at the contact page of our website at civilwardigitaldigest.com and let us know what grades you teach? Thanks for the kind words!!!
Yep...thanks
Civil War Digital Digest please
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Hi will what did the Union Soldiers wrap their salt pork in? What kind paper could use to keep in my haversack? Without it going bad? How long can keep in my haversack? How to prepare the salt pork so can keep it in your haversack?
I really, really loved this episode. This cleared up a lot of questions that I had on how rations were actually issued to the Federal soldier. Awesome job Mr. Will!
Glad you enjoyed!
Can you do some videos on the Confederate army as well ? Curious the difference in supplies
Allright, lets get this on a tray.
If anyone is wondering, I believe navy beans do fit the descriptions of the preferred issue bean of the U.S. Army at that time.
I learned from my southern relatives that northern sentiment was that rice was insulting to the northern soldiers pallet and corn was insulting to the southern soldiers pallet only for political means , of course.
Fascinating! An army travels on its stomach ..!
So true. Some things never change…
Sounds like they are pretty good. At least when their weren't delays in food
Fantastic and informative video! I am so glad I found this channel!
Welcome!!
Great videos and a great channel. Thanks for the history
Thank you for watching!
Thanks for the vid it really helped me on my group project.
+Vikram Dhaliwal glad to hear we could help!
Your channel is great and should have a wider audience. Intelligent and informative. Very good. Thank you
Thank you for the kind words! Very glad you are enjoying.
good work sir.
Great video
Great video!!!!
Glad you enjoyed!
This was very informative. One day it would be interesting to attempt to eat for a whole day on these exact rations.
Have done it regularly. Not as hard as you may think. Many of us in the living history community do it n
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Can confirm. In fact, for the entirety of the week of February 13, 2022, I ate only the daily rations in conjunction with 3 mile walks in my SUM bootees. I will 100% be repeating this diet routine once per month from now-on. Hell, maybe in the summer I'll up it to 5-6 miles/evening.
I've watched several of your videos and find them to be very interesting and informative so thank you, however at least on the videos I have seen there has not been a mention of desiccated (desecrated)vegetables. I'd love to see a presentation on that and if there is a modern equivalent something close to what they may have had.
What about consecrated milk?or I think that's what they called it jokingly anyway.
What about butter or lard? Or did they just use fat from the meat?
+David McCord fat from the meat ration. I have read accounts of men buying butter from a sutler or civilian.
I have watched the videos on recipes and I have a question.How did the troops get the recipes, where the recipes in there manuals or did they experiment with there food to make up these recipes.
Both. There were books published for the soldiers which we have used in episodes. General Casey issued a circular providing recipes. Check out Casey’s Beef Stew Episode. A lot of trial and error and figuring it out also took place.
It's crazy to think they had to survive off of that it's a miracle anyone survived that war
What kind of flour would the men receive. I always assumed hard tack would be made with all purpose flour. Is this true or is it possible they would receive self rising flour?
Thank you for the video! Now I'm hungry for salted pork!
Have you found a good variety of rice that is representative of the period? Or would simple long-grain work well?
Anson mills has a couple of heirloom varieties but we have not tested it yet. Other than that, we are with you at this point. Good question!
I have to make a civil war dish for school what do you recommend is the easiest and what the soldiers are the most???
Hi Ida! We have an entire playlist of Union recipes already that soldiers used in the field. Some of them were used by both sides. Beef Steak, Dough Gods, Hellfire Stew, and Cornmeal Mush are all good options to start with. Those recipes are all shown in the playlist. If you need more help, go to our website and use the contact us form. We are happy to help you and your school! Good luck! Will
I heard pork and beans was possibly the most common.
Great vid. Just showed to my son and we enjoyed it. .
Question: is it safe to say that most men that served in the Army in the Civil War era were good cooks? Or was this just something they did as a means for survival at the time
Many went to was never having cooked. Check out our episode about Casey’s stew in Volume 2. It talks about just this. Thanks!!
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest awesome. Thank you-!
wow no dislikes, awesome. Finally people can appreciate educational videos. :)
anthony roman there is one
Now 8. I found the actor to be somewhat annoying in manner and the way he spoke. It happens sometimes, folks just annoy others. He provided good information, knew his stuff.
So, in the "perfect" world, how often would men recieve this ration?
Daily?
Every three days?
It really would depend what situation the particular Regiment was in. On campaign, it may be less often. In Garrison, or a camp, the men might just receive meals from the company cooks.
Would y'all be able and willing to do a video on confederate rations? I know that it varied so much over time but I believe it would be neat. Thank you
You’re right, in reality is was such a moving target to talk about. It’s on our list snd we keep doing research on it. We are just struggling with how to do it good justice! Keep your eyes out.
Do you make your own salt pork or do you buy it from a butcher? If you make it could you please tell me how you do it? I've watched many videos on it but none of them seem to resemble what you have. Thanks for all the information and videos
This salt pork came from a meat packer that still does it. Check your local places and make sure it’s not fat back which is what most grocery stores have as salt pork. We will have a meat curing episode sometime this year. You can find directions for salt pork on places like the Authentic Campaigner.
Civil War Digital Digest thanks for the information. I went to my local butcher and picked up 10 pounds of pork belly today. I'm going to try and make it myself. Is the authentic campaigner a UA-cam channel?
It is a forum filled with info and searchable.
www.authentic-campaigner.com
Civil War Digital Digest thanks I found it.
Is there a modern equivalent to the salt pork ration the soldiers were given? Would it be more of a fat back or salt cured slab bacon?
There is at least one meat packer who is doing salt pork in the modern world. I am able to purchase it from them at Eastern market in Detroit. We have also sourced from them in other states for living history events. The company is called wolverine packing.
Civil War Digital Digest thank you very much!
Where did you get your meats in this video, pork and steak ?
The beef is brisket. The salt pork came from Eastern Market in Detroit but is produced by Wolverine Packing. They distribute across much of the east of the US.
Is there a place in which I can buy an authentic civil war salt pork? Or would it be better to collect the materials and make my own?
There are many resourses that can be found on making your own. Call around to any local meat packers as they might have to more for restaurant use. Just be sure it is really salt cured pork and not that pork belly stuff in grocery stores labeled salt pork. Another option is smoked/cured bacon which might be easier to find.
Civil War Digital Digest ok thanks so much! Love your videos and love doing the recipes for reenacting!
are there any vegetarian substitutes for the salt pork.
Not that are specific to the Civil War era.
Do we know what kind of sugar was issued? Like was it the brownish raw cane sugar or more of a granulated white sugar like we use today.
Was molasses common?
brown sugar, white sugar is just another refining step that isn't very necessary
I'd highly recommend the following book. (It's free) The pages about sugar are an interesting read. It sounds like the purchasing agents had more choices in sugar than we do. books.google.com/books/about/Notes_on_Preparing_Stores_for_the_United.html?id=c5syAQAAMAAJ&fbclid=IwAR0aOH5nxXuxNwyqWMMXWGuqHdfKQLirqUWiHUOuY6Zu6H7YySzLryIky3o
How cool is this channel?
What did they do with the beans and how were they cooked?
Soups, baked beans are both options.
Is there a benefit to hardtack vs flour? From my personal experience I think I’d rather receive flour than hardtack. Seems like there’s more options on how to use it.
We approach it from a soldier’s perspective. It not a benefit to one or another. You took what you were issued. That said, on the March, hardtack would be easier to deal with. Will
Civil War Digital Digest and that’s my question, why is hard tack easier to deal with?
@@yourbarista4154 It's already edible. You can munch on it while marching, if the column wasn't able to stop for cookfires. With just flour or cornmeal, it would need to be cooked somehow, first. Plus, hardtack can still be crumbled and broken into a chunky flour, almost, and you can still turn it into something else, if you've got the time.
Brad Scarp from what I’ve heard it’s not edible unless boiled because it’s too hard.
@@yourbarista4154 Not necessarily. It's certainly easier to eat that way, and there are a bunch of accounts of soldiers eating it that way. But you can still break the pieces into smaller chunks and eat them straight. I've also read accounts of soldiers just holding a piece in their mouth until it softens.
Bacon and coffee? A perfect meal
Agreed! Lol! Will
Add some hardtack,got a full meal, especially if you have desecrated er, desiccated vegetables!
Don’t get much more American than that
Does it matter if it's brown or white rice?
+77thNYSV I have limited research on this but I believe white rice. Rice was grown in the deep south in the mid-19th century. Some varieties that are listed as "early" american varieties are asian rice and Carolina white.
crow13b it dont matter if its brown or white
We today as Americans obviously tend to over eat.
A person can get by on just a little bit of food
What about the dead horses from the battle?
Probably not legal to get horse meat where you are.
There isn't any mention of eating horse meat except in besieged garrisons under starvation rations. Americans in particular have always had a major prejudice against eating horse meat, unlike other cultures. Also, for the above scenario to plausibly take place, you'd have to be camped immediately adjacent to the battlefield which wasn't universal.
I thought rations were required to last up to three days. Or am I mistaken?
They were generally issues in lots of three days. However, they were proscribed per day. The three day thing was a "In the field" convenience. Garrison could be quite something different and the army had to be ready for it all, not just the years of the Civil War. Great question! Will
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest So the rations were, generally, given out on a daily basis (on a standard, that is)?
Three days at a time is considered typical in the Civil War campaign season. However, check out our recent episode “Hooker’s Flying Column” to see how it was done differently at Chancellorsville. Enjoy!
Okay, make up your mind. Is it for one soldier or 2. please be clear. When I was in Vietnam in outposts we were lucky to get a SP packs. Other than that I guess the c's were better than civil war rats.
What was the point of one ounce and a quarter of rice?
Rations could often be made into soup in garrison. Rice would help that.
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest So it was an addition to soup?
Food worth dying for literally
Sorghum seed bread
If you Really take into account what these men were rationed it was truly just nothing but Garbage with very little nutritional value what so ever in today’s understanding because coffee is a Diaretic and the hardtack and the rest of the starches turn to sugar in your system along with the salt pork heaven help a man with high blood pressure. But I do like your videos and the time you guys put into them truly very professional job and you fellas have your history down to a tee, A+
I wouldn't survive a month on that diet.
You’d be surprised what’s possible with some of the recipes we share here. Bland it sure can be. Boring - yes. Filling? Yup!
No chicken nuggets?
Nope no chicken nuggets back then those were still a glimmer in someone's eye.
So when was Ohio invaded/raised ???
What?
corn & cornmeal needs/should be white. Yellow corn not grown yet during Civil War.
+Jack Nakash here is an account from a Georgia CS veteran which was published in a collection of accounts in 1865 which can be found on Google books.
"Our food in the Confederate army was of good quality.
Our corn meal that we had was very good; we had generally white, sometimes yellow meal; it was bolted or sifted, and of fine grain."
Both did exist while white might have been more common. All that could be purchased was, white and yellow, to feed the troops.