Hardtack recipes

[69TH NYSV CO.C]

Hi Folks,
I was wondering how do you make hardtack any recipes? any recipes will be fine thank you fellas:D

[Silas]

Without a doubt, this is one of the top ten most asked questions in the hobby. The search function works. You ought to try it. Here's a couple threads from this forum which you would have found :

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3947&highlight=hardtack+recipe

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1495&highlight=hardtack+recipe

Take a gander at this next thread. Buried in the glowing review of the event is a recipe for a cornmeal version of hardtack. I and others thought it was rather tasty or maybe we were all just too hungry to know what's worth eating :

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13078

Tackitt

[Kevin O'Beirne]

There is a vast array of threads addressing this, and related topics on hard crackers, on www.authentic-campaigner.com.

[RedkepiWA]

Dixie Gun Works also has recipes toward the back with alot of other info.

[RJSamp]

Hi Folks,
I was wondering how do you make hardtack any recipes? any recipes will be fine thank you fellas:D

water salt and wheat flour
1 teaspoon of salt per cup of flour
1 cup of water for every 5 or even 6 cups of flour
makes about 3 days of rations (9-10 pieces per day).
start preheating the oven to 400 or 425
mix the salt and flour thoroughly
mix and stir the water and flour, only pour enough water into the dough to wet any dry spots (less is better). You'll know when the dough is done (no more white spots)...keep adding the water a little bit at a time.

rolling pin out the dough into a half inch thickness. Cut the dough into rectangles (a playing card for a sizing template works great). punch holes in a grid pattern with a goodly sized nail (framing nail is fine) being VERY CAREFUL what you're pounding/pushing into (you and your wife have been forewarned). You want to get the dough OUT of the holes (they tend to 'sag' back and refill themselves).

I spatula the rectangles onto an aluminum foiled and PAM'ed cookie sheet. Put into the oven for 20 minutes. Let cool overnight. Put them into your haversack.

If you want them a little 'sweeter' then add some sugar, molasses, etc. to the flour before adding water.....say a teaspoon per cup of flour.

If you want them edible/chewable then add some Mohawk Baking Powder to the flour before adding water....say a teaspoon for the whole batch.

My 8 year old daughter got pretty good at this, now she's at BU.

Bent's makes a decent cracker if you don't want to make them yourself.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

If you want them a little 'sweeter' then add some sugar, molasses, etc. to the flour before adding water.....say a teaspoon per cup of flour.

If you want them edible/chewable then add some Mohawk Baking Powder to the flour before adding water....say a teaspoon for the whole batch.
.

Both of the above are common reenactor additions to repro crackers. My advice is to completely omit the sugar or sweetener because original crackers had nothing like it. Whether one uses baking soda or other additive to help add some air pockets in the cracker is up to the maker; originals did not have such an ingredient but certainly some originals certainly had air pockets.

[Memphis]

So, we can gather from this thread that the time honored reenactor practice of folding over a toaster pastry is not cutting edge? Was the frosted Pop-Tart early or late war? Which flavors are branch specific? :rolleyes:

Rumor has it a recent Georgia event featured a cornbread-like product with a surprise lard filling. That sounds nasty.

[RJSamp]

Both of the above are common reenactor additions to repro crackers. My advice is to completely omit the sugar or sweetener because original crackers had nothing like it. Whether one uses baking soda or other additive to help add some air pockets in the cracker is up to the maker; originals did not have such an ingredient but certainly some originals certainly had air pockets.

correct, as I noted in my post:
salt water flour

Period, period.

Bent's Cracker's don't stick to the tried and true recipe .....

[Regular3]

Bent's Cracker's don't stick to the tried and true recipe .....Well, yes they do - Bent's is just water and flour, as called for in the Quartermaster's specifications, which clearly state that salt is not to be used in the dry mixture but rather if salt is to be included to put it in the water. Bent's also meets the QM specs to be "white, crisp, light and exhibit a flaky appearance when broken."

I've never made nor seen any homemade hardtack that comes close to this.

1863 Hardtack Specifications (http://kenanderson.net/hardtack/recipes.html)

[7thNJcoA]

ahhh the ol' hardtack recipe question. Ill tell you one thing the AC forum has a great article on it as kevin pointed out. My mess and I enjoy making fresh hardtack before every event. It is easier to eat when you make it on friday and eat over the weekend. Of course a little coffee helps that extra tough tack! I enjoy it in the morning with my coffee and a slice of salt pork! YUMMY!

[farmgirl]

As a medical professional and a new reenactor. Doesn't sugar seem to be a better idea to ward off dehydration in the wool suits. Would the spectators know? I was happy to hear that molasses and sugar could be used. Thanks I will use that idea.
Shelly Weaver
aka farmgirl
Company Medic

[RJSamp]

Well, yes they do - Bent's is just water and flour, as called for in the Quartermaster's specifications, which clearly state that salt is not to be used in the dry mixture but rather if salt is to be included to put it in the water. Bent's also meets the QM specs to be "white, crisp, light and exhibit a flaky appearance when broken."

I've never made nor seen any homemade hardtack that comes close to this.

1863 Hardtack Specifications (http://kenanderson.net/hardtack/recipes.html)

cool! I stand corrected. and I'll mix the salt with the water instead of the flour from now on. Any ideas on where to get superfine commercial cracker flour?

[URL="http://kenanderson.net/hardtack/recipes.html"]1863 Hardtack Specifications
Assistant Commissary General of Subsistence - Lt. Col. C.L. Kilburn - Notes on Preparing Stores for the United States Army and on the Care of the Same, etc, with a few rules for Detecting Adulterations - Printed 1863

Under Hard Bread
Should be made of best quality of superfine, or what is usually known as extra superfine flour; or better, of extra and extra superfine, (half and half). Hard bread should be white, crisp, light and exhibit a flaky appearance when broken. If tough, solid and compact, is evident the fault is either in the stock, manufacture or baking; it should not present the appearance of dried paste. If tough and pasty, it is probably manufacture from grown wheat, or Spring wheat of an inferior kind. In all cases it should be thoroughly cooled and dried before packing. Kiln drying, where practicable, for long voyages, is particularly desirable; but if really and thoroughly dried in the oven, hard bread will keep just as well and its flavor is not destroyed. To make good hard bread, it is essential to employ steam; hand work will not do.

The dough should be mixed as dry as possible; this is, in fact, very essential, and too much stress can not be placed on it. Good stock, dry mixed, and thoroughly baked, (not dried or scalded) will necessarily give good hard bread. If salt is to be used, it should be mixed with the water used to mix the dough. Both salt and water should be clean. Bread put up with the preceding requirements should keep a year; but as a usual thing, our best bread as now made for army use, will keep only about three months. Good, bread, packed closely and compactly should not weigh, net, per barrel, more than 70 or 80 pounds; should it be heavier that 80 it indicates too much moisture. The thickness of the biscuit is important; it should not be so thick as to prevent proper drying, or so thin as to crumble in transportation. The quality of stock used for hard bread can be partially told by rules mentioned in the article 'Flour,' as far as they apply. The term 'sprung' is frequently used by bakers, by which is meant raised or flaky bread, indicating strong flour and sound stock. The cupidity of the contracting baker induces him to pack his bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, and before the moisture has been completely expelled by drying. Bread of this kind hangs on breaking; it will also be soft to the pressure of the finger nail when broken, whereas it should be crisp and brittle.

The packages should be thoroughly seasoned, (of wood imparting no taste or odor to the bread,) and reasonably tight. The usual method now adopted is to pack 50 pounds net, in basswood boxes, (sides, top and bottom 1/2 inch, ends 5/8 of an inch,) and of dimensions corresponding with the cutters used, and strapped at each end with light iron or wood. The bread should be packed on its edge compactly, so as not to shake.

Bread thoroughly baked, kiln dried, and packed in spirit casks, will keep a long time but it is an expensive method. If bread contains weevils, or is mouldy, expose to the sun on paulins, and before re-packing it, rinse the barrel with whiskey.

Other Traditional Recipes
Army Hardtack Recipe
Ingredients:

4 cups flour (perferably whole wheat)
4 teaspoons salt
Water (about 2 cups)
Pre-heat oven to 375° F
Makes about 10 pieces
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won’t stick to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out, shaping it roughly into a rectangle. Cut into the dough into squares about 3 x 3 inches and ½ inch thick.

After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square, using a nail or other such object. Do not punch through the dough. The appearance you want is similar to that of a modern saltine cracker. Turn each square over and do the same thing to the other side.

Place the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides.

The fresh crackers are easily broken but as they dry, they harden and assume the consistentency of fired brick.

Simple Recipes
Flour, water, and a little salt. Mix them together to form an elastic but not sticky dough, Roll to a one-inch thickness, bake in a 400° F oven until slightly brown. Allow to cool. It may yet be soft. Put it in 200° F oven until it is hard. Prick with nail or sharp instrument. No baking powder, soda, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, or anything else.

Just mix about 2 cups of flour and a half-tablespoon of salt with enough water to make a stiff dough. Roll it out thin on a cookie sheet. Score it into squares of about 2”x2” and poke some holes in it (not all the way through). Bake it at 400 ° F for about 45 minutes or until it is lightly browned. Let it cool in the oven.

Preheat oven to 400° F. For each cup of flour (unbleached wheat), add1 tsp. of salt. Mix salt and flour with just enough water to bind ingredients. Roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into squares 3 inches by 3 inches. Pierce each square with 16 holes about ½ inch apart. Place hardtack squares on cookie sheet and bake in oven until the edges are brown or the dough is hard (20-25 minutes), making sure all moisture is removed from mixture before taking out of oven. Note: The longer you bake the hardtack, the more authentic it will appear. If you want to make it softer for eating, bake only about fifteen minutes.

Mix: two cups of all-purpose flour and a half teaspoon of salt. Use more salt for authenticity. Mix by hand. Add a teaspoon of shortening and a half cup of water, stirred in a little at a time to form a very stiff dough. Beat the dough to a half inch thickness with a clean top mallet or rifle butt. Fold the sheet of dough into six layers. Continue to beat and to fold the dough a half dozen times until it is elastic. Roll the dough out to a half-inch thickness before cutting it with a floured biscuit cutteror bayonet. Bake for about a half hour in a 325° F oven.

The basic ingredients are flour, salt and water. General directions are also similar: Dissolve the salt in water and work it into flour using your hands. The dough should be firm and pliable but not sticky or dry. Flatten the dough onto a cookie sheet to about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into squares 3 inches by 3 inches. Pierce each square with 16 holes about ½ inch apart. Bake in oven until edges are brown or dough is hard.

Preheat the oven to 400° F For each cup of flour add 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix salt and flour with just enough water to bind. Bake 20-25 minutes. The longer you bake the hardtack, the more authentic it will appear.

Use one part water to six parts flour. Mix in salt. Roll the dough flat and score into cracker shapes. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400° F and let it cool until completely dry before storing in canisters. The crackers should be hard as bricks and indestructibly unappetizing.

A cup of water
2 cups of flour
6 pinches of salt
Mix flour, water, and salt into a stiff dough, kneading it several times. Spread dough ½ inch thick onto baking sheet and slice into 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch squares. Poke holes in dough, four lines of four holes across and four down. Bake for ½ hour at 400.° F. Remove from the oven, cut the dough into 3 inch squares. Turn dough over, return it to the oven, and bake for another ½ hour. Turn the oven off, leaving the oven door closed. Leave the hardtack in the oven until it is cool.

Less Traditional Recipes

Small Batch, Just for a taste.
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2- 3/4 cup water
Mix to a stiff dry dough. It should not stick to your hands. Add water slowly. Add more flour if needed. Cut to 3x3 inch squares 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Now put 16 little holes in each one, using a 10 d nail or some other such thing. Toothpick are too small. Bake in an ungreased cookie pan, preheated to 400° F for about 20 to 30 minutes on each side, or until dry. Check it every now and then.

2 cups of flour
3/4 to 1 cup water
1 tbl spoon of Crisco
6 pinches of salt
Mix the ingredients together to form a stiff batter, kneading several times. Spread the dough onto a baking sheet at a thickness of 1/2 inch. Bake for a half hour at 400° F. Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four rows of holes, four holes per row into the dough. Turn dough over, return to the oven and bake another half hour. Turn oven off, leaving door closed. Leave the hardtack in the oven until cool.

2 cups of flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon of Crisco or vegetable fat.
6 pinches of salt
Bake for 30 minutes at 400° F. Remove the dough from the oven, and cut it into 3-inch squares. Punch four rows of holes into the dough. Turn the dough over, return it to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

[Regular3]

cool! I stand corrected. and I'll mix the salt with the water instead of the flour from now on. Any ideas on where to get superfine commercial cracker flour?I've entertained thoughts of trying this myself, and my idea is to take plain old flour - Not all purpose or the self-rising variety - and sift it 5 or 6 times, and see if that would make it superfine enough.

In the meantime, it's just easier to pay Bent's to do the work ... I have a feeling that even if we could get the flour and salt water nearly correct that the next issue would be with our non-bakery grade ovens and baking times & temperatures. :)

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Bent's Cracker's don't stick to the tried and true recipe .....

How so? Some specifics would be nice.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

As a medical professional and a new reenactor. Doesn't sugar seem to be a better idea to ward off dehydration in the wool suits. Would the spectators know? I was happy to hear that molasses and sugar could be used. Thanks I will use that idea.


Whether one uses additives in crackers is up to the individual making them and how "authentic" they wish to be. No, the spectators don't know, but the user knows it.

For the record, the best thing to consume to ward off dehydration is water. Plus it's "authentic".

[bulletsponge]

The only "trick" to making hardtack is kneading the dough. If you don't knead it, you will end up with something between wood and old leather in toughness and texture. The air pockets in Bentz crackers are there because of the manufacturing process.

Here's how to knead:

1. Pull the dough out of the bowl as soon as the water has been absorbed by the flour. The dough can be clumpy, but not sticky - if it is add flour 1 teaspoon at a time until its not sticky.
2. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured CLEAN work surface.
3. Squash the dough (and any clumps that may be hanging out) with the heal of your CLEAN palm so that it's about an inch or so thick (not critical).
4. Fold the dough in half and turn 1/4 turn.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 at least eight times. Each time you fold the dough over you will create layers and stretch out the gluten. Think croissants without the butter.

After kneading the dough you can roll it out and cut it into 3" squares. Poke 16 holes (some specifications call for as many as 24) into each cracker. The best way to do this is to use a cutter - either buy one or make one out of scrap molding, drywall screws and aluminum flashing like I did.

[Silas]

As a medical professional and a new reenactor. Doesn't sugar seem to be a better idea to ward off dehydration in the wool suits. Would the spectators know? I was happy to hear that molasses and sugar could be used. Thanks I will use that idea.
Shelly Weaver
aka farmgirl
Company Medic
I hope you don't. Adding sugar or molasses transforms a perfectly good cracker into a sweet, hard cookie. Nothing prevents you from adding some molasses or sorgum to the cracker as you're eating it.

Hard crackers are a wonderful marching ration. One may not want to eat them when garrisoned and when soft bread is available, but when on campaign, crackers are a staple of the diet.

Tackitt

[RJSamp]

How so? Some specifics would be nice.

I've already been corrected on this......have always thought their cracker's were too crumbly/flaky......as opposed to period writings (shin plasters, tiles, break your jaw......) so today I found out it's the way they make them correctly.

Have been ordering them for a few years now, the 7th graders like them for Civil War days (my son likes them with Peanut Butter on them).

[mboyce]

As a medical professional and a new reenactor. Doesn't sugar seem to be a better idea to ward off dehydration in the wool suits. Would the spectators know? I was happy to hear that molasses and sugar could be used. Thanks I will use that idea.
Shelly Weaver
aka farmgirl
Company Medic

No disprespect intended here. I was a Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman for 6 years, and an Army Infantry Medic with an Expert Field Medical Badge of 4 years. I have honestly never heard that sugar is good for warding off dehydration. Maybe there has been some new findings on this subject that I am not aware of. Now molasses (or raw honey) does have minerals and electrolyes that would be good dehydration, but just add it to the top of the cracker as needed. It's a little more authentic that way.
I agree with Mr. O'Beirne, water is the way to go.

[Frenchie]

In 1976 a Senior Chief Medical Corpsman sat a bunch of us recruit pukes down and told us some facts of life that our parents hadn't mentioned for some reason. The thing I thought of just now is what he said about drinking sugary carbonated stuff on a hot day: in short, don't. Processing the sugar takes more water out of your system than you get from the drink.

[RJSamp]

In 1976 a Senior Chief Medical Corpsman sat a bunch of us recruit pukes down and told us some facts of life that our parents hadn't mentioned for some reason. The thing I thought of just now is what he said about drinking sugary carbonated stuff on a hot day: in short, don't. Processing the sugar takes more water out of your system than you get from the drink.

The Boy Scout handbook back in the 60's said no candy during hikes.....it might wet your whistle, but the sugar actually made you thirstier.....

and never eat snow if you're thirsty, it takes more energy to melt down the snow than it supplies back in moisture.....you need to melt the snow in a point over a fire and stir it constantly.....

as they found out recently at the Chicago Marathon.....water is better In you than on you (either in your canteen or poured over your head)......and the less clothes the better (a T shirt proved to be brutal in the 90 degree humid heat as compared to a runner's shirt......the winner said he would have run naked if it had been allowed).....remember Frank Shorter running for the US Army and the 'stranded' shirt he wore for the Olympic Marathon?

and no, they didn't have the common sense in 1863 to drink more water and take off the wool. For those that think the cotton under shirt / drawers and wool Civil War uniform is a 'system', you now know that it doesn't work in hot weather, it kills.


I remember spitting out water and taking salt pills.....sports medicine 1960's style....

[cannnfodder]

I think Bent's are great! I could be partial- I've met the owner Gene Perotti at our events and the only ingredients are wheat flour and water. He rolls and rerolls the dough into layers to give it the right flakiness.
I'm too lazy when I make mine and just roll it out thinner. 4 cups of unbleached flour and 1 1/2 cups warm well water. I put it on a lightly greased AirBake cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 25 min. per side. The last batch I just made (for Cedar Creek) I sprinkled brown sugar on one side and salt on the other. It's not bad and is great to keep in the haversack between battles or in camp. It looks way more authentic than munching on a PowerBar. It also makes you drink alot of water which is something you should be doing anyways. Whenever I've made it with too much -whole -grain -all- natural- yuppie- tree- hugging- flour they come out more like dog biscuits than hardtack. Much to the enjoyment of my dogs. That's also what happens when I screw up a batch- RUFF!

[Parault]

One thing that I tried was pizza dough mix. I was getting ready for an event last year ( cannot remember which one ) doesn't matter, anyway, I was getting ready to make some hardtack when I came across a box of pizza dough mix. No sugar,no molasses no anything that would be considered sweet. I thought why not try it. I mixed all of the ingredients,used my trusty hardtack cutter,and baked as the directions stated. It turned out quite well. It was hardtack, typical no flavor,but slightly softer.

[hanktrent]

and no, they didn't have the common sense in 1863 to drink more water and take off the wool. For those that think the cotton under shirt / drawers and wool Civil War uniform is a 'system', you now know that it doesn't work in hot weather, it kills.

As far as "taking off the wool," I think what you're overlooking is the fact that other practical considerations required that soldiers have only one basic set of clothes that would do for heat, cold, rain, briars, dust, sun protection, etc., and so they had to split the difference and make it somewhat practical for everything. The uniform "system" is pretty decent for that.

Wearing nothing but shorts on a 90 degree day (assuming you can deal with sunburn issues) isn't so good when those same shorts are all you have for warmth on picket duty down the road that same night, when it's 45 and stormy.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Memphis]

RJ is just spending energy being contrary. The system works and works well.

[tompritchett]

Wearing nothing but shorts on a 90 degree day (assuming you can deal with sunburn issues) isn't so good when those same shorts are all you have for warmth on picket duty down the road that same night, when it's 45 and stormy.

Reminds me of the time that I had to fly from a vacation in the Caribbean to Chicago one February for a conference with no stop to really change cloths. Sweltered when I left and froze when I arrived. :D

[Kevin O'Beirne]

and no, they didn't have the common sense in 1863 to drink more water and take off the wool. For those that think the cotton under shirt / drawers and wool Civil War uniform is a 'system', you now know that it doesn't work in hot weather, it kills.

I disagree with RJ on this one. Civil War soldiers most certainly understood that the answer to heat + sweating = water. Trouble was, they didn't typically have water available when, where, and in the quality needed (in other words, l like a Recon event). Soldiers certainly knew that drinking water was the answer when they were overheating and sweating.

And as far as the "system" of clothing goes, I have to agree with Rog on this one. While it's hot, wool and layers can keep a man cooler in 95 degrees than simply taking off the jacket and continuing the physical exertion. This was shown, again, by a few of us at the Vicksburg 2007 event, where most of the men kept their jackets off as much as possible and continued to sweat anyway, and a few of us kept our jackets on and, while we sweated profusely, we actually remained cooler inside the jacket than we would have with the jacket off. Those of us who did this are fairly thin fellows, so I'm not advocating this as a "great idea" for all reenactors, particularly hefty ones. I experimented that weekend with keeping the jacket on versus keeping it off, and found I was more comfortable with it on, in the high heat and humidity.

Finally, look at thousands of years of Arab culture in the desert: wearing layers of clothing and long robes. That's not exactly t-shirts and shorts, and it's kept men alive in the desert for a very long time.

Finally, Civil War soldiers indeed did take off their jackets on occoasion. There's numerous instances of it during the heat of July 21, 1861 at First Bull Run (the men of the 69th New York Militia not only fought generally without jackets, as a regiment, but some were even supposedly bare-chested). At the battle of Gaines's Mill in June 1862, when the Irish Brigade came up to relieve the Ninth Massachusetts, the Lt. Col. of the Ninth was in his shirt sleeves. Both of these particular scenes have been painted by artist Don Troiani and are backed up by numerous first-person accounts.

[RJSamp]

I disagree with RJ on this one. Civil War soldiers most certainly understood that the answer to heat + sweating = water. Trouble was, they didn't typically have water available when, where, and in the quality needed (in other words, l like a Recon event). Soldiers certainly knew that drinking water was the answer when they were overheating and sweating.

And as far as the "system" of clothing goes, I have to agree with Rog on this one. While it's hot, wool and layers can keep a man cooler in 95 degrees than simply taking off the jacket and continuing the physical exertion. This was shown, again, by a few of us at the Vicksburg 2007 event, where most of the men kept their jackets off as much as possible and continued to sweat anyway, and a few of us kept our jackets on and, while we sweated profusely, we actually remained cooler inside the jacket than we would have with the jacket off. Those of us who did this are fairly thin fellows, so I'm not advocating this as a "great idea" for all reenactors, particularly hefty ones. I experimented that weekend with keeping the jacket on versus keeping it off, and found I was more comfortable with it on, in the high heat and humidity.

Finally, look at thousands of years of Arab culture in the desert: wearing layers of clothing and long robes. That's not exactly t-shirts and shorts, and it's kept men alive in the desert for a very long time.

Finally, Civil War soldiers indeed did take off their jackets on occoasion. There's numerous instances of it during the heat of July 21, 1861 at First Bull Run (the men of the 69th New York Militia not only fought generally without jackets, as a regiment, but some were even supposedly bare-chested). At the battle of Gaines's Mill in June 1862, when the Irish Brigade came up to relieve the Ninth Massachusetts, the Lt. Col. of the Ninth was in his shirt sleeves. Both of these particular scenes have been painted by artist Don Troiani and are backed up by numerous first-person accounts.

Rog and Kevin, read Diary of a Dutch Mudsill....several Regulars die from sunstroke. Their officer's don't let the men take off their coats. The Arab culture use layers of loose fitting cotton in light colors to protect their bodies in 130 degree desert conditions.....that system sounds like 1 layer of cotton and 1 layer of wool in a heat absorbing color like dark blue or butternut. Not. They may have known on July 21, 1861 to take off their jackets in the 69th....but that didn't stop dozens of Confederates from dying of sunstroke during the Pickett and Pettigrew assault with their jackets on.

I'm not going to insult the current medical professionals by stating that we haven't learned anything about hydration and uniform systems in the last 140 years...You two can continue with the charade that they knew it all in 1861 .the Israeli's discovered that drinking liters of water before hand and 1 liter per hour allowed them to walk across the Negev desert during the day. This was circa 1963. Frank Shorter's work with the Army and experimental materials revealed that ZERO clothing was the best way to get maximum performance/endurance for a marathon race.....unfortunately you have other physical appendages to worry about and have to attach the numbers to something.

They lost a lot of men during the ACW to sunstroke and bad water.

They didn't know that drinking bad water was killing them..didn't know that not drinking enough water was killing them....it was more that it didn't taste good so don't drink it .....or our canteen detail got captured so go on and assault Little Round top anyway after a 24 mile approach march. Your boys would be exhausted, dehydrated, and dropping from heat exhaustion....do you think they thought about a better way to carry out an assault that included having steak and eggs (or at least a decent meal) prior to the attack, or included double canteens and marching to a creek on the way for a flank assault? Heck no. Sports Medicine 1861 style had a lot to be desired.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Considering that soldiers have suffered from dehydration and heat exhaustion throughout the ages, through the present day, I figure I'll let the above post stand on its own merit.

[WestTN_reb]

Finally, Civil War soldiers indeed did take off their jackets on occoasion. There's numerous instances of it during the heat of July 21, 1861 at First Bull Run (the men of the 69th New York Militia not only fought generally without jackets, as a regiment, but some were even supposedly bare-chested). At the battle of Gaines's Mill in June 1862, when the Irish Brigade came up to relieve the Ninth Massachusetts, the Lt. Col. of the Ninth was in his shirt sleeves. Both of these particular scenes have been painted by artist Don Troiani and are backed up by numerous first-person accounts.
Don't forget Gettysburg. July 2nd. The 1st Texas (could be wrong about the unit), before their assault into the Devil's Den and around Little Round Top, were reported to have stripped to their shirtsleeves and dropped all but their leathers and canteens.

[TheQM]

Civil War soldiers most certainly understood that the answer to heat + sweating = water. Soldiers certainly knew that drinking water was the answer when they were overheating and sweating.


Kevin.

That may have been true for the individual soldier; but, it wasn't true for their leaders. This a quote from "The 1865 Customs of Service for the Non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers":

"Drink as little as possible of even cold water. Experience teaches old soldiers that the less they drink on the march the better, and they suffer less in the end by controlling the desire to drink, however urgent." (Page 250)

There was an old military theory, that persisted until World War Two, that men could actually be trained to abstain from drinking water. How many men died as a result of these theories is open to debate, but there is no question that men did indeed die from not drinking sufficient water.

Interestingly enough Kautz did understand the benefits of boiling water before drinking.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Bill,

Interesting stuff, but I've never heard of any Civil War officer toeing that line. That's not so say that perhaps some didn't, but I've never heard or read of such a thing.

Anyway, this thread was suppsoed to be about crackers. I figure I'll let the conversation return to that topic.

[Critter]

i tried the recipe.i see why they call it hard tac.this stuff could be used as a weapon

[RJSamp]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin O'Beirne
Civil War soldiers most certainly understood that the answer to heat + sweating = water. Soldiers certainly knew that drinking water was the answer when they were overheating and sweating.


Kevin.

That may have been true for the individual soldier; but, it wasn't true for their leaders. This a quote from "The 1865 Customs of Service for the Non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers":

"Drink as little as possible of even cold water. Experience teaches old soldiers that the less they drink on the march the better, and they suffer less in the end by controlling the desire to drink, however urgent." (Page 250)

There was an old military theory, that persisted until World War Two, that men could actually be trained to abstain from drinking water. How many men died as a result of these theories is open to debate, but there is no question that men did indeed die from not drinking sufficient water.

Interestingly enough Kautz did understand the benefits of boiling water before drinking.

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Kevin: "Soldiers certainly knew that drinking water was the answer when they were overheating and sweating."

Wouldn't go as far as 'the' answer. And there are many documented instances of wool uniformed men/horses standing/lying in the sun for hours. Kemper's men were passing out lying in the sun on July 3rd 1863. The Regulars didn't allow their men to unblouse to cool off....10 years in the Ranks has the quote of 3 regulars dying of heat because their officer's wouldn't let them get out of their hot uniforms. So getting out of the sun and unblousing are two other answers for when they were overheating and sweating, not just drinking water. What they did NOT know was that once they were thirsty....they were already dehydrated. They reacted, not proacted. They drank because they were thirsty, not because they were overheating, sweating, or in imminent danger of heat exhaustion. They chose to drink less bloody or dirty water or coffee not because it had less germs in it.....but because it tasted better.

Kaspar Trepp (Berdan's USSS) noticed that the German's and Swiss who boiled their food into delicious soups and stews reported to sick call less often then those who firied their food.

But neither Kautz nor Trepp knew why boiling water and consuming it through coffee/tea was healthy for their men....it simply was a way to make water palatable and even invigorating (warm liquid on a cold night, caffeine injection, and a 'full' stomach). John Henry Otto (Diary of a Dutch Mudsill) had a nightly ritual of a hot cup of coffee after a long march.....heck if I have Caffeine after 6PM I can't sleep.....

One of the reasons that Little Round Top wasn't carried by Laws (and specifically the 15th AL) was the 22+ mile march over hot dusty roads with little and or bad water.....and then the 15th Alabama's canteen detail of some 22 men was captured just as they stepped off (See Pfanz 2nd Day, for example). Do we really think that the CSA leadership knew the importance of hydration in relation to combat performance? Did they make sure their men had proper nutrition, potassium, sodium, hydration prior to making an assault? How about kettles of coffee by the side of the road where the men could simply dip in and keep marching with a refreshing pint or two of boiled water to invigorate them and allow their bodies to combat the heat and energy sapping marches?

Nope, they just didn't have a clue. And many soldier's died from the ignorance.