Confederate Cooking - School Project

[Mimdave]

Hi, I am in 5th grade and am doing a project for my gifted program. I undersand you may be a Civil War subject matter expert. To assist me with my Expert Night project, Civil War Confederacy Cooking, I am asking you to please fill out this questionnaire. Thank you very much and I look forward to your responses.

Sincerely, Jacob K.


· Did different people eat different meals/things? If so, can you provide examples?____


· What did they cook with?_____


· Who were the people allowed to do the cooking? Was he a special rank?_____


· How were rations delivered to the soldiers?_______


· Did winning or losing a battle affect their food supply or what they ate? If so how?________


· What were some commonly eaten foods for the soldiers?________


· What were pastries or desserts made at the time?_______


· In comparison with the North, did the Sout eat similar foods?_________



Name:
__________________________________________________ _


Affliation/Knowledge Source

[tenfed1861]

· Did different people eat different meals/things? If so, can you provide examples?____

In general,no.Of course,the generals would be eating much better then the enlisted men.But that being said,they did eat the same thing usually.One case was of Sam Watkins inviting his father to camp.Watkins asked the col.,I believe Maney,if his father could join him.Maney said yes,and served Watkin's dad parched corn,just like what the rest of the enlisted men ate.

Yet early in the war,they would have eaten very well.It was still early enough that coffee was still had on a regular basis.The would have eaten fresh bread,eggs,cheese,chicken,ham,butter,and fresh fruit to name a few.


· What did they cook with?_____

They used all sorts of things.The most common items were tin plates and canteen halves for a plate,bowl,an even frying pan.They also used regular frying pans.They used tin cups made from stamped iron for most items to boil.They ate with forks,knives,spoons.

Yet they also had different items.They has what was known as a spider.It was a frying pan on three legs.This was so you could place it above coals and bake bread in.They also used camp kettles.They were usually made from stamp iron.They would also use their bayonets or ramrods to roast meat with.


· Who were the people allowed to do the cooking? Was he a special rank?_____

A lot of times,the cooks in camps were men too old or sickly to march with the army.Yet,a lot of units,like the 1st Tenn. would use servents brought from home.

In the field,the men would cook in messes.These were groups of friends that would share camp duties and cooking/camping responsibilities.In most all cases,the best cook would cook for the mess.

· How were rations delivered to the soldiers?_______

They were either brough up on wagons or foraged.During the Antietem campaign,Lee's army lived off of roasted corn and apples straight from the field.

· Did winning or losing a battle affect their food supply or what they ate? If so how?________

It did.If they lost a battle,they could loose massive amounts of territories/supply depots.During the retreat from Shiloh,Federals talk of seeing such things as flour,bacon,and coffee abandoned on the road side.It they lost,they would try and get rid of extra weight.

Yet,if they won,they won the spoils.When Jackson's men took the railroad depot at 2nd Bull Run,they captured cans of lobster,cheeses,meats,and other such things to dine on.On the first day of Shiloh,the Confederates captured the Federal camps with fresh bread,seafood,meat,cheese,fresh coffee,tea,sugar,and fine spear whale candles.

· What were some commonly eaten foods for the soldiers?________

Corn meal,corn bread,ears of corn,parched corn,bacon,salted pork,ham jowl,peas,peanuts,tea,molasses,potatos,onion,and turnips were some of the most common marchin rations.If they could,they would supplament it from items taken from a captured Federal supply wagon,abandoned haversacks,items sent from home,or items they forages.These could include hardtck,flour,fresh bread,fresh meat,sugar,coffee (a big items to have),chocolate,fresh fruit,fresh vegitables,eggs,chickens,hogs,milk,honey,sorgum,an d other items of that nature.While they had very complex diets,this is the very basic diet that would have been had on the march.

· What were pastries or desserts made at the time?_______

Not sure.Some popular items were pies,cakes,chocolate,candies,sugar canes, and molasses candy.One dessert was actually rice mixed with sugar (if it was had) or honey.I have tried it and must say it's pretty good.A good,quick energy boost from the sugar with the rice giving carbohydrates later on.


· In comparison with the North, did the Sout eat similar foods?_________

No.From April 1861 on,the south was under a naval blockade.They prevented many items from getting in from around the world they would need.This was coffee,sugar,lemons,and the such.They also couldn't get things like flour and large amounts of fresh crops from the north.They did get have several places in the south that could grow enough crops for the armies and the couth in general,but the north either captured them,put them under the torch,or caused havack and trouble in these areas.That is why Rosencrans wanted to take middle Tennessee,and why the Shenandoah Valley was so important.These were the bread baskets for the south.


Name:
_____Cullen Smith________________________________


Affliation/Knowledge Source:Waco Mess
"Company Aytch"
"Diary of a Confederate Soldiers"
"Cadet Gray and Butternut Brown"
"The Confederate Housewife"
"Rebel Cornbread and Yankee Coffee"
Articles from the Texas Groundhornets and the Salt River Rifles.

Good luck with your report.Hope this can help you some.