I would also recommend "A Taste for War" by William C. Davis. I found it in my local library but its on Amazon and a variety of book vendors
I would also recommend "A Taste for War" by William C. Davis. I found it in my local library but its on Amazon and a variety of book vendors
Ross L. Lamoreaux
Tampa Bay History Center
www.tampabayhistorycenter.org
"The simplest things, done well, can carry a huge impact" - Karin Timour, 2012
Unfortunately, due to management dissing the Union, Twinkies are no more.
Roll Tide, Go Vandy, and may Hostess rule the day!
Robert Orrand
Forrest Camp #215, SCV
Mayor of Dover, Little York, Purdy, Raymond, Ringgold - and now, Gettysburg
4th TN CSA - Co A - Shelby Greys
Thank you all for the replys. As I am new to reenacting I am trying to learn as much as I can.
All the sources you guys recommend in this post were great.
Thank you again.
In considering salt pork, unfortunately no one currently makes salt pork of the type that was available during the civil war. If my memory serves me correctly, there were five different grades and "military" was a middling quality. I believe the proportion of fat to lean was the determining factor with the higher grades having more lean. And the hogs and hogs' diet were different from today with the hogs having more fat.
That said, bacon or country ham could serve as an alternative. There certainly was enough issued and, even if not officially issued, a midnight requisition on a smokehouse could get cured pork products.
Michael Mescher
That's true, though it's one thing that's pretty easy to make at home in small quantities. There's another current thread on how to do it I think, but one just has to buy a cut of pork--any cut, since as you say there were various grades, so maybe you got lucky this time rations were issued or maybe not--rub it with lots of pickling salt, cover it in a container with more pickling salt and water, stick it in the refrigerator, stir it every few days till it gets that nice gray color, and in a couple weeks it's ready.Originally Posted by mmescher
Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com
I was introduced to Scott Hams by the late Charles Heath some years ago as being one of the few entities out there preparing bacon in a period manner. It has become a regular fixture of my ration issues.
John Spain
4th Tennessee Infantry, C.S.A. / 25th Indiana Infantry, U.S.A.
Bitter Brothers Mess
Jeff Davis Independent Guard
"JWNW"
Thanks for the link, John.
Would their Whole Ham be a good period type of cured ham?
http://www.scotthams.com/ham.html
Or perhaps their slab bacon?
Steve
Steve Sheldon
Their slab bacon is the gold standard by which all others are measured. Nice folks. Good product. Timely shipped. You cannot go wrong with Scott Hams.
Silas Tackitt
"While the original battle [Gettysburg] may arguably be considered the epicenter of the history of the war, the GAC reenactment is not the epicenter of the hobby. To confuse or equate the two is unfortunate. - Bernard Biederman, 6 July 2012
"Authenticity conflicts occur when reenactors from one end of the spectrum attend events at the other end of the spectrum then try to impose their own standards instead of event standards."
[QUOTE I believe the proportion of fat to lean was the determining factor with the higher grades having more lean. And the hogs and hogs' diet were different from today with the hogs having more fat.QUOTE]
Are you saying hogs are fatter today, or 150 years ago?
Sorry! That was a bit confusing. The pigs of the civil war period would have had more fat. That is one reason why you have to be very careful cooking pork now so it isn't cooked too dry.
Michael Mescher
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