16 Civil War Recipes Made for Soldiers (2024)

FAQs

What was a typical meal for Civil War soldiers? ›

These rations allotted just over a pound of meat, likely beef or pork, just under a pound of "hard bread," and a small collection of dried vegetables. The most common form of hard bread, was called hard tack, a basic wheat biscuit that did not easily decay and could survive a rough march.

Gail Borden's invention of condensed milk was very helpful for the Union army. Soldiers would also regularly drink coffee, however it was not always entirely coffee beans. Dandelion root served as a supplement or Ersatz good when coffee beans were scarce.

During the Civil War, the Union Army had two types of rations: "marching rations" and "camp rations." Marching rations consisted of sixteen ounces of hard bread, also known as "hardtack"; twelve ounces of salt pork or twenty ounces of fresh meat; and sugar, coffee, and salt.

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, soldiers were given two meals a day. This was usually simple, slow-perishing food like salted pork or boiled beef, along with some bread.

Typical fare during the Civil War was very basic. Union soldiers were fed pork or beef, usually salted and boiled to extend the shelf life, coffee, sugar, salt, vinegar, and sometimes dried fruits and vegetables if they were in season.

During the Civil War one of the most common meals for soldiers was a cracker-like food called hardtack. Hardtack is made from flour, water, and salt.

A Union soldier's haversack would have contained salt pork, fresh or salted beef, coffee, sugar, salt, vinegar, dried fruit, and vegetables. And if in season, they might have fresh carrots, onions, turnips and potatoes.

M&M's candy was inspired by rations given to soldiers in Europe during World War II. From instant coffee to Cheetos, packaged cookies and energy bars, the U.S. military helped invent many of the snacks Americans love to eat.

The William Underwood Company of Boston became prominent, supplying canned food to expeditions and Civil War combatants.

The consumption of alcohol was relatively common among soldiers living in camp or stationed in large cities. Civil War surgeons typically only hospitalized soldiers for drunkenness if they were suffering severe effects. It was uncommon for a soldier to spend the night in a hospital ward for simply being drunk.

What did soldiers eat for breakfast? ›

Breakfast in the military often includes a variety of options such as:Eggs: Scrambled eggs or omelets. Breakfast meats: Bacon, sausage, or ham. Bread: Toast, biscuits, or rolls. Cereal: Individual cereal packets or oatmeal.Fruits: Fresh fruits when availab.

Coffee was also an essential part of a Civil War soldier's routine. They drank their coffee whenever they could, refueling themselves for the long days and nights ahead.

Some common foods eaten were eggs, bacon and bread, mutton, pork, potatoes, and rice. They drank milk and ate sugar and jam.

On the other side of the battlefield, the Continental Congress set the daily rations of the Continental Army soldiers at one pound of bread, half a pound of beef, and half a pound of pork (or one and one-quarter pound of beef, if no pork was available), one pint of milk, one quart of spruce or malt beer, and one gill ( ...

Free time was also spent in card games, reading, pitching horseshoes, or team sports such as the fledgling sport of baseball, a game which rapidly gained favor among northern troops. Rule booklets were widely distributed and the game soon became a favorite.

According to army regulations for daily camp rations, a Union soldier was entitled to receive 12 oz of pork or bacon or 1 lb. 4 oz of salt or fresh beef; 1 lb. 6 oz of soft bread or flour or 1 lb. of hard bread (hardtack), or 4 oz of cornmeal.

In the North, wheat bread was popular, while biscuits were the standard fare in the West and South. Pumpkin pie and mince pie were eaten in New England; raisin pie and apple pie in the West; and pecan pie, citrus fruit pie and sweet potato pie in the South.

THE FULL CAMPAIGN RATION OF THESE MEN IN THIS LITHOGRAPH IS ONE POUND OF HARDTACK, THREE-QUARTER POUNDS OF SALT PORK, OR ONE AND A QUARTER POUNDS OF FRESH MEAT, SALT, SUGAR, COFFEE. THIS EQUATES TO ROUGHLY 4000 CALORIES. YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE CALORIC INTAKE OF WHAT OUR MODERN TROOPS SHOULD BE GETTING. PER DAY.