Hard tack and coffee soldier's life in the civil war

Rations were meant to last up to three days, and soldiers on the move were reduced to 1620 ounces. Jim roberts takes care to draw out billings characteristic humor in his. To survive the harsh conditions in the civil war, simplicity was essential for war. This is a useful handbook for students and teachers as well as an intriguing introduction to the civil war. John billings describes all aspects of a soldier s life, including living quarters, foraging, wagon trains, offenses and punishments, equipment, transportation, food, hospitals, and much more. Originally published in 1888, hard tack and coffee is the fascinating account of the everyday life of a footsoldier in the u.

Aug 05, 2019 during the war, squares of hardtack were shipped to both the union and confederate armies, making it a staple part of a soldiers rations. Chicago, formerly a gallant soldier in the army of the cumberland, and in a quiet corner of. Throughout history, from antiquity to the present, service in the armed forces of ones country has provided an almost endless source of material to entertain and even enlighten listeners. How to make civil war era hardtack the art of manliness. In this sense, poorly prepared food that lacked in nutrition was another deadly aspect of camp life, in. Most histories of the civil war focus on battles and top brass. May contain limited notes, underlining or highlighting that does affect the text. Billings not only presents his own experiences but also describes what he learns from other soldiers.

Billings was a veteran of the 10th massachusetts volunteer artillery battery in the american civil war. Typically made 6 months beforehand, it was as hard as a rock when it actually got to the troops. For many soldiers, they complained that the hardtack was not very filling and that it was so hard that it was almost impossible to eat. Hardtack, a staple for men in the field, was a brutally hard cracker as issued, dangerous to the teeth, exhausting to the jaw. Or, the unwritten story of army life, including chapters on enlisting, life in tents and log huts, jonahs and beats, offences and punishments, raw recruits, foraging, corps and corps badges, the wagon trains, the army mule, the engineering corps, the signal corps, etc. Civil war soldiers messhardtack how much delicious hard tack could you get in the civil war. Here, a sample of hardtack is pictured from the dunn county historical society. Hardtack and coffee provides an excellent picture of army life in the midnineteenth century. Billings was a veteran of the 10th massachusetts volunteer light artillery battery in the american civil war.

John billings describes all aspects of a soldier s life, including living quarters, foraging, wagon trains, offenses and punishments, equipment, transportation, food, hospitals, and much. Lincoln financial foundation collectionflickr the commons the u. See more ideas about civil war, war, american civil war. Originally published in 1888, hard tack and coffee is the fascinating account of the everyday life of a footsoldier in the us army of one hundred years ago. Billings attended a reunion of civil war veterans in 1881 that brought together a group of survivors whose memories and stories of the war compelled him to write this account. Billings of massachusetts enlisted in the army of the potomac and curvived the conditions he recorded.

Soldiers with the union army drink coffee from tin cups and eat hardtack biscuits during the american civil war. The book is noteworthy as it covers the details of regular soldier life, and as such has become a valuable resource for civil war reenactors. A soldiers meal consisted of a few things such as coffee, meat and. As the war dragged on, the soldiers life was one of nearconstant hardship and. Sep 21, 2012 typical fare during the civil war was very basic. Hard tack and coffee was written about 23 years after the events in the civil war. Spine creases, wear to binding and pages from reading. The work of photographers such as matthew brady, alexander gardner and george cook caused sensation at the time bringing the reality of the civil war to the public. Believing they will do this, and that these pages will appeal to a large number to whom the civil war is yet something more than a myth, they. The unwritten story of army life is a memoir by john d. Jul 25, 2019 after the civil war, while america was focused on reconstruction rather than exploration and decreasing the size of the army, hardtack didnt have much use. Hardtack was an essential part of a soldiers life, bruce gardow writes. Hardtack was an essential part of a soldier s life, bruce gardow writes. The author served with the army of the potomac during the civil war.

Billings and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. She has expressed gratitude to the friends of civil war. The reasons for this were simple, bad hygiene, overcrowded army camps, bad water, bad food, and lack of proper sanitation. Only a tiny fraction of any soldiers time was spent in front line combat. A soldiers life during the us civil war the invention of photography in the 1830s meant the american civil war could be captured on film. Billings hard tack and coffee first hit the bestseller list way back in 1888, and has ever since been considered by historians to be a peerless source of information about the humdrum lives of soldiers fighting in one of the most brutal periods of conflict in us history. Rations were meant to last up to three days, and soldiers on the move were reduced to 1620 ounces of salted meat, approximately 20 ounces of bread. That history, to date, is a history of battles, of campaigns and of generals. Coffee was one of the most cherished items in the ration, wrote bell irvin wiley in his classic the life of billy yank, published in 1952. In full faith that such is the case, they are now presented to veterans, their children, and the public as an important contribution of warp to the more majestic woof which comprises the history of the great civil war already written. What was a soldiers life like during the civil war. Soldiers life in the civil war by john billings 2004, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Union soldiers were fed pork or beef, usually salted and boiled to extend the shelf life, coffee, sugar, salt, vinegar, and sometimes dried fruits.

Civil war disease and sickness were the biggest killers during the war. Possible ex library copy, will have the markings and stickers associated from the library. After the civil war, while america was focused on reconstruction rather than exploration and decreasing the size of the army, hardtack didnt have much use. Of course, in the civil war, they had excellent reason to complain. John billings describes all aspects of a soldiers life, including living quarters, foraging, wagon trains, offenses and punishments, equipment, transportation, food, hospitals, and. First published more than 100 years ago, hardtack and coffee is john billings absorbing firstperson account of the everyday life of a u.

Or, the unwritten story of army life, including chapters on enlisting, life in tents and log huts, jonahs and beats, offences and. While hardtack was universally cheered as an ideal food source for the soldiers of the civil war, it was not without its detractors. First published more than 100 years ago, hard tack and coffee is john billings absorbing account of the everyday life of a us army soldier during the civil war. Hard tack and coffee, originally published in 1888, describes the everyday life of the foot soldier in great detail. It was briefly seen again during the spanishamerican war at the end of the 19th century, though theodore roosevelt said that the humid, moist cuban environment often turned the. Originally published in 1888, hard tack and coffee quickly became a best seller, and is now considered one of the most important books written by a civil war veteran. During the war, squares of hardtack were shipped to both the union and confederate armies, making it a staple part of a soldiers rations. Full text of hardtack and coffee, or, the unwritten story. Mundane as it is, lacking the glamour or excitement of a cavalry charge, an artillery duel or even a good old infantry brawl, the subject of the food supplies both armies issued to their troops is an important one nevertheless. Hardtack and coffee is one of the few to give a vivid, detailed picture of what ordinary soldiers endured every dayin camp, on the march, at the edge of a booming, smoking hell. Even if crumbled in coffee or fried in grease, it wasnt exactly tasty. John billings describes all aspects of a soldiers life, including living quarters, foraging, wagon trains, offenses and punishments, equipment, transportation, food, hospitals, and much.

Hard tack and coffee downloadable audiobook columbus. Soldiers life in the civil war by john billings 2004, hardcover at the best. Once in the ranks, military life turned out to be far different than what the majority of civil war soldiers had. John billings describes all aspects of a soldiers life, including living quarters, foraging, wagon trains, offenses and punishments, equipment, transportation, food, hospitals, and much more. Military life has usually been a unique and peculiar experience for most civilians exposed to it.

Coffee, by contrast, tended to hold up well in a soldiers pack and was appreciated whenever it could be consumed. Hardtack and coffee or, the unwritten story of army life. While civil war surgeons had a basic understanding of the importance of fresh produce and nonfried foods, it was difficult to provide regulated meals that were sufficient in providing all of the necessary aspects of a healthy diet. It is written by a person who would know the material best, a genuine civil war soldier.

A soldiers life what life was like for the civil war soldier in camp and battlefield 2. Usually infested by weevils larva and grubs, they invented many ways to eat these rocks, jawbreakers, worm castles, digestible leather, angel cakes, tooth dullers and. The experience of combat in the american civil war. Hardtack and coffee is one of the few to give a vivid, detailed picture of what ordinary soldiers. Originally published in 1888, hard tack and coffee is the fascinating account of the everyday life of a foot soldier in the u. More men died from disease than from any other cause combined during the civil war. Apr 29, 2020 things related to the war between the states. Instead, the vast majority of his existence revolved around the monotonous routines of camp life, which presented its own set of struggles and hardships. Hardtack and coffee or, the unwritten story of army life by john. Hello everybody, forgive me if someone else has already posted a thread covering this topic but i couldnt find one on the thread search. Civil war was the first major conflict in which coffee figured in a big way in the lives of fighting menso much so that union cavalryman ebenezer nelson gilpin.

Civil war culture in americaboth north and southwas greatly distinct from life in the antebellum years. Originally published in 1888, this book is an excellent introduction to the real soldiers life during the civil war. A soldier s life during the us civil war the invention of photography in the 1830s meant the american civil war could be captured on film. Apr 01, 2020 soldiers with the union army drink coffee from tin cups and eat hardtack biscuits during the american civil war. These two are pretty much the mustread classic memoirs, one union and one confederate. Aug 31, 2018 on the battlefield, things were even bleaker. Hard tack and coffee fairfax county public library.