Milly Gaines
The diet of a Civil War soldier was poor in quality, monotonous, and in small supply. Food was cooked over an open campfire in a cast-iron skillet or kettle, and soldiers were responsible for cooking their own meals. The primary ingredients available to soldiers were salted meat and canned goods, with cornbread being a staple of their daily diet. Soldiers often grouped together to combine and share rations, with one soldier selected as the cook.
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Rations
According to the Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861, the daily rations for an enlisted Union soldier included:
- 12 ounces of pork or bacon, or 1 pound 4 ounces of fresh or salt beef
- 1 pound 6 ounces of soft bread or flour, or 1 pound 4 ounces of cornmeal, or 1 pound of hardtack (a hard, unsavoury cracker-like biscuit)
- 10 pounds of green coffee, or 8 pounds of roasted (or roasted and ground) coffee beans, or 1 pound 8 ounces of tea
- Fresh potatoes, beans, peas, rice, or hominy, which could be substituted with desiccated compressed potatoes or mixed vegetables
When on the march, the "short" ration consisted of:
- 1 pound of hardtack
- 3/4 pound of salt pork or 1/4 pound of fresh meat
- 1 ounce of coffee
- 3 ounces of sugar
- Salt
Confederate soldiers' diets were considerably different and usually in much less quantity. They often didn't receive much food, especially as the war dragged on, and their rations mostly consisted of bacon, cornmeal, molasses, peas, tobacco, vegetables, and rice. They also received a coffee substitute, which was not as desirable as the real coffee that Union soldiers had. Confederate soldiers often missed coffee and used substitutes such as corn kernels, dried apples, and acorns, with the best equivalent found to be wild chicory root.
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Meat and health
During the American Civil War, soldiers' diets consisted of a variety of foods, including meat, cornbread, peanuts, and coffee. While the nutritional value of their meals might have been deficient by modern standards, meat, which was a significant part of their diet, offered several health benefits that are still recognized today.
Meat, especially red meat, is a nutrient-dense food that provides high-quality protein and a range of essential micronutrients. It is a good source of bioavailable heme iron, which is important for preventing anemia and ensuring proper oxygen transport in the body. Additionally, red meat contains zinc, which supports the immune system and aids in wound healing, and vitamin B12, which is crucial for maintaining healthy nerve and blood cells.
The inclusion of lean red meat in one's diet can have positive health impacts. For example, obese individuals who consume a Mediterranean diet that includes lean beef or pork experience a more significant decrease in LDL and total cholesterol levels compared to those who consume an equivalent amount of lean poultry. This suggests that the specific type of animal-source food can make a difference in health outcomes.
However, it is worth noting that the soldiers' overall health was influenced by factors beyond the presence of meat in their diet. The lack of trained cooks, improper food preparation, and the potential for food to become infested with insects all contributed to disease and discomfort among the troops.
In the 19th century, the understanding of nutrition and health was quite different from what we know today. People in the 1800s prioritized filling foods, such as dairy, meat, hominy, oatmeal, and sugar. Vegetables, on the other hand, were considered unhealthy and unwholesome, with vitamins yet to be fully appreciated. Spices were even thought to cause indigestion and were frowned upon.
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Scurvy prevention
Scurvy was a common problem for soldiers during the Civil War. It was known that the disease could be prevented by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, but these were often in short supply. Soldiers' diets consisted largely of salted meat, beans, coffee, and hardtack, which was a type of hard bread made from flour and water. This monotonous and unvaried diet led to vitamin deficiencies, which caused scurvy and other health issues.
To combat this, the government provided desiccated vegetables, which were canned, compressed, and mixed vegetables that could be easily transported and stored. These included string beans, turnips, carrots, beets, and onions. However, soldiers often refused to eat them due to their unpleasant taste.
In addition to desiccated vegetables, small quantities of fresh or dried fruits and vegetables were sometimes issued to soldiers to prevent scurvy. These included onions, dried apples or peaches, pickles, or sauerkraut. Soldiers also supplemented their diets by foraging or raiding, receiving food packages from their families, or purchasing from sutlers.
Volunteer nurses and civilians on the home front also played a crucial role in scurvy prevention by collecting and sending fresh fruits and vegetables to the soldiers. Abraham Lincoln and poet Walt Whitman, who volunteered at a hospital, often brought gifts of fresh fruit to the soldiers.
Overall, while scurvy prevention was a priority during the Civil War, the lack of fresh produce and the poor quality of army rations made it challenging to effectively prevent this disease among soldiers.
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Cooking methods
The cooking methods employed by Civil War soldiers were often basic and dependent on the resources available. Soldiers were responsible for their own cooking, and food preparation methods could vary based on individual preferences and the available provisions.
One common cooking method was frying. Soldiers would fry bacon and add water with cornmeal to make "coosh," especially when they had little time during marches. They also fried hardtack in bacon grease, and roasted meat on sticks. Soldiers would also boil coffee in tin cups, and sometimes boil meat in pots over an open flame or campfire.
Union soldiers of the North received supervision from the United States Sanitary Commission, which focused on providing reliable food supplies rather than on flavour or variety. The Sanitary Commission also provided training on food preservation, storage, and determining seasonal availability.
Soldiers often softened hardtack by crumbling it into their coffee, soup, or milk. They also toasted hardtack over coals, fried it in bacon grease, or beat it into a powder to make griddle cakes.
In addition to cooking, soldiers would also supplement their diets by foraging or raiding, receiving food packages from family, or purchasing from sutlers.
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Confederate vs Union diets
Confederate and Union soldiers during the American Civil War had to endure a diet that was often deficient by modern nutritional standards. The scarcity of food was felt more acutely in the South, with Confederate soldiers often having to live off the land and facing shortages due to successful Union blockades.
Confederate Diet
Confederate soldiers' diets were largely dependent on what they could forage from the land, with cornbread, green corn, and apples forming a significant part of their sustenance. They also consumed "coosh", a dish made by frying bacon and adding cornmeal and water, and Johnnie Cakes, a type of cornbread made from cornmeal flour. The Confederate army also received rations, which included items like salt pork, a staple food for armies since the 16th century due to its longevity, and hardtack, a coarse, dry, and largely tasteless food that was more appreciated by Confederate soldiers when captured from Union forces. Confederate soldiers also received items like molasses, which was used as a sweetener, and small quantities of onions, dried apples, or peaches to prevent scurvy. However, the distribution of rations was hampered by a lack of coordination and infighting within the Confederate army.
Union Diet
Union soldiers' diets were managed by the Subsistence Department, which was responsible for purchasing, storing, and distributing rations. The daily rations for enlisted Union soldiers, according to the Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861, included 12 ounces of pork or bacon, or 1 pound 4 ounces of fresh or salt beef, and a variety of bread, flour, cornmeal, or hardtack. They also received substantial amounts of coffee or tea, with the option to substitute fresh vegetables with desiccated compressed potatoes or mixed vegetables. On the march, Union soldiers received a "short" ration that included hardtack, salt pork or fresh meat, coffee, sugar, and salt.
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Frequently asked questions
A typical meal for a Civil War soldier would be salted pork sliced over hardtack with coffee boiled in a tin cup. Soldiers would often soften the hardtack by soaking it in water or coffee.
The quality of food was generally poor and monotonous. A Tennessee soldier stated: "Sometimes we had a good meal, but generally we…had to buckle up our belts to find whether we possessed stomachs".
Food was cooked over an open campfire in a cast-iron skillet or kettle, or on a spit.
Yes, soldiers were responsible for their own cooking, often in small mess groups.
Food often became infested with insects, especially rice or grain weevils. Meat was also always in short supply and was often consumed raw, leading to health issues.
