Hardtack
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. It could last a long time- there is even hard tack from the Civil War in the museum at Manassas National Battlefield Park today! Soldiers really didn’t like eating hardtack. It was known as “sheet iron crackers” or “tooth duller” because it was so hard. It also was known for getting wet, which allowed mold to grow in the boxes of it that were supplied to the Army. In addition, insects would sometimes lay their eggs in the hard tack giving it the nickname, “worm castles.” Hardtack was important for the men to eat- it gave them energy they needed, and it was a big piece of their diet- so they tried to find all kinds of different ways to eat it.
Commonly, soldiers would soften their hardtack in coffee. This also was also a way to help kill the little maggots and worms that lived inside of it, allowing soldiers to skim them off of the top of the coffee. They would also break up the hardtack with the butt (the back part) of their rifles and throw it in soups such as a stew called “lobscouse,” which also included soldiers’ rations of salt pork (which was preserved with salt to make it last a long time too), and any other things they could find to add to it. They also would soak hardtack in water and fry it in bacon fat or lard (animal fat) to make something they called “skillygalee.” If a soldier could afford to spend some of their monthly pay, they might buy ingredients from a sutler, a merchant who sold goods to encamped soldiers. For example, soldiers would sometimes mix hardtack with a can of condensed milk they bought from a sutler. However, sutlers often charged a lot of money for their supplies, so many men could not afford to pay for these goods because their money was needed to support their families back at home. Men sometimes would also forage, or look around an area, for additional ingredients that could be eaten with their hardtack.
The Confederates did not always have hardtack, because it was made from wheat flour, and wheat was not widely grown in most Confederate states, aside from Virginia and Georgia. The Confederates instead relied on two crops they grew to make their bread: corn and rice. In particular, they used corn to make something similar to hardtack that was known as “corn dodgers” or “Johnny cakes.” This was a mixture of cornmeal, salt, and water cooked until it was just as dry and hard as the hardtack. Soldiers might try to make them taste a better too! They would use whatever grease or fat they could find and fry their Johnny cakes with it to make something they called “cush” or “slosh.” People ate Johnny cakes before the Civil War and they still do today. However, recipes from before and after the war add ingredients that a Confederate soldier might not have had access to- like milk, sugar, and baking soda (see recipe below.)
FAQs
Hardtack is made from flour, water, and salt. It could last a long time- there is even hard tack from the Civil War in the museum at Manassas National Battlefield Park today! Soldiers really didn't like eating hardtack. It was known as “sheet iron crackers” or “tooth duller” because it was so hard.
What happened at Manassas National Battlefield Park? ›
On July 21, 1861, two armies clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Bull Run. Heavy fighting swept away any notion of a quick war. In August 1862, Union and Confederate armies converged for a second time on the plains of Manassas.
Why is Manassas National Battlefield Park important? ›
Established in 1940, Manassas National Battlefield Park preserves over 5,000 acres of Virginia countryside and the site of some of the bloodiest fighting in the American Civil War.
Why did hardtack have worms? ›
Hardtack often arrived at a Union camp riddled with worms if it had been carelessly stored. Davis said it was often left out in the open in huge piles, where flies and other insects would lay eggs. By the time a soldier got his allotment, chances were good that it was wormy.
What caused the Civil War US National Park Service? ›
What caused the Civil War? A number of issues ignited the Civil War: states' rights, the role of the federal government, the preservation of the Union, the economy; but all were inextricably bound to the institution of slavery.
Why is Manassas important in the Civil War? ›
Most important, the Manassas Gap Railroad gave the Confederates an advantage because it connected Beauregard with the 11,000 Confederates of the Army of the Shenandoah under General Joseph E. Johnston in the Shenandoah Valley.
How many soldiers died at Manassas Battlefield? ›
Manassas was the first major battle on American soil since the War of 1812. The Union Army had 35,000 soldiers: 1,011 wounded, 481 killed, and 1,216 missing;[1] while the Confederates had 29,188 soldiers[2] with 1,582 wounded, 387 killed, and 13 missing.
Is Civil War hardtack still edible? ›
Creative cooks would use them to thicken soups or grind them up for cereal or flour. But the upside of hardtack is that it can be eaten after years and years of sitting on a shelf. Hardtack rations from the American Civil War are still edible, even if they don't taste great.
How long can you survive on hardtack? ›
Historically Soldiers were known to survive for months on end, almost entirely on Hardtack. However, cases of scurvy were reported due to a lack of vitamin C. Though it has extremely old origins, today's Hardtack is still extremely simple and hardy, making them perfect emergency survival food.
Did Civil War soldiers eat hardtack? ›
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. It could last a long time- there is even hard tack from the Civil War in the museum at Manassas National Battlefield Park today!
COMMEMORATING CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA BATTLEFIELDS
The effort to preserve the battlefields at Chickamauga and Chattanooga began more than ten years before Congress created the national military park.
How many people died in the Civil War National Park Service? ›
The toll of more than a million casualties, 620,000 of them dead, was far greater than in any other war this country has fought. The 620,000 dead were 2 percent of the total American population (North and South) in 1861.
What triggered the Civil War to start? ›
For more than 80 years, people in the Northern and Southern states had been debating the issues that ultimately led to war: economic policies and practices, cultural values, the extent and reach of the Federal government, and, most importantly, the role of slavery within American society.
What happened at Bull Run Manassas? ›
The First Battle of Bull Run (called First Manassas in the South) cost some 3,000 Union casualties, compared with 1,750 for the Confederates. Its outcome sent northerners who had expected a quick, decisive victory reeling, and gave rejoicing southerners a false hope that they themselves could pull off a swift victory.
What is the history of Manassas Park Virginia? ›
Manassas Park was a campsite area for Confederate soldiers who fought in the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (Manassas). The road to Manassas Park becoming an independent city started in 1955 when the first homes were built as a subdivision in Prince William County.
Who was the Union general at Bull Run? ›
Object Details. The First Battle of Bull's Run (also known as First Manassas) was the first major land battle of the Civil War. On July 21, 1861, the Union army, commanded by General Irvin McDowell engaged the forces of Confederate general, P.G.T. Beauregard, 25 miles southwest of the Capital.
