NCO Mess, Company D, 93rd NY Infantry, Bealeton, VA, August 1863      

 Napoleon Bonaparte once remarked that "an army fights on its stomach." So why are we discussing Civil War rations and foraging on a blog that deals with saving money during tough economic times?

Because Civil War soldiers had to forage for much of their food and their basic rations had changed little since the Revolutionary War. Basic  foodstuffs were all that the men were issued. This post will include some money saving Civil War recipies, but I'm going to devote a few paragraphs to the history of U.S. military rations until the development of the C-Ration and MCI.

From Army.mil:  " From its founding in 1775 until the Spanish-American War, it was expected that a soldier was to forage for part of his daily subsistence if not supplied properly. As warfare progressed from the static trench warfare of World War I to the mechanized warfare of World War II, the U.S. Army subsistence supply system underwent radical change.

After participation in World War I, the U.S. Army, although recognizing the problem it had with supplying its soldiers with a palatable reserve ration during combat, did scant research and development to prepare for its next major conflict. While efforts by the Quartermaster Corps to revise the reserve ration were successful in 1920 and 1925, the U.S. Army could not foresee how drastically air and ground transportation would alter how warfare was waged in the future and, therefore, how the use of rations in combat would be forever changed.

Until the 1930s, the U.S. Army worked under the premise that reserve or emergency rations would be eaten for only a few days at a time while the frontlines shifted infrequently. By 1936, advances in technology and transportation as well as rising tensions in Europe caused the Quartermaster Corps to rethink and update its beliefs. First, advancements in canning and packaging would alter how well and how long a ration could be kept in various climates and environments. Second, advancements in aerial observation would limit the capabilities of massive convoys to re-supply the troops. This caused a corresponding change from the concept of the bulky 25-man ration kits of World War I to the individually carried rations. Third, rapid forward movement of units would create situations, in which, supply lines could take days or weeks to advance to the front lines. Finally, if supplies did not make it to the front lines, then rations would have to be palatable and nutritious, not only to maintain physical efficiency but morale as well.

From 1936 to 1939, the U.S. Army Subsistence Research Laboratory researched and developed many new concepts. Even though the U.S. Army recognized the need for a new ration, only $300 was allocated for its research in 1938. Initially, the ration was envisioned to have eight to ten different mixed meat and vegetable components with three different types of bread. Because of procurement problems, the final product had three mixed meat and vegetable components and one type of cracker (biscuit).

On November 1, 1939, the U.S. Army announced the adoption of the field ration with the new nomenclature of Field Ration Type “C.” While initial field testing of Field Ration C in the maneuvers of the Third and Fourth Armies in 1940 was not entirely encouraging, the Subsistence Laboratory continued to make favorable changes to the C ration throughout the next ten years until it was replaced with the Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) in 1958. Since the two rations were similar, soldiers continued to call them “C” rations."

                                             1971  MCI "C-Rations"

    Hardtack was issued by the Union army and was basically a hard biscuit. One common recipe of the era was to soften the hardtack in water and mix it with some bacon grease. Here is the recipe for hardtack:

      2 cups of flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon of Crisco or vegetable fat
6 pinches of salt 

Mix the ingredients together into a stiff batter, knead several times, and spread the dough out flat to a thickness of 1/2 inch on a non-greased cookie sheet. Bake for one-half an hour at 400 degrees. Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four rows of holes, four holes per row into the dough. Turn dough over, return to the oven and bake another one-half hour. Turn oven off and leave the door closed. Leave the hardtack in the oven until cool.

The Confederates had their version, which was much more tasty, known as "Johnny Cakes". That recipe is as follows:

two cups of cornmeal
2/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Mix ingredients into a stiff batter and form eight biscuit-sized "dodgers". Bake on a lightly greased sheet at 350 degrees for twenty to twenty five minutes or until brown. Or, spoon the batter into hot cooking oil in a frying pan over a low flame. Remove the corn dodgers and let cool on a paper towel, spread with a little butter or molasses.

The next recipies come from "The Civil War Cookbook" by William C. Davis. A relatively common meal in the South when food was scarce was a dish known as Artificial Oysters. Its recipe is as follows:

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 cups whole kernel corn

Beat eggs and add flour gradually, mixing until smooth. Add the seasoning and corn, mix well. Spearate the mixture into balls and make into an oyster shape. Skillet fry until brown and done.

The next recipe is Rabbit Stew. If you can't get rabbit you can substitute a 2-3 lb fryer chicken. You need:

1 rabbit or chicken dressed and cut into pieces.

1/4 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

about 4 tblsp butter

2 medium onions

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped potatos

whatever herbs you have available that you like

Mix flour and seasoning together and coat the rabbit/chicken. Melt butter in skillet and fry the rabbit/chicken until brown. Put meat in a large pan and add the onion, carrot and potato. Cover with water and season with salt, pepper and herbs. Cover and cook at 375 for about an hour to an hour and a half. Feeds 2-3.

This next recipe is for Hash. You will need:

3 tblsp butter

about a pound of cubed or ground beef

one large onion

one pound of diced and cooked potatos

salt, pepper and a bit of water

Heat the butter and fry the beef and onion until the beef is browned through. Add the cooked potatos, salt and pepper. Add just enough water to make a pliable mixture and stir, breaking up the taters. Form the mixture into balls and flatten to about one inch thick. Fry until golden brown on both sides.

Admittedly, these recipes are somewhat bland, but if your money is scarce and the main issue is keeping your family alive, you have to do what you have to do. Besides, there is nothing wrong with some bland food now and again, as long as it's made with love. (Also, it's usually the simple foods that taste the best anyway.)