Food
By : Madison Parker Food for the confederate soldiers during this time period of the civil war was very scarce. Unlike the union soldiers, the confederates didn't have sulter stores. These stores sold foods that were hard to come by like canned fruit, tobacco, and sugar, and coffee. The confederate soldiers had to rely on the generosity of the local farmers for items like that. This was just one of the many problems that the confederate soldiers faced during the fight against the union. Pictured on the left: A group of soldiers enjoying a meal together. |
Popular types of food for the southFoods ranged from good to almost inedible on the battle fields. Foods that were considered to be good in the south were cattle, pigs, and any kind of salted meat. A bland food on the battle field was hardtack. This is what most confederate soldiers relied on as their main food source. When the thin soldiers were desperate for food they would resort to eating horses, mules, and even rats. In this situation, if the soldiers had time, they went hunting for wild game or berries.
Pictured above: Berries soldiers would pick in their spare time. |
Confederate food conditionsDuring this time period it was clear that the soldiers lived with poor food conditions. The confederates lived off salted meats like salt pork. This meat that was often called bacon was a stinky pile of blue meat that was usually the neck or the organs of a cow. This meat smelled awful and would ruin the other foods the soldiers were carrying with them at the time.
Pictured above: Hardtack, a food that was common among confederate soldiers. |
Union food conditionsThe union soldiers lived a better life while at war. They had sulter stores which supplies fresh fruits. They also had corn and beans which were items only given to the side that was doing good. Along with those items they also had cornmeal, canned foods, and hardtack. The union soldiers were supplied with these better foods because of the industrial economies income. It was easier for them to ship goods in because they had the money for it.
Pictured above: A nicely made pan of cornmeal. |