Republican Blues
2nd Lieutenant
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2010
- Location
- on the Savannah Station..
Let me clarify my comments on Rock Candy:
Rock candy, or candied sugar, or crystallized sugar is one of the oldest forms of candy, and can be traced back to India and what is now Iran as early as the 9th Century. It is a perfectly authentic candy.
This is one of the statements I take issue with. It may have been sold by sutlers, and shipped to the soldiers in care packages from home, sutlers were usually far behind the lines, and often were not even with the Army during active campaigning. The comment quoted above makes it sound as if there were vendors (ala modern sporting events) running around yelling 'get your rock candy here'. Justification for the quote being
Just doesnt hold water. Visitor Centers at battlefields are there for a reason. Interpret the events on the field, hopefully a small museum, and then the gift shop. The pupose of the Book/Gift shop is to make money, pure and simple. Thusly, not everything there is 100% authentic, and is often not even period correct, but touristy items meant more for kids than for serious historians. Yes they have wonderful books, and I have hit up the Kennesaw VC many times for some good volumes. But a battlefield visitor center does not a period correct vendor make.
Using the inventory of a battlefield visitor center does not justify an item. Research does. Rock candy would not be amiss in a box from home, and would be quite correct for a soldier to have. but to claim it was hawked at every major battle is going far afield.
Rock candy, or candied sugar, or crystallized sugar is one of the oldest forms of candy, and can be traced back to India and what is now Iran as early as the 9th Century. It is a perfectly authentic candy.
Rock Candy would have been sold at every major battle by hucksters.
This is one of the statements I take issue with. It may have been sold by sutlers, and shipped to the soldiers in care packages from home, sutlers were usually far behind the lines, and often were not even with the Army during active campaigning. The comment quoted above makes it sound as if there were vendors (ala modern sporting events) running around yelling 'get your rock candy here'. Justification for the quote being
All the visitor centers sell it.
Just doesnt hold water. Visitor Centers at battlefields are there for a reason. Interpret the events on the field, hopefully a small museum, and then the gift shop. The pupose of the Book/Gift shop is to make money, pure and simple. Thusly, not everything there is 100% authentic, and is often not even period correct, but touristy items meant more for kids than for serious historians. Yes they have wonderful books, and I have hit up the Kennesaw VC many times for some good volumes. But a battlefield visitor center does not a period correct vendor make.
Using the inventory of a battlefield visitor center does not justify an item. Research does. Rock candy would not be amiss in a box from home, and would be quite correct for a soldier to have. but to claim it was hawked at every major battle is going far afield.