Civil War Camp Cook Ware

PartywithArty

Sergeant Major
Joined
Oct 20, 2011
It was brought to my attention last night by my good friend Ted (tmh10) that we should have a thread on the camp cookware during the war. Its fairly easy to imagine what a soldier would have been issued but by mid war,just what exactly would a common foot soldier carry?Witch brings up another question,what type of cookware do reenactors need? I will give you a list of my cooking equipment i use at reenactments. I have 4 tin plates. 4 small tin cups,a small cooking pot with lid,last iron skillet,and a coffee pot. These items are stored in a period style wooden box under my fly.Im in an artillery unit,so camps full of wagons,big boxes and such are common. this practice may not be usefull for a foot soldier. My cooking set is not exactly authentic,but it does the job. The pot,coffee pot ,tin plates and cups look authentic,but the skillet is a modern one,but its a black cast iron one,so you would never know. Now i also carry a tin cup with a small piece of rope tied to the handel and i keep it looped over my cap box.I also keep my canteen on me annd i have a tin stamped spoon and fork from dixie gun works in my haversack. I use my pocket knife to cut my food. Thats another thing you need to have if you reenact, guys. A good sharp pocket knife, Smokey mountain knife works have cheep period knifes. And they hold up unlike the elchepos most sutlers are selling for a few bucks. What cooking wares do you use in camp?
 
cook ware* not cool ware...sorry guys.
Ha, I've had a typo on my title before as well. Can't fix them, so we will have a cool cook ware thread. I like it. I have a question. How about the use of a duch oven? I have a cast iron one that is great for cooking almost anything. In a camp situation you can throw it over the fire and even put coals on top of it. Click on the link for some good Duch Oven recipes.

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/dutch-oven-recipes.htm
 
Ha, I've had a typo on my title before as well. Can't fix them, so we will have a cool cook ware thread. I like it. I have a question. How about the use of a duch oven? I have a cast iron one that is great for cooking almost anything. In a camp situation you can throw it over the fire and even put coals on top of it. Click on the link for some good Duch Oven recipes.

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/dutch-oven-recipes.htm
I use a dutch oven quite regularly. We put bisquites and sutch in it.put coals on the lid and we put it right beside the fire. give it a half turn every once in a while to keep the inside heat even.
 
Here is one of the recipies from that site you will like J P.

Johnny-cake

4 cups sour milk 2 cups whole wheat flour
4 eggs; beaten 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter; melted 2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups cornmeal 1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt

In a large bowl mix together milk, eggs, and butter. In a separate bowl sift together cornmeal, flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time until well blended. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven and spread evenly.
Cover Dutch oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
NOTE: For even browning make sure to turn the oven and lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes.
Serve warm with honey butter.
Serves: 12-16
 
Here is one of the recipies from that site you will like J P.

Johnny-cake

4 cups sour milk 2 cups whole wheat flour
4 eggs; beaten 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter; melted 2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups cornmeal 1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt

In a large bowl mix together milk, eggs, and butter. In a separate bowl sift together cornmeal, flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time until well blended. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven and spread evenly.
Cover Dutch oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
NOTE: For even browning make sure to turn the oven and lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes.
Serve warm with honey butter.
Serves: 12-16
thanks Ted! Im gonna wright that down in my wifes cook book. I usually make them with pre made mix. lol i never thought of honey buter on em. Gosh that sounds good.
 
What was the most common type of fork used by troops during the War. Two, three, or four tines?
 
I have been told that the 4 prong fork came into being in the early 1870's. I have several sets of civil war period tableware and all are three prong. My sets are not military used but were used on the home fronts. I'm not saying that the 4 prong is wrong, but looking for input. Thanks.:D
 
No tinware was issued to federal or CS troops, they were to provide their own. This included tin cups, plates, & utensils. The 2 prong fork was most common because it was the most common fork. Stamped tin & steel forks & spoons were being mass produced and were readily available. Stamped tin plates, bowls & cups were being mass produced as well. Sutlers were selling combo knife, fork & spoon sets for a nickle or so and were readily available in a variety of models.

I own a plate, "cooler" (bowl) & tin cup that are direct copies of those carried by a member of the Iron Brigade.
 
http://www.hospitalityguild.com/History/history_of_the_fork.htm

Early table forks were modeled after kitchen forks; two fairly long and widely spaced tines ensured that meat would not twist while being cut. This style of fork was soundly designed, but small pieces of food regularly fell through the tines or slipped off easily. In late 17th Century France, larger forks with four curved tines were developed. The additional tines made diners less likely to drop food, and the curved tines served as a scoop so people did not have to constantly switch to a spoon while eating. By the early 19th Century, four-tined forks like the ones pictured to the left had also been developed in Germany and England and slowly began to spread to America.


http://www.taylorsbattery.com/mess_furniture.htm

The fork in America apparently evolved from the two-tine varieties to three tines, and finally the familiar four tines of today. Surviving specimens identified to Civil War soldiers of both sides clearly indicates that soldiers used utensils bearing two, three, or four tines between 1861-1865. Despite this fact, re-enacting circles have persistently regarded three-tine forks as more "correct." Forks had handles similar to knives, and were frequently available as sets. Like the knives, inlaid fork handles are a source of moderate controversy.



Captain John W. Deforest, Co. I, 12th Connecticut, indicated that perhaps spoons were not as necessary an item as Army Regulations described. He wrote in early 1863 that: "When mealtime comes I seize my tin cup, tin plate, knife and fork; I walk down to the cooking fire at the bottom of
the company street; I seat myself on a log, or a pumpkin, and devour the richness of the land."
 
Nathanb 1
http://www.taylorsbattery.com/mess_furniture.htm
Now THAT was a great find by you!

Here is what I use on the march, all carried on my person with no problem...

Camp cooking stuff.jpg

The can with a wire thru it is my boiler, great for being, well, a boiler! It's used to boil my coffee, or any beef, or vegetables I want to boil.

Kevin Dally
 
I have been told that the 4 prong fork came into being in the early 1870's. I have several sets of civil war period tableware and all are three prong. My sets are not military used but were used on the home fronts. I'm not saying that the 4 prong is wrong, but looking for input. Thanks.:D
could be.Im not sure on the dates. But im pretty sure the 4 prong was around,mabey not as popular though
 
Kevin, that frying pan looks just like the one my granddad carried with him from place to place as a traveling blacksmith in the early 1900's until I talked him out of it when he retired. It's still my favorite, and I have some very nice frying pans. It cooks everything from crepes to fried eggs to absolutely killer toasted bread!
 
IMG_0405.JPG
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This is what I carry in the field. The plate doubles as a frying pan, the small tin holds things like salt and peppercorns, maybe a chunk of ginger or garlic cloves what ever I can forage from local gardens or sutlers :wink:. The corked viel holds my molasses ration. Meat I cannot boil in my boiler or fry on my plate gets stuck on my ram rod, or bayonet and roasted over the fire.

And here is a picture of it in use.

525916_431372896895037_1727014181_n.jpg
 
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