Ice Cream raid?

[JerryD]

Was reading a history of the Civil War in Maryland and came across a story I had never heard before. Apparently when Ol' Jube during his Maryland Campaign sent General Bradly Johnson on a raid to release the prisoners at Point Lookout, Johnson's command when passing north of Baltimore ran across a railroad car filled with ice cream, which was promptly seized and issued to the troopers. According to the account I read most of the troops had never had ice cream before and filled their hats with the treat and were eating the ice cream out of their hats as they rode along. I just love that visual. And I didn't realize they had mass produced ice cream during the Civil War, but apparently the first ice cream factory was in Baltimore and was established in the 1850s.

 

[Sheltowee]

I too never realized there was mass produced ice cream, at this time. Thanks for the share.

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Ahhhh, very interesting. IMO there is only 1 flavor that counts, VANILLA. There are other good flavors BUT when they grow up, they want to be VANILLA. Now, what flavor were they eating from their hats? This is great to know. Now, when at a reenactment I can eat ice cream while lounging in camp. Summer reenactments just got a little better! My son will also be happy!

 

[Mike Serpa]

Drinking it out of a hat!?

Read about Jacob Fussell the man in Baltimore who turned excess milk into ice cream.

Ice Cream Field 1951-06: Vol 57 Iss 6 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Ice Cream Field 1951-06: Volume 57, Issue 6.Digitized from IA1532906-07.Previous issue: sim_dairy-industry-news_1951-05_57_5.Next issue:...

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[lupaglupa]

If the put it in their hats that would be proof they had not had it before. Can you imagine how those hats smelled in the hot sun after the soaked in ice cream melted?!

 

[LisaJ]

Pvt Spann Jeffers of the 7th SC Cavalry, camped near Chafin's Farm in July 1864, appeared to experience ice cream for the first time while on a one-day leave in Richmond. It was the first thing he mentioned in a letter to his sister:

SC Wayside Home, Richmond Va
July 11th 1864

Dear Sister Annie,

I came up today from camp on one days leave of absence to make a few purchases and get some Ice Cream. Henry spent a few days at the "Wayside Home" about a week ago and I suppose he has written you all about it. How well it is kept - how kind its manager and of how much benefit it is to the soldiers, both sick, wounded, and well. It is the rendezvous of all South Carolinians in Richmond. . . .

 

[JerryD]

If the put it in their hats that would be proof they had not had it before. Can you imagine how those hats smelled in the hot sun after the soaked in ice cream melted?!

I was thinking the exact same thing.... Keep in mind this was in July.

 

[nc native]

If this ice cream raid could have happened concurrently with Wade Hampton's Beef Steak raid later in the war, that would have the makings of a pretty good meal: Filet Mignon for a main course and ice cream for desert. Just throw in a raid to a local farm to pick up some produce for a salad and some lucky soldiers would be eating pretty well! Thanks for sharing this, I had never heard about the ice cream raid.

 

[SeaTurtle]

Too bad they didn't have any root beer. Could have made a float
Now that's a summer treat!

 

[LisaJ]

If this ice cream raid could have happened concurrently with Wade Hampton's Beef Steak raid later in the war, that would have the makings of a pretty good meal: Filet Mignon for a main course and ice cream for desert. Just throw in a raid to a local farm to pick up some produce for a salad and some lucky soldiers would be eating pretty well! Thanks for sharing this, I had never heard about the ice cream raid.

Haha - I don't know about Filet Mignon. My great uncle Spann (the same 20-year-old who loved his first taste of ice cream) wrote home soon after the great Beef Steal Raid:

Camp 7th So Ca Cav, Near "Deep Bottom"
September 25th 1864

Dear Henry,
. . . . We are making another attempt at "Big Hominy" this morning which promises to be successful. Yesterday we received some of Hamptons Beef as Rations and judging from its durable qualities we must have got hold of the "Father of the Flock." . . .

 

[John Hartwell]

From a letter to the Richmond Examiner (12 July), quoted widely in both Northern and Southern newspapers:

I find no other mention in period newspapers.
Overindulging in ice cream, with no other rations made, I expect, for some seriously upset tummies bouncing in the saddle.

Note, this was not related to today's well-known Painter's Ice Cream shops, which were founded in 1952.