JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
We loved, and still love our coffee! This slightly prewar image entitled ' The Café ' combines exotic imagery ( and incomprehensively, a large fly ) with a coffee pot. It was an elegant past time fooling no one. Hooked. May as well be an opium den.
You know, if the North had been thinking clearly, the war could have been shortened quite a few years. The South endured shortages- women wore dresses threadbare, then hauled out spinning wheels. Medicine vanished- they went to the woods and fields for remedies of old, sugar and flour? Pfffttt. On it. One crochety theme running through the war, a necessity sought unsuccessfully? Coffee.
Even shopping for coffee was elegant. This looks a little 1870, by her dress but the well dressed past time of shopping for these items is advertised in era publications- this in New York.
Substitutes were inventively brewed, some cheerfully ( bravely ) toasted as successful, the South still not brought to surrender because chickory, dandelion and even heck, boiled egg shells and bark could be brown and hot. The Federals did not go far enough- get rid of everything brown and we could have ended that war in a month. We. Love. Coffee.
Love this somewhat botanical, slightly grumbly, patriotic article- mid-war. Who can blame them?
It begins well, and convincingly
Getting a little grumbly....
We used dandelion in salad, with a sweet bacon sauce. Still was awful so drinking it must have been worse.
You do feel for J.S.W. His embittered finale is almost convincing- We. Love. Coffee.