Notes on Commissary Cooking and Equipment: 1861-65

O' Be Joyful

Sergeant Major
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While searching for more information on a particular item in a different thread I by chance stumbled upon this article and felt that it would be of interest here in the Food Forum. I did a search and could find no previous references to it.

It not only contains some very good information about "in camp" cooking for a large number of troops but also many excellent photos with some of those photos further isolated and blown-up for more detail. Many are obsessed with the the vision of soldiers always digging into their haversacks for a piece of hardtack or cooking "sloosh" around their bayonets, but for the most part the active or fighting commands were in camp until the concluding months of the war.

Ironically, I consider the conclusion to the piece to be more descriptive that its opening.

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Soldier's Rest, Alexandria, Va., commanded by Capt. John J. Hoff.(39)


Close-up of right-hand section of photo below.

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In case they run short, more dippers. Wooden buckets, coffee pots and mess pans all stand at attention. Judging by the size of the complex, you can understand their arsenal of equipment:

Notes on Commissary Cooking and Equipment: 1861-1865
By Cody J. Harding

Much focus has been placed on the study of how soldiers cooked and carried their rations. But the marching ration was an exception not the rule. As has often been discussed, campaigns were numerous for the Civil War soldier, but they were not commonplace. Consequently, many meals were consumed on the march or from the haversack. But most soldiers’ meals came from the cook and the commissary.

In examining the methods and tools of camp cooks and commissaries, similarities abound. Standardized equipment can be seen in Union Army units from Hilton Head to Brandy Station and often conform with government regulations. Circumstances or individual creativity may have provided unique opportunities, but common trends are on display in these images.

A lack of resources makes it difficult to draw similar conclusions for their Confederate counterparts. But the limited resources confirm that many trends spanned the picket line.

Through these images and documentary sources, the constant focus on consistency, accuracy and efficiency may come as a surprise. But these sources only show a glimpse into the government's task of feeding armies. Considering the cost and scope it is not surprising that soldiers employed scales, measuring tools and standardized equipment. It is also fitting that their officers devoted exhaustive energy and constant evaluation to perfecting their subsistence craft, all with an eye toward efficiency.


But for the soldier in the field, these were not his problems. All that likely mattered was the skill of his cook and the quality and quantity of his rations. In his handy 1862 guide, Sanderson provides his “Kitchen Philosophy” - applicable to both the casual and professional cook, whether in the army or the kitchen:

Remember that beans, badly boiled, kill more than bullets; and fat is more fatal than powder. In cooking, more than in anything else in this world, always make haste slowly. One hour too much is vastly better than five minutes too little, with rare exceptions. A big fire scorches your soup, burns your face, and crisps your temper. Skim, simmer, and scour, are the true secrets of good cooking.(84)
(This remains sound advice when in the kitchen to this day, OBJ)

https://www.libertyrifles.org/research/uniforms-equipment/commissary-cooking/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
View attachment 183965

While searching for more information on a particular item in a different thread I by chance stumbled upon this article and felt that it would be of interest here in the Food Forum. I did a search and could find no previous references to it.

It not only contains some very good information about "in camp" cooking for a large number of troops but also many excellent photos with some of those photos further isolated and blown-up for more detail. Many are obsessed with the the vision of soldiers always digging into their haversacks for a piece of hardtack or cooking "sloosh" around their bayonets, but for the most part the active or fighting commands were in camp until the concluding months of the war.

Ironically, I consider the conclusion to the piece to be more descriptive that its opening.

View attachment 183964
Soldier's Rest, Alexandria, Va., commanded by Capt. John J. Hoff.(39)


Close-up of right-hand section of photo below.

View attachment 183966

In case they run short, more dippers. Wooden buckets, coffee pots and mess pans all stand at attention. Judging by the size of the complex, you can understand their arsenal of equipment:

Notes on Commissary Cooking and Equipment: 1861-1865
By Cody J. Harding

Much focus has been placed on the study of how soldiers cooked and carried their rations. But the marching ration was an exception not the rule. As has often been discussed, campaigns were numerous for the Civil War soldier, but they were not commonplace. Consequently, many meals were consumed on the march or from the haversack. But most soldiers’ meals came from the cook and the commissary.

In examining the methods and tools of camp cooks and commissaries, similarities abound. Standardized equipment can be seen in Union Army units from Hilton Head to Brandy Station and often conform with government regulations. Circumstances or individual creativity may have provided unique opportunities, but common trends are on display in these images.

A lack of resources makes it difficult to draw similar conclusions for their Confederate counterparts. But the limited resources confirm that many trends spanned the picket line.

Through these images and documentary sources, the constant focus on consistency, accuracy and efficiency may come as a surprise. But these sources only show a glimpse into the government's task of feeding armies. Considering the cost and scope it is not surprising that soldiers employed scales, measuring tools and standardized equipment. It is also fitting that their officers devoted exhaustive energy and constant evaluation to perfecting their subsistence craft, all with an eye toward efficiency.


But for the soldier in the field, these were not his problems. All that likely mattered was the skill of his cook and the quality and quantity of his rations. In his handy 1862 guide, Sanderson provides his “Kitchen Philosophy” - applicable to both the casual and professional cook, whether in the army or the kitchen:

Remember that beans, badly boiled, kill more than bullets; and fat is more fatal than powder. In cooking, more than in anything else in this world, always make haste slowly. One hour too much is vastly better than five minutes too little, with rare exceptions. A big fire scorches your soup, burns your face, and crisps your temper. Skim, simmer, and scour, are the true secrets of good cooking.(84)
(This remains sound advice when in the kitchen to this day, OBJ)

https://www.libertyrifles.org/research/uniforms-equipment/commissary-cooking/
Sometimes I don’t think we give enough credit to those war time cooks, from the article it looks like they had a decent enough understanding of the problems that undercooked food and high fat content could cause to the soldiers health, I’m certain that they weren’t aware of high cholesterol but they must have understood something about fatty foods and the problems that it can cause. Also it’s worth remembering that a high number of fatalities during the CW came about through things like D&V so the comment about scouring is extremely important. The old saying of an army marches on its stomach has always been true, even the Roman army understood how important food was in maintaining an effective fighting force, the comparisons between the way in which civil war soldiers and roman soldiers were fed is strikingly similar, both used similar methods for cooking within the main camp and within marching camps. I think it’s fair to say that when we look at the history of any military, we often assume that most military forces improved the way in which they fed their men but that wasn’t always the case, I believe that the Romans managed to feed and supply their soldiers far better than the British did during the napoleonic wars and that soldiers (depending on which side you look at) of the civil war were fed far better than those of the napoleonic campaigns. I’ve read accounts of starving British and French soldiers eating raw or undercooked pork, some even seasoned their meat with gun powder. My point is that despite the high mortality rate from dysentery during the CW they were far more sophisticated in cooking food than a few other nations. Anyhow, that was a intresting article, thanks for posting.
 
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