What food did the soldiers had in the American civil war?

Question

Any food beside water lol

Answer 1

Feeding the troops was the responsibility of the Commissary Department, and both the Union and Confederacy had one. The job of this organization was to purchase food for the armies, store it until it could be used, and then supply the soldiers. It was difficult to supply so many men in so many places and the North had a greater advantage in their commissary system was already established at the outbreak of the war, while the Confederacy struggled for many years to obtain food and then get it to their armies. Choices of what to give the troops was limited as they did not have the conveniences to preserve food like we have today. Meats were salted or smoked while other items such as fruits and vegetables were dried or canned. They did not understand proper nutrition so often there was a lack of certain foods necessary for good health. Each side did what they could to provide the basics for the soldiers to survive. Because it was so difficult to store for any length of time, the food soldiers received during the Civil War was not very fancy and they did not get a great variety of items.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gettkidz/hardtack.htm

Answer 2

Warehouses contained beans, and salt pork, corn fritters, and there were no K-rations then so they had to rely on the countryside folks to feed them their chickens, and pigs, and very little beef. Eggs and all the other essentials were either donated by the people or confiscated for the military. Mush or Oatmeal as well but no fruit unless picked off a tree. Vegetables the same thing. www.history.com Sorry I forgot some things you need to read some letters to home from the soldiers both North and South. They were both starving at times they were in a war and they did not have commissaries in the field and most of the time they were or lived in Tents in a Camp and they had a cook. They ran out of food many times and were on the trails so long they would have men dying from wounds there was very little medical supplies and help, Read or see Gone with the Wind, the worlds best re-enactment based on fact the scenes of the wounded and the burning of whole towns and farms and the food was confiscated for the starving troops. The Battle of Fredericksburg,Va is very enlightening as well.

Answer 3

"The mandated daily ration for a Federal soldier ion 1861 included at least 20 ounces of fresh or salt beef, or 12 ounces of salt pork; more than a pound of flour; and a vegetable, usually beans" (Robertson, 1984, p. 85). Also dished out "no pun intended) were rations of coffee, sugar, vinegar, and salt. The Southern government made sure its troops were equally well stocked with such necessities.
But these allocations did not last very long, for both sides would see the effects of having large armies on the go, moving about the countryside with impressive alacrity. With such heavy movements would come the over-consumption of their supplies. Living off the land as a means of conserving their own rations was common for both sides, especially in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. In 1864, General William T. Sherman's famous march to the sea in Georgia and rampage through the Carolinas was almost entirely fueled by the farmlands over which they marched.

Answer 4

Coffee beans were ground to a powder and mixed with sugar and milk and put into a vacuum sealed can as a syrupy goo. The soldier opened the can and added hot water and had a passable cup of hot coffee.

Coffee and a cigarette---a Marine breakfast.

Civil war soldiers ate hard tack, jerky, dried fruit, tins of meat, vegetables, or fruit. They stole a lot of chickens, too. They nearly decimated the white tail deer population as well. I am sure they ate wild game such as rabbit, squirrel, and turtle as well.

Answer 5

Worchestersire sauce and deviled ham are two foods still available today that was available then. They ate crackers, lots of beans and pork. Also, foraging was common.

Answer 6

salt pork, hard tack and beans