Civil War Era
By marie2052
@marie2052 (3691)
United States
November 28, 2011 9:14pm CST
I have read a lot of different books on the civil war.
I have always heard talk about a hard tack that was the only thing some of the soldiers had to eat.
Curiosity got the better of me after reading and even watching movies.
So I did a research on this type of biscuit that managed to keep our soldiers going.
Here is the link if you would like to learn what hard tack actually was.
I found it very interesting and actually could not imagine how the guys survived on so little.
http://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/civil_war_cooking.html
1 person likes this
4 responses
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
30 Nov 11
It turned out to be quite different from what I thought it was. I always thought it was more like hard tack candy. I heard something on the radio about Lincoln.
The dj was saying he had watched a show about him being shot. He said Lincoln didn't even want to go to the play, but Mary made him. I don't know if that is true and I didn't hear the whole discussion. I wish I would have seen the show. I thought that was interesting also.
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
30 Nov 11
I didn't know his original plan was to kidnap the President. I had heard he intended to kill Johnson and Grant, but not Seward. I believe Grant was supposed to go to the theater also, but changed his plans because his wife didn't like Mary Lincoln and didn't want to go. History could have been a lot different if plans had been changed. If Booth tried to kill him elsewhere he may not have achieved his goals and then security would have been much tighter. I am sure at that time, they didn't take threats as serious as they would if there had been an attempt on Lincoln's life.
1 person likes this
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
30 Nov 11
Did you know that Booth's original plan was to kidnap Lincoln and hold him hostage? He was going to grab him at a function held at a hospital, but the president changed his plans and didn't attend. After Booth heard a speech by Lincoln supporting the right to vote for the freed slaves, Booth who was a die-hard racist decided to kill him instead. Booth did not act alone, he had co-conspirators. Plans were also made to kill vice president Andrew Johnson, Secretary of State William Seward, and Gen. U. S. Grant. Seward was wounded but survived. Johnson and Grant were not harmed.
Booth was set on assassinating Lincoln, so even if the president had not attended the play at Ford Theatre, Booth would have just tried again at some other function. Booth was thwarted when Lincoln did not appear at the hospital, but he eventually succeeded.
2 people like this
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
26 Dec 11
I just read your interesting interactive posts and don't it make you wonder how many body guards Lincoln had to what our current president has? And the media says he has more protection than any other president in the history.
Thanks for all the information I love history and love to learn things I have not yet found out or heard!!!
Lets keep our history discussion alive.
Thanks so much for the discussions!
1 person likes this
@MaryLynn321 (2680)
• United States
29 Nov 11
Sounds interesting, I will have to look it up. As I was reading I was thinking maybe it was jerky as it was hard, but read on further to find out it was a biscuit.
1 person likes this
@MaryLynn321 (2680)
• United States
27 Dec 11
LOL, now that is hard. I still haven't gotten around to viewing the link. Will have to take sometime one of these days.
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
26 Dec 11
yes from what I have found out it was so hard it could break teeth.
and I though my sea rations was bad in the 70's
1 person likes this
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
26 Dec 11
That is so awesome! I love history I try to learn something new every day.
1 person likes this
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
29 Nov 11
Last year, I went to a Civil War living history reenactment at Montpelier in Virginia. It was a Confederate winter encampment (www.montpelier.org/explore/archaeology/encampments.php). One of the 'soldiers' let me sample some Civil War-era rations he had cooked up. Fried corn kernels (they don't take up much room and last a long time when on an extended march) and a biscuit that resembled the Johnny cake mentioned in your link. But his biscuit was a mixture of corn meal and plain water and it had been wrapped around a stick and baked over an open campfire. The luxury of milk and cooking oil and greased pans was non-existent in the winter camps.
And you know what? It wasn't that bad. 
1 person likes this
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
26 Dec 11
I have attended many civil war reenactments. I lived in St Charles Missouri from age 12 on til I left home. Actually St Charles is the first state capitol of Missouri til they moved it to Jefferson City.
Lewis and Clark actually landed there.
Our main street is preserved with all the antique buildings and now people either own or rent shops for antiques, crafts and places to eat.
Its a beautiful place and honestly I never knew it exsisted as a girl til I left home. My parents very seldom went anywhere. So it took me to grow up and have a family before I found out about it. but I spent many good years there and actually wholesaled a lot of ceramics I made on that street in 4 different shops.
Next time you go to the store if you see the Jiffy Cornbread mixes, look on the side and they will mention the Johnny Cakes.
