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***Jefferson Guards*** · 05-14-2008, 08:36 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

I would consult the following books:

Repairing the "March of Mars": The Civil War Diaries of John Samuel Apperson, Hospital Steward in the Stonewall Brigade, 1861-1865. Edited by John Herbert Roper. Transcribed by Jason Clayman, Peter Gretz, and John Herbert Roper. (Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 2001.

MCMULLEN, GLENN L. The CIVIL War Letters of Dr. Harvey Black: A Surgeon with Stonewall Jackson. Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.: Butternut and Blue, 1995

**Silas** · 05-14-2008, 11:43 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

How about oysters? There's a quote from Apperson about receiving oysters a few days before Gettysburg.

I didn't notice any specifics for the month before Gettysburg in the pages available from that book online via the google preview. Certainly better than nothing.

**Stonewall_Greyfox** · 05-15-2008, 08:13 AM

Originally posted by Silas View Post

How about oysters? There's a quote from Apperson about receiving oysters a few days before Gettysburg.

I didn't notice any specifics for the month before Gettysburg in the pages available from that book online via the google preview. Certainly better than nothing.

Hmmn...Oysters in June/July many hours from the coast/inland breeding grounds...makes you wonder if these were canned oysters.

Paul B.

**lukegilly13** · 05-15-2008, 11:34 AM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

I want to second Brian's post. The author of that book, Dr. John H. Roper, was my advisor in college. Very brilliant man from UNC Chapel Hill. The book is an excellent resource for this topic...I can't wait to get home from work and look and see how much detail it gives about the oysters....I haven't really read it since I had to take a final exam on it haha.

**Hank Trent** · 05-15-2008, 12:45 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Originally posted by lukegilly13 View Post

...I can't wait to get home from work and look and see how much detail it gives about the oysters.

Unfortunately not much. It's near Chambersburg, p. 477:

Dr. Drane & myself had a fine mess of oysters which we bought in our round [of visits to patients in campsites]

Needless to say, I asked about this topic because I'll be a surgeon's orderly/cook/knapsack carrier at At High Tide, and need to provide rations. Thanks for all the suggestions. From what I'm seeing so far (or the lack of period mentions, actually), I guess there really wasn't much remarkable about the food available at this time, and so I guess I can just go with generic food that might be typical on the march plus maybe a few officer-level treats. But if anyone knows of anything more specific, I'm still looking!

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

**Stonewall_Greyfox** · 05-15-2008, 12:53 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Originally posted by Hank Trent View Post

From what I'm seeing so far (or the lack of period mentions, actually), I guess there really wasn't much remarkable about the food available at this time, and so I guess I can just go with generic food that might be typical on the march plus maybe a few officer-level treats. But if anyone knows of anything more specific, I'm still looking!

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

Hank,

I hope canned oysters will not be considered "treats", these vial things are an abomination in both texture, flavor, and smell.

Paul B.

***FranklinGuardsNYSM*** · 05-15-2008, 01:10 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Away from home now, but it may be in Strange and Blighted... somewhere -- there's an account, I believe from a Federal prisoner, who comments on the large contingent of negro servants he saw behind the crest of Seminary Ridge busily engaged in culinary concoctions. I don't remember if he names specific items, but it is a pretty good reference to rear-echelon food preparation.

***Jefferson Guards*** · 05-15-2008, 02:10 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

From Apperson's Diary:

June 23rd: "Sent out and got some milk from an old farmer" p473

June 24th: "Our camp was near the house of a Mr. Hade, a staunch old Penn: Farmer. His chickens, as did the chickens of other farmers along the route, filled the mess kettles of many a weary soldier and his garden was protected by great efforts by a guard." p 474

**Hank Trent** · 05-15-2008, 02:16 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Originally posted by Stonewall_Greyfox View Post

Hank,

I hope canned oysters will not be considered "treats", these vial things are an abomination in both texture, flavor, and smell.

Paul B.

Do you mean canned compared to fresh? Or any oysters?

There's a whole 'nuther topic for discussion. :) I'd say it would be just as rare for a random person in the 1860s to hate oysters, as it would be for a random person today to hate pizza or chocolate chip cookies.

So is it the cook's duty to serve only what he knows modern people are apt to like? Or is it up to those receiving food to react in typical period fashion?

You know what my answer would be. :)

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

**Stonewall_Greyfox** · 05-15-2008, 02:26 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Originally posted by Hank Trent View Post

Do you mean canned compared to fresh? Or any oysters?

There's a whole 'nuther topic for discussion. :) I'd say it would be just as rare for a random person in the 1860s to hate oysters, as it would be for a random person today to hate pizza or chocolate chip cookies.

So is it the cook's duty to serve only what he knows modern people are apt to like? Or is it up to those receiving food to react in typical period fashion?

You know what my answer would be. :)

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

Hank,

Of course my comment was aimed at canned vs. fresh. I have nothing against oysters...in fact I've been known to eat my fair shair on the half-shell, steamed, stewed, in chowder etc.

Of course it's the cook's duty to serve what he knows is right for the event scenario at hand...and perhaps someone with more culinary talent than I could make the vile canned oyster more palatable.

In answer to your question...the answer has to be both. But just as in today's society, you can find those "rare" individuals who apaul pizza, chocolate, etc...and the same was so back then as well...as far as your comment about it being a rare occurance for random individuals "hating" oysters, I think alot would depend on where people were from...obviously to those from coastal or waterway communities, this would certainly be true...but for those individuals being born of the mountain regions, it would be interesting to read about their experiences with said items.

For me a choice between a canned oyster and a chicken...the choice of course would be chicken...the choice between a fresh oyster and a chicken...the answer would be both...and I'd probably have one of VA's soon to be lost "tidewater chowder's" going.

Note: From personal experience, there is little similarity between canned and fresh oysters.

Paul B.

**Johnny Lloyd** · 05-15-2008, 02:28 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Hank-

Reading this thread, I came to another question in my mind that I haven't seen on here yet. What would a Confederate field kitchen look like? How "paired-down" would it look compared to a US Army Field Kitchen of the period? I'd think it would again depend on what period and location. But how substitutions, alternate rations, and layout would certainly differ somewhat from a US Army Field Kitchen.

In fact, I don't think I have ever read about a "Confederate Field Kitchen"...

Any takers on this question out there either? Again, I couldn't find it on here with the search engine, but maybe I'm just blind. ;)

Thanks- Johnny

**vamick** · 05-15-2008, 02:33 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Originally posted by Hank Trent View Post

So is it the cook's duty to serve only what he knows modern people are apt to like? Or is it up to those receiving food to react in typical period fashion?

You know what my answer would be. :)

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

"Hungry makes a good sauce"

**LibertyHallVols** · 05-15-2008, 03:13 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Maybe I'm out to lunch, but the answer might be rather simple...

A surgeon probably ate what the soldiers ate.

So, what did the soldiers eat?
1) Issued rations - I'm sure there are probably plenty of references out there (and we've heard from a few) of ANV-issue rations for the campaign. I'm guessing most Rebs would have been issued some corn meal at some point in the campaign, so why not carry some of that!?

2) "Procured" items. Again, we've heard some great references. These would consist of...
- Items sent from home (probably the last of the last from a box from home by the time the ANV reached G-burg).
- Produce items in season in June/July. Not sure what these might consist of. It is a bit late for strawberries. I can recall accounts of guys getting sick on green apples (still a bit early for apples, so no wonder!). Perhaps cherries? Would sweet corn be up by then? Other veggies?
- Produce items put up or canned. These could be almost anything like beans, tomatoes, preserves, etc. as well as stored root veggies. Also, dried veggies or fruit could also be stored. Jeff Clagg has frequently given me green beans dried on a thread.

Regarding Meat - Personally, I wonder of we reenactors overdo the salt pork and bacon. While fresh beef is tough for reenactors, logistically speaking, we know that armies did drive herds along. For a surgeon, perhaps chicken is a good choice as it could represent an item "foraged" by a plucky cook. Just thinking out loud.

Anyway, I hope this was somewhat helpful. Good luck!

**Dignann** · 05-15-2008, 03:21 PM

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Commentary on food during the Gettysburg Campaign, from the published letters and memoir of Dr. Thomas Fanning Wood, 3rd NC ST:

"Head Quarters near Carlisle, Penna.
June 29th Sunday 1863
Every field here is groaning under the burden of immense crops, which we are in hopes to eat. Fruit with the exception of cherries is still green but very abundant. Gooseberries and currants are just turning. Quinces, pears and such fruit as Yankee land abounds in is quite plenty.
We enjoy this rich valley. Butter, milk, etc. are plenty, and we luxuriate in them. We can buy butter for a Pa. shilling a pound in Confederate money."
Letter, pp. 102-103

"We went into camp every day at 5 or 6 o'clock, and my knapsack bearer always had a few fat hens at his gridle, and we enjoyed a chicken stew, some good Penn. bread and butter, and I believe some real coffee. Mr. Patterson, Dr. Washington and I went into mess together. "
Memoir, p. 103

-- Frank L. Byne, ed. Doctor to the Front: The Recollections of Confederate Surgeon Thomas Fanning Wood, 1861-1865 (Knoxville, Tenn.: The University of Tennessee Press, 2000)

Eric