CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

[Becky Morgan]

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

In late June, you should have raspberries or blackberries, depending on the maturity in that area. Around here, black raspberries generally come in the third week of June with blackberries about a week and a half or two weeks later. Tomatoes might be getting rips, but that would depend on the weather that year. Early radishes, kale, spinach and lettuce would be in, if not starting to peter out when the weather heated up. Peas would probably be long gone. Carrots would be very small, potatoes would of course be a long way from bearing; some small beets and turnips might be available, especially if you ate the whole thing. Corn wouldn't be in the ear yet that time of year, especially given the varieties they had. Wheat might or might not be taken in by late June.

If you plan to steal chickens, you might as well steal any eggs the laying hens have if they're thinking about a second clutch. I doubt spring chickens would be big enough for thieving yet. Most all the streams would be fishable, I'd think.

[Hank Trent]

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

A surgeon probably ate what the soldiers ate.

So, what did the soldiers eat?
1) Issued rations -

I think that post is a pretty good summary. I recall researching for September Storm, though, and officers ate a little better than men in that situation because they could send their cooks further out to surrounding houses to buy/forage or even to fish, while the men were more confined to the roads and therefore limited to cornfields and orchards to forage from. So in that case, officers did eat better. But it sounds like in this case, there was enough to go around for everyone to forage fairly well.

Eric's post is just the kind of thing I've been looking for! Gooseberries and currants were something I hadn't thought of, but I've got some period gooseberries here, if I can keep the raccoons out of them first.

It also sure sounds like I really ought to show up with a live or recently dead hen, but I don't know if I can manage that.

However, the above mention of rations brings up another question. Am I correct that officers were not specifically issued rations, but they could purchase them? I don't think there's actually going to be a ration issue, thank goodness, because I'm not sure how that would work. As a private, I'd stand in line to get mine, but could I also pick up a ration for the assistant surgeon if he was properly charged for it? How would the paperwork go for that? Whew. This just gets more complicated.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[hta1970]

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Eric,

I was reading the same memoir today and sitting down to post what you wrote when I noticed you beat me to the punch.

Might add on pages 104-107 of the same book during the battle.

"I established a dressing at the foot of the hill in an abandoned farm house. There was a large spring at the door of the house, and everything was adapted to our purpose, and especially were secure from the fire from the front lines."

"This firing was the great great artillery drill of the 2nd day of the Battle of Gettysburg, and our hands were busy attending to the wounded of the artillery battalion - Latimer's, I believe - just on the crest over our hospital.

The proprietor of the farm house had been frightened away from home by the battle of the 1st day, and left his affairs in the hands of a boy. I don't remember the name of the farm, it was small, but in this country we always found a dairy, and we were not disappointed here. The spring house was well supplied with milk and cream, and I set my ambulance men at work, in the quiet morning of the 2nd day, to churn. I had $2.00 in greenbacks which I gave the lad privledges of the house , consisting of buttermilk and a "crock" of quince marmalade. This was our meal, for as usual we were not supplied with rations at the proper time."

"In the rear of our station was a line of battle. Among them some La. soldiers. They completed the sack of this house, even to the bee hives. They took a hive of bees in the open day between two of them, marching straight through the bivouac of men, the infuriated bees flying in every direction. After the bees had quit the hive, the plunderers sat down and destroyed the honey."

[Hank Trent]

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Uh oh. My intended victim, er, I mean, officer, has found this thread. :)

Good stuff! Thank you all. This is what I was hoping to find, but just couldn't. This gives a clearer picture of specifically what kind of food would be most typical.

The spring house was well supplied with milk and cream, and I set my ambulance men at work, in the quiet morning of the 2nd day, to churn

Don't tempt me!

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[hta1970]

Re: CS surgeon's food at Gettysburg?

Hank,

We can do this as authentic as you want and if you want to fill up free time churning buttermilk I'm game.

An option for some of this "foraging" would be to work in conjunction with some people you might know, like Mrs. Lawson in the civilian camp for a foraging run to "buy"/procure pre-stocked good from us from them. Would keep you active in a period role and hopefully make sure the ambulance corps badge gets you past the provost.

And if you bring a live chicken to be killed for the pot, well that works too.

This will be a great event and a great experience. Sounds like we won't be eating too poorly, just trying to "coordinate foraged food will be interesting.