Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

[Tkessen]

Dear All,

I was just wondering, since I'm going to attend Manassas this year, what foods would be seasonally and regionally appropriate? Would canned rations work for that time in the war? Any pertanent information is much appreciated. Thanks.

Taylor Kessen

[4VADRUMMER]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

Sir, I'd say that in Virginia in July you can't go wrong with Fresh picked corn, cabbage, squash, onions, okra, greens and whatever else suits your fancy. That time of the year pretty much everything is in season in Virgnia. I grew up on a farm in Central Virginia and we never had to go to the market during the summer months because the garden was full of fresh stuff to eat. I think in John Casler's book (four years in the Stonewall Brigade) he mentions them boiling a fresh cabbage around that time of the year. Particularly in the Confederate army they were prone to live off of what the land provided them during the summer months, as I'm sure was the case in the Union army to some extent.

[Tkessen]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

Thank You for you reply, sir. That helps!

[Lt1stNCSS]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

I'm not sure corn would be ready yet, usually not until spetember..but any kind of local grown veggies..(some farm stands sell heirloom varieties that would have been more common during the war than they are now), anything thats pickled is great, pickled green tomatoes, pickled peppers, beets are great, chow chow..stuff like that..see if you have a local fresh farmers market around, or head out to Manassas early and hit one up on the way and get some fresh fruits and vegetables...peaches and apricots may be in season by then..and if you feel the need for some smoky goodness, get some old fashioned smoked ham hocks and make a soup with the ham and fresh veggies. If you have a good old fashioned butcher around, they also might have some smoked bologna or meats that you can get as well

[IowaYank]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

I'm not sure corn would be ready yet, usually not until spetember....

Here in Iowa it is not uncommon for sweet corn to be ready in early August. Factoring in earlier planting time in Virginia, I don't see it out of the realm of reality for corn to be ripe in late July in Virginia. Yes, field corn would not be ready for harvest until September, but sweet corn likely was.

[Elaine Kessinger]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

Berries... it has been documented that some commanders had a time getting their troops to stay in formation because they were distracted by picking berries. In this area, they would be black berries, raspberries, black raspberries, or some very late strawberries. (blue berries, boysenberries, and the like are modern cross breeds)

Peaches, plums, and cherries are very popular in the mid-summer months. Apples don't show until late September, but were popular items to preserve in butters, cider, dried rings, etc. If your group came through Maryland, you picked the civilians clean (as the forces of first one, then the other, army would do for the next four summer-autumn). You might add an anecdote about the objections the fine Maryland citizens voiced to making such donations to the troops... after all, you thought they were on your side (which ever side that is)

Sweet corn is available from late July through September most years.

Keep in mind that the historical record reflects a drought for the early war years with harsh winters... and that will have an effect on the crops, gardens, and orchards... and wells, rivers, and water sources.

For a general modern guideline for other regions: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesgu...lingredientmap

[4VADRUMMER]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

Definatley! That's what I was referring to in my post. We are eating corn out of the garden here in Virginia every year right around the 2nd to 3rd week in July. Been that way the whole 34 years I've lived in Virginia. There is nothing better than sweet corn either. I think we will be cooking some on the fire at Manassas!

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

I think he also wanted to know about canned goods. Canned food contributed a very small portion of the
rations issued to the armies during the Civil War. I would not expect it to be among the food found at 1st Manassas,
during mid-July 1861, unless in the picnic baskets of the citizens who came out to watch.

The most well documented incident where canned food is mentioned during the US CIvil War was the sack of the Union
supply depot at Manassas Junction by Stonewll Jackson's Corps just prior to the Second Battle of Bull Run a
year later...the food items the Confederates found at the depot consisted of things like candy, cake, fruit, canned lobster,
mustard and other luxury items. "To see a starving man eating lobster salad and drinking Rhine wine barefoot and
in tatters was curious, the whole thing was indescribable." And obviously, since it was remarked upon at length, canned foods
were somewhat unusual table fare for enlisted men.

And Jackson, of course, would not have approved of the consumption of wine. I'd leave the canned food for
a winter camp scenario and a package of goodies from home.

[spittinmudpuppy]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

A great way I have found to find appropriate food is to stop at local food stands or farmers markets on the way to events. These produce vendors generally provide a good variety of locally grown goods which are accurate for the season and climate.

Jackson Lawson

[4VADRUMMER]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

John Casler mentions the citizens who brought up their wagons loaded with fresh vegetables, chickens and cured meat into the camps at Manassas to sell what they had for a profit. He goes on to mention how the boys would take what they needed by one boy distracting the seller and the other walking to the back of the wagon and helping himself! Another thing he mentioned that sticks out in my memory is the fact that a pard and he procured a chicken from one of those citizens and couldn't find a frying pan to cook it in as the bulk of their supplies got left in Harpers ferry. Their unit cook refused to let them use a unit frying pan and they took it anyway and cooked their chicken. They ended up in the gaurd shack until they escaped! Lol, great stories John tells!

[4VADRUMMER]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

And General Jackson would not have approved of half the things those boys did when no one was watching them! Lol

[MissMia]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

I hope to go to Manassas and plan to bring dried peas, bread, carrots & a bit of fruit (great observation about blue/boysenberries being modern, Elaine!)

[Andrew German]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

Greetings,

Based on federal cavalry reports from Northern Virginia in July 1862, blackberries were in abundance at that time. And green corn ("sweet" corn on the ear) was becoming available in late July. And whatever fresh or preserved meats and vegetables the supportive local residents would have put by would be perfect. And don't forget ground cornmeal for "hoecake," which was a staple.

Andrew German

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

Green corn is not necessarily the same as sweet corn. Green corn or roasting ears tends to refer to the practice of eating field corn while it's still young and in the milk stage of kernel development. While I'm not personally familiar with the planting times in Virginia, I think it would be a safe assumption that roasting ears would be available, and quite tasty.

[JustRob]

Re: Seasonally appropriate food for Manassas

Accounts of the 69th NYSM on the First Bull Run campaign shows that the men were issued three days rations of salt pork and hard tack at Ft. Corcoran before marching out.

Said rations ran out on the evening of July 20th. Appropriate rations would, therefore, be nothing.