British haversack contents, c.1814

[David Fox]

Thought this might be of interest. From J.S. Cooper, "Rough Notes of Seven Campaigns..." as quoted in Philip Haythornwaite's "The Armies of Wellington", Arms & Armour Press (1994) p. 199: "A haversack on service is a sort of dumb-waiter...a well regulated one ought never to be without...a couple of biscuit, a sausage, a little tea and sugar, a knife, fork, and spoon, a tin cup..., a pair of socks, a piece of soap, a toothbrush, a towel, and comb, and half a dozen cigars."

Substitute hardtack for biscuit, salt pork for sausage, coffee for tea....

[erik]

Re: British haversack contents, c.1814

I may be mistaken, but sounds like the quote from Captain John Kincaid in one of his two works "Random shots from a Rifleman" or Adventures in the Rifle Brigade".
Having just returned from Gettysburg and its October Winter Wonderland, I won't get to look it up tonight, but Kincaid served throughout the Spanish campaign and later as Adjutant at Waterloo.
If I remember his quote correctly he added 6 pistol cartridges which would be in addition to those carried in the pouch on his Rifles cross belt.
The thing that caught me was the "dumb waiter" and the sausage.

Erik Simundson

Erik Simundson