A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

[paulcalloway]

A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: How Authentic is it for the Reenactor?
By Stephen Ratterman

The practice of cigarette smoking gradually made its way from Latin America to Spain and Portugal, then to Italy, the Levant (lands bordering the eastern shore of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas), and across the Middle East to South Russia. The cigarette originally was composed of a hollow cane filled with coarsely ground tobacco and later as small tubes made of corn husks. Gradually, they were made with coarse paper (rice paper was not used until well after the Civil War).

During the Crimean War (1853-1856), British soldiers were introduced to the habit by Turkish and Russian soldiers. The British then helped introduce the cigarette to the rest of Western Europe during their travel back to England after the war. Soon the cigarette was commonly found in France but was smoked usually by the more daring and avant-garde woman.

Eventually, cigarettes came to England but were not accepted or widespread until after the American Civil War. American visitors to Europe carried the cigarette home as a novelty or curiosity rather than a primary smoking device.

The use and experimentation with cigarettes by ladies in this country in their attempts to appear as "sophisticated" as their Parisian counterparts caused great concern -- so much so that in 1854 etiquette books began to condemn cigarette smoking among proper,well-brought up young ladies. The use of cigarette smoking by men was almost non-existent in that cigarette smoking was considered a "feminine habit." Also, the extremely high cost of cigarettes compared to the readily available cigar, pipe, and the most popular of all, chewing tobacco, further reduced cigarette smoking. Another restricting factor in cigarette usage was that prior to the Civil War, the only readily available cigarettes to the open U.S. market were handmade in a factory in Cuba. A factory powered by stream was in use in Havana by 1853 but it wasn’t until 1870 that crude attempts were made to manufacture cigarettes by machines in the United States. A slate as 1869 only 1,750,000 cigarettes were made in the States.

In summary, cigarette smoking was known in this country, but only as a very expensive novelty and indulged in by a more daring and risqué woman who generally would not be accepted by the better social circles. Or, if used among those who considered themselves properly reared, it was not a habit favored by men.

REFERENCES:

Smoking Antiques by Amoret and Christopher Scott, pub. by Shire Publications,LTD., Haverforvest, England 1981.The Might Leaf: Tobacco Through the Centuries by Jerome Brookes, pub. by Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1952.

Edit. This article originally appeared on the Bully Boys website and is reprinted here with their permission. - PC

[Johan Steele]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

An add to this, only in Texas have I ever heard of cigarettes in any number during the Civil War, and those men who smoked them were considered... a bit light in loafers and harrased pretty thouroghly.

[nmilbury]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

On referencing the excellent articles on the lazyjacks website I found written by Mr O'Sullivan, Cigarette Smoking in the Confederate Army

http://www.lazyjacks.org.uk/smoking.htm

This seems to be in direct contradiction to what is stated here.
These are primary sources by people who were there that state that they saw officers and men smoking their own rolled cigarettes. It was probably not that common when looking at the armies as a whole, but I would not call it incorrect if someone rolled their own period tabacco into a cigarette and smoked it at an event.
Sincerely,
Nathan Milbury

[Yellowhammer]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

Nathan,

I think it is important to take note a few points that may put those quotes in a bit of context. Correct?

In the Lazy Jacks article, there are three written primary source accounts and one drawing making a total of four references to Confederates smoking.

Of those four, three deal with Louisiana troops. (Redwood's quote from "Battles and Leaders," the Grisamore quote, and the sketch of the Louisana officer.)

Of those three, two come from a single source, Allen C. Redwood. Redwood makes the aforementioned quote and drew the sketch, entitled "A Pelican" that also appears in "Battles and Leaders." Redwood's name can be made out in the lower right hand corner.

Using only these sources, can a case be made for cigarette smoking in the Confederate army at large? I don't think so. Could a case be made for cigarette smoking by Louisiana soldiers? That is a stronger argument since Louisiana had very strong French influences and it would be arguably more likely for a Louisiana resident (particularly someone of an urban background) to take on a "French" habit like cigarette smoking.

You can make cases for many "modern" habits being indulged in by Civil War soldiers and civilians. However, I think it is very clear that cigarette smoking was not the norm and was, by all reliable accounts, a rarity.

[nmilbury]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

John,
I'm inclined to agree with you since as you stated, all but one deal with Louisiana troops from early 62 to late 64. Even with the non-Louisianian reference, Captain Chamberlayne says it is just common among his friends. Perhaps some of his friends were Louisianians? If it was more common I'm sure he would have made it a point to say so. So I guess for me (a Virginian), it's still pipe tobacco. :D
Sincerely,
Nathan Milbury

[markj]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

Greetings,

For those of you interested in this topic, you might want to check out Vicki Bett's newspaper research site:

http://www.uttyl.edu/vbetts/newspaper_intro.htm

I recently did this using the term "cigarette" and found quite a few items. Among these are advertisements indicating bundles of "cigarettes" were available in the South even before the war. Something to consider is that the term "cigarette" may have been also loosely applied to "cigarros" or "cigarritos," which are, of course, something else entirely.

Of further interest is this extract from a 29 October 1864 letter written by Federal Captain James Gillette:

"I have stopped smoking so many cigars as they cost me $2.00 a day. I am taking to smoking tobacco. If you can send me one or two pounds of very mild Turkish tobacco (light yellow) by mail, please do so. Tobacco comes by mail safely. A few bundles, too, of cigarettes, dropped in the post occasionally would not come amiss."

Gillette initally enlisted as a private in Company F, 71st New York and was captured at Bull Run. After being paroled, he became Adjutant of the 4th (later 3rd) Maryland (US) and eventually joined the staff of BG Jno. W. Geary in the Army of the Tennessee (US). The article is entitled, "Parcels from Home to a Soldier, 1861-1865" by Harrison K. Bird, Jr. and was published in the Spring 1962 "MC&H."

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[amity]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

On a related note, here is an article by Vicki Betts which originally appeared in The Citizens' Companion, vol. 5, no. 3 (August-September 1993): 12-20.

The “Social Dip”:
Tobacco Use by Mid-19th Century Southern Women
Tobacco Use by Mid-19th Century Southern Women

Terre Schill

[ohpkirk]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

It is something to note that smoking corn husk cigarettes was, not to be overly general, not an uncommon occurrence in Texas during the antebellum years. Though I have not found any information about these men being harrassed or considered 'light in the loafers' as Mr. Steele states.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

"Afactory [sic] powered by stream was in use in Havana by 1853 but it wasn’t until 1870 thatcrude attempts were made to manufacture cigarettes by machines in the United States. Aslate as 1869 only 1,750,000 cigarettes were made in the States. "

On the official "big tobacco" sponsored website:

http://www.tobacco.org/resources/history/Tobacco_History19.html

Yes, it's sponsored by big tobacco- if that might tell you anything, I don't know- it states the first American cigarette factory was in 1864, although it does not say where it was set-up precisely.

Of particular note on the website above:

1864: CIVIL WAR: The first federal cigarette excise tax is imposed to help pay for the Civil War.
1864: BUSINESS: 1st American cigarette factory opens and produces almost 20 million cigarettes.

Hmmmmm?

Any thoughts on this? Any...?

Anyone, Bueller...Bueller -Johnny Lloyd

[Mudslinger]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

Allen C. Redwood of the 55th Virginia Infantry fell in with the 6th Louisiana during the Second Manassas Campaign. After the countermarching action to reinforce Cutshaw's Battery on August 29th, Redwood makes a quick note of cigarettes on campaign:

"The tedium of this last service my companions relieved by games of 'seven-up' with a greasy, well thumbed deck, and in smoking cigarettes, rolled with great dexterity, between the deals".

[yipper]

cigarettes in Mexico/Texas

Gents,

Grant observed in Corpus Christi in 1845 (p. 43):

“Almost every Mexican above the age of ten years, and many much younger, smoked the cigarette. Nearly every Mexican carried a pouch of leaf tobacco, powdered by rolling in the hands, and a roll of corn husks to make wrappers. The cigarettes were made by the smokers as they used them.”

Grant, Ulysses S.
1885 The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.
Konecky and Konecky, Old Saybrook, CT, 1992 edition..

Regards,

geoffrey lehmann

[AZReenactor]

I think it important to note the different routes that this particular tobacco use traveled the globe. Nearly all sources note that started with Hispanics and many sources note that it spread from there to the Turks where it was spread to the English during the Crimean war. Several of these sources then trace its spread through Europe and then across to America. However, it is important, I think, to note that Americans also had their own encounters with Hispanic culture and the use of tobacco along our Southern and Western borders. That cigarette use should be noted by others among Texans and Louisianans isn't at all surprising.

Missionary Adventures in Texas and Mexico By Emmanuel Domenech (1858)

Many of the rancheros, without the slightest instruction in music, play the guitar or mandoline with no less taste than talent. With this accompaniment sometimes they sing their native melodies and romances, which relate chiefly to love subjects, the beauties of tropical nature, or the memories of their forefathers. There are several ballads of the old Spanish troubadours still in great vogue. It was often my pleasure to hear the rancheros sing in the evenings near the hut where I was taking rest, during my excursions in the solitudes of the interior. Their voices are sweet and their songs racy with the poetry of nature. The greater part of their nights they pass in dancing, singing, relating fantastic stories as history, while they smoke their cigarettes beneath some favourite tree.

Mention has already been made of our encounters with Hispanic culture during the Conquering of Mexico in 1846-1848 . Subsequent to that vast numbers of Americans from all across the country encountered Hispanic Culture when they rushed Westward for the California Gold Rush. The California Gold Rush also brought with it men from every nation, including large numbers from south and central America, as well as Turkey and Asia, where cigarette use was spreading rapidly. A good many of the American would be gold miners returned home unsuccessful before the Civil War began bringing with them their stories and experiences encountering these many different cultures.

An excursion to California over the prairie, Rocky Mountains, and great Sierra Nevada. by William Kelly (1851)

It was observable in the Spanish houses that ladies set down to monte, betting, and smoking their tiny cigarettes with a most nonchalant air.

Four Months Among the Gold-finders in Alta California By Henry Vizetelly (1849)

Among the clouds of smoke puffed forth by some score of pipes and as many cigarettes, there were to be seen, mingled together, Indians of various degrees of civilization, and corresponding styles of dress, varying from the solitary cloth kilt to the cotton shirts and jackets and trowsers of Russia duck; with groups of trappers from as far up as Oregon, clad in coats of buffalo hide, and with faces and hands so brown and wrinkled that one would take their skins to be as tough as the buffalo's, and almost as indifferent to a lump of lead.

The appearance of the native, Californian is quite Spanish. The men wear high steeple-like hats, jackets of gaudy colours, and breeches of velvet, generally cotton. They are a handsome, swarthy race. The best part in the faces of the women are their eyes, which are black and very lustrous. The Californian belles, I am sorry to say, spoil their teeth by smoking cigarettos.

And an interesting comment on cigarettes by Dickens.
Household Words By Charles Dickens 1859

"Our episodical discourse then fell upon cigarettes. The Don assured me that paper cigars were introduced partly from their cheapness, partly from their cleanliness and their suitability for smoking at odd moments when there was no time for a cigar—at church-doors, for instance ; before going into mass ; in the market over a bargain ; at lunch over a ' nip" of aguardiente flavoured with aniseed; or between the acts of a sword-and- cloak comedy."

A search of Google Books (use the advanced search where you can specify a date range) for Paper Cigar, Cigaretto, or Cigarillo, as well as cigarrettes will reveal a wealth of interesting references for those interested in looking at this topic further.

Now the growth and spread of anti-tobacco societies is an altogether different topic that is likewise quite interesting and of interest to those of us who abstain from use of the devil's weed. ;-)

[Salt Pork]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

I role my on cigarettes in my daily life, but a question though? Have any of y’all ever used corn husks for papers how easy is it to keep together?

William Summe

[ohpkirk]

Re: A Brief Glance at Cigarette Smoking: Stephen Ratterman

This woodcarving from 1856 shows what appears to be a cigarette, though in actuality may be a cigarillo.

[gilham]

I role my on cigarettes in my daily life, but a question though? Have any of y’all ever used corn husks for papers how easy is it to keep together?

William Summe

I have.
I tore the husk to the approximate size of a paper rolled it and licked it like a reguler hand rolled smoke. It held well enough. The smoke from the corn husk added a sweetness to the smoke.