Rations

[Arkansas Box Boy]

Re: Mid to late war storage boxes?

Mr. Moffett,

You might consider picking up a copy (reprint) of the 1861 Ordnance Manual.
559 pages of research material.
Very detailed section on Implement storage boxes.
Lists the contents of each box - I am sure you will find a box to fill your needs, as there appears to be about 100 different sizes and types.

If you need further information about this, let me know.

I am planning to make a set of these boxes for my Artillery Impression to fill our limber chest, and could be 'coaxed' to make extras, if the need arises.

Thanks,
Don Tolbert
Holmes Brigade
tolberd@polaroid.com

[26th NC]

Re: Hardtack boxes

Sam,

Always looking for a good, authentic box. As with anything, I'd want to see the documentation. I'd have to do a bit of research to come up with dimensions and type of wood, not withstanding the previous gentleman's post on the cracker box. Basswood not withstanding, I would think pine more plentiful and easier to work than basswood. Of course it also stands to reason that basswood is sturdier than pine, and therefore more able to stand the rigors associated with moving military supplies. Perhaps that is why the Assistant Commissary for Subsistance officer called for it. If you make this box with the same care, authenticity and workmanship as your canteens and the ammo box you made me, I'll buy one.

Layton Pennington

[hardtack1864]

Re: Hardtack boxes

Has anybody seen or heard of a hardtack box just having 50 LB. on the ends of the it like in hardtack and coffee?

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Essence of coffee

Judith (or anyone else who may know)

What is this stuff (the essence of coffee sold in the Safeway) called, or who makes it? There are no Safeway stores anywhere near me -- we'd have to fly somewhere to find one. None of the groceries near me carry any such thing -- and I checked four stores since you posted your message the other day. I'm just curious; I have no problem making my own essence of coffee.

thanks
Ron Myzie

I can't imagine why you would want to make your own essence of coffee when you can still buy it at the grocery store. I find that my local Safeway Store still sells it in the coffee and tea isle. I have a couple of original bottles that were originally used for essence of coffee, one of them called Peterson's Camp Coffee stamped into the side of the bottle.

One of my bottles has a pontelled bottom which I believe is earlier.....perhaps 1850s? Molded blown bottles are easier to find, the trick is finding the right bottle to match your product.

After I refill the bottle, I cork it and seal it in heavy lapidary wax and then wrap the top with gold foil. It looks accurate and provides me with that fine 'elixir of Eqypt' that I need to get my day going. The bottled essence coffee is very strong, too much for the stomach unless you dilute it.

Judith Peebles

[Drygoods]

Re: Essence of coffee

Ron, and all others,

The essence of coffee that I buy at the grocery store is made by Victorian House and it is more commonly known as concentrated coffee. It comes in fours flavors, such as; french roast, decaffeinated french roadt, mocha java, and vanilla nut. I think most people buy it to flavor their iced coffees, espresso, and as I call them, twinkie drinks.
You can write to the company yourself or call their 800 number for more information.
Ryan Coffee Company
2993 Teagarden St.
San Leandro, CA 94577
www.ryancoffee.com or mail@ryancoffee.com
1 800 452 8331

I hope this will help some folks out. I certainly found this to be the best tasting and easiest to use concentrated coffee since all I have to do is pour it directly into my historic bottle. Good luck Geez, I hope it's ok that I posted an address on this forum board?
Mfr,
Judith Peebles

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Essence of coffee

Many thanks for the info. I'll stick with my home-made "knock yer sox off" essence of coffee; it's closer to the original stuff. BTW, our term for twinkie drinks is "foo-foo coffee".

Ron Myzie

[CitizenSoldier]

Re: Hardtack boxes

Sam,
To manufacture the wood bands for your boxes I would recommend a riving break and froe. Drop me an email at ddorwig@yahoo.com and I will be happy to assist with sketches and instructions of the process.

Sounds like a great project!

Darrek Orwig

[2ndNHDOC]

Salt Beef Search

If this is posted in the incorrect forum please move to correct one. I am looking for a good source of correct salted beef. Can it be picked up at the grocery store if so what is it called today other then salted beef? Any assistance would be appreciated.


Brian Schwatka

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Salt Beef Search

Try this http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...ead.php?t=2334 or scroll to the bottom of the current page to the SIMILAR THREADS box and click on Pickled beef link.

[Silas]

Make your own

From a manual I prepared several years ago:

IV. PREPARING SALT BEEF
The Action of Salt on Meat according to Beeton's Book of Household Management (London, 1861):
"By its strong affinity, salt extracts the juices from the substance of meat in sufficient quantity to form a saturated solution with the water contained in the juice, and the meat then absorbs the saturated brine in place of the juice extracted by the salt. In this way, matter incapable of putrefaction takes the places of that portion in the meat which is most perishable. Such is not the only office of salt as a means of preserving meat. Also, it acts by its astringency in contracting the fibres of the muscles, and so excludes the action of air on the interior of the substance of the meat. The last-mentioned operation of salt as an antiseptic is evinced by the diminution of the volume of meat to which it is applied. The astringent action of saltpetre on meat is much greater than that of salt, and thereby renders meat to which it is applied very hard; but, in small quantities, it considerably assists the antiseptic action of salt, and also prevents the destruction of the florid colour of meat, which is used by the application of salt. Thus, the application of salt and saltpetre diminishes, in a considerable degree, the nutritive,and to some extent, the wholesome qualities of meat. Therefore, the quantity applied should be as small as possible, consistent with the perfect preservation of the meat."

Authentic Salt Beef (Beeton's Book of Household Management)
1/2 round of beef, 4 oz sugar, 1 oz saltpetre, 2 oz black pepper, 1/4 lb. bay salt, 1/2 lb. common salt.
Rub the meat well with salt, and let it remain for a day, to disgorge the slime. The next day, rub it well with the above ingredients on every side, and let it remain in the pickle for about a fortnight, turning it every day. It may be boiled fresh from the pickle, or smoked.
Note: the smaller the beef, the less time it takes to salt it. A joint of 8 or 9 lbs. will be sufficiently salty in a week.

Corn Beef (Adamson's Grandmother in the Kitchen)
To each gallon of cold water, put 1 quart of rock salt, 1 ounce saltpetre and 4 ounces of brown sugar (it need not be boiled). As long as any salt remains undisolved, the meat will be sweet. If any scum should rise, scald and skim well; add more salt, saltpetre and sugar; as you cut each piece of meat into the brine, rub it over with salt.

Authentic Beef Pickle (Beeton's Book of Household Management)
6 lbs. salt, 2 lbs. sugar, 3 oz saltpetre, 3 gallons water.
Boil all the ingredients gently together. Remove from heat. When quite cold, pour it over the meat, every part of which must be covered with the brine. This may be used for pickling any kind of meat, and may be kept for some time. A ham should be kept in the pickle for a fortnight; a piece of beef weighing 14 lbs. for 12 or 15 days.

Salt Beef or "Salt Horse" (Pequot Mess)
Take a chuck roast of the desired size. Rub thoroughly with sugar first, then with saltpetre (obtainable from your local pharmacy) and then with salt. Let the meat sit for a day and drain off the accumulated juices. Prepare a brine of the following proportions; three handfuls of salt per one quart of water. Bring brine to boil until salt dissolves. Let cool and pour over meat. Soak meat in brine for, at least, two weeks turning meat over daily. Keep the meat in refrigerator unless you wish to re-enact dysentery also. Before using, soak meat in fresh water for about twelve hours and use as you would any beef. Expect it to be salty. A salt beef ration was usually boiled.

V. METHODS OF COOKING MEAT
A. Spit Cooking (Pequot Mess)
Cooking on a spit, when done properly, can produce the finest meal ever eaten in the field but, as my alter ego has put so graphically, it is not for the faint of heart. Pig, chicken, turkey or even the shapeless ham loaf; there comes the moment of truth wherein the insertion must be made.
Spit cooking is simply the process of suspending meat above heat and allowing the meat to cook while slowly revolving to allow for evenness throughout. There are two basic methods for suspending the meat; the traditional horizontal bar held up by uprights and the hanging spit. The hanging spit is merely a piece of meat hung over a fire from a rope or twine and set to spinning by winding up the rope periodically. The meat must be reversed for even cooking and care must be taken not to allow the rope to burn through or you will wind up with extra crispy. The beauty of this method is that the only thing required to carry in a haversack is the rope or twine, a good knife can fabricate the rest.
Remember, what cooks the meat is heat, not flame. It may look pretty to see the dancing flames leap up and lick the chicken or ham but the result will be a burnt skin and raw interior. The ideal heat is generated from coals. Build the fire to the side and rake coals under the spit allowing for continuous and even heating. There are times when good wood is unavailable and you have to make do with poor or green wood. When that happens, erect the spit to the side of the firepit and cook the meat out of the flame using the radiant heat of the fire. This will take longer so allow extra time.
In cooking over a good bed of coals you can use the following rule of thumb; suspend the meat approximately eighteen inches over the heat and allow approximately twenty minutes per pound. With a little trial and error you will be able to tell when the meat is done. The flavor is worth the effort.

B. Boiling Salted Meats
Boiled Salt Beef
Soak for several hours. Dump water and refill with fresh water. Bring to hard boil. ADD SALT BEEF. When meat becomes whitish/gray (should occur quickly), remove from direct heat and simmer. This Hard Boil Then Simmer method seals the juices in the beef and makes it tender. If the meat is hard boiled for too long, it becomes hard and inedible.
If the meat is added with the cold water and brought to a boil, then you are making soup. All the flavors will be leached from the meat and into the water. Adding the meat to cold water and bringing it to a boil makes your meas as tough as shoe leather.

Boiled Salt Pork
Soak for several hours. Dump water and refill with fresh water. Add salt pork. Bring to a boil. After it has thoroughly cooked, remove the fat and enjoy the meat (what little there is of it.)

C. Fried Salted Meats
Salt Beef
Soak for several hours. Cut into small strips. Fry in grease or butter if available. Great when added with fried potatoes.

Salt Pork
Salt pork is mostly salt and fat. There is very little meat. As a flavor enhancer, salt pork is highly valued. As food, it leaves much to be desired. If you intend to eat fried sowbelly, fry bacon instead. If you cannot eat it, what good is it?
"The westward migration owes much to salt pork. For pioneers, it was considered a staple in every larder. [ ] Homesteaders prized it above hard money. [ ] Saltpork begins as the fatty parts from the back, side, or belly of a hog. [ ] Fattier than bacon, it was cured by the dry-salt method but not smoked. Western cooks used it a a flavor and as a supplement to meat. [ ] Unlike meat, salt pork would keep awhile without spoiling. [ ] The flavor imparted to foods is unique to itself. At a time when spice racks were usually unavailable, salt pork served heroically with bland foods. [ ] [Soldiers] often carried salt pork. They fried it, sopping hardtack in the grease, thereby softening what was an otherwise jawbreaking form of bread. Cowhands in line camps generally dredged slices of salt port in flour and then fried it. The grease served as a substitute for butter. By modern taste standards, it sounds pretty dreadful. Old-timers were damn glad to get it. The alternative was to go hungry. Offin the wilderness, several days might pass before some form of game found its way into the cooking pot. Salt pork, bread, and coffee provided a welcome supper and sustenance for tomorrow's hardships." From Matt Braun, Western Cooking.

Salt Pork Suggestion (Adamson's Grandmother in the Kitchen)
Soak salt pork (cut into slices for broiling or frying) in a one to two quarts milk and water; soak it over night if it is for breakfast, and for several hours before any other meal. The milk maybe either fresh or sour, and it is diluted with an equal quantity of water. Before cooking the slices, rinse them in water until it is clear. It will be found a very excellent method, and when once adopted will invariably be the choice of preparation.

Salt Pork and Sour Apples (Adamson's Grandmother in the Kitchen)
This makes a very satisfying summer dinner when served with Boiled New Potatoes. Cut the slices of pork; lay them in cold water in the spider (a spider is a frying pan with legs on the bottom - ed.); boil them for 2 to 3 minutes; then pour off the water and set the spider again on the coals; now dredge the slices in cornmeal seasoned with pepper and brown them on both sides in the spider. In another spider, fry 1/2 inch slices of good tart cored but unpeeled apples in butter or drippings after dredging them in a little flour mixed with a pinch of cinnamon or ginger. Serve the pork and apples together.

Floured Bacon (Matt Braun, Western Cooking)
Use thick sliced bacon. Lightly flour each side of the bacon. At medium heat, fry strips until brown on side. Flip and brown on other side.
This makes for exceptionally crispy bacon.

Ham and Red-Eye Gravy (Matt Braun, Western Cooking)
Fry ham in skillet. Remove ham but leave drippings. For each pound of ham, add 1/2 cup strong black coffee to pan drippings. Stir constantly and bring to boil. Serve over ham and biscuits.
This works well for all types of pig fat. You will be surprised how good it tastes.

Wild Pigeon (Adamson's Grandmother in the Kitchen)
Skin the birds to avoid the troublesome pinfeathers. Examine the inside very carefully, especially the liver, to make sure the birds were healthy. Soak them 30 minutes in a good deal of water to remove the blood. Truss and boil them with a little salt for another 1/2 hour and take off the scum as it rises. Take them out, season and flour them well; lay them into a dripping pan; strain the water in which they were boiled and put part of it into the pan; stir in a little piece of butter and baste the pigeons often. Let the birds roast in a warm (350 degree) oven about 1 1/2 hours. Check for doneness; pigeons need to be cooked a long time.

[Sam Doolin]

Re: Hardtack boxes

Greetings comrades,
Info on these boxes was taken from Kautz's "Customs of Service for Non- Commissioned Officers and Soldiers" and an article authored by James Loba and Leslie Jenson.
Tops, bottoms and sides are of 1/2", ends are of 3/4". They are made of pine as Basswood would drive the cost too high to be practical. Pine is however a very suitable alternative and in these dimensions is also stronger.
Construction uses a simple butt joint at corners and the two piece top and bottom use a tongue and groove joint as did originals. 5d cut box nails from Tremont Nail Co. are used to fasten the whole assembly. Sapling bands are of Elm as Hickory is non existant in Colorado. The bands are a continuous loop with a scarf joint made with polyurethne glue. This is the only modern concession and was done to provide a box that could be used repeatedly without having to destroy any components. If done properly, you can't even see the splice.
These boxes were used at Mansfield so many folks have seen them and could comment about appearance. The men from the 15th Texas own two of them. I include a couple of photos. (I hope)

Sam Doolin

[markj]

Re: Hardtack boxes

Hi,

Very nice. And, once again, these cost how much....?

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Sam Doolin]

Re: Hardtack boxes

We have three accurate stencils; AT Hanks, Robert Stears, and Mechanical Baking Company. Month/year can be any date desired and uncut cardstock stencils will be provided with various dates to allow a lot of flexibility in the use of the boxes. As far as a depot designation, there is none, only the point of origin which would be the maker or baking company. This could be added easily by painting such designation on ends or sides.
At present we would ask $110 for a finished , shipped box with your choice of makers stencil and date. for $90 we would supply what could be called a "kit". This would be completely stenciled and finished and would require just nailing the marked pieces together in predrilled pilot holes. This would allow a flat compact shipping package which is substantially less expensive to mail.
More info can be had from Dan Doolin(dedoolin@msn.com) or myself, Sam Doolin(oldrebshop@aol.com) I appreciate all the interest. I sorta look around and see items that are lacking in accurate reprductions and set out to rectify the situation. The boxes are one result as are the canteens I have been making. Thanks,
Sam Doolin
The Old Rebel Workshop
oldrebshop@aol.com

[Arkansas Box Boy]

Re: Hardtack boxes

Sam,
They look great!
In response to the question about wood type: It appears that Basswood was used in order to minimize a transfer of scent and taste to the bread itself. I can sympathize with you about the availability of basswood. I finally found some, but will have to plane it down to 1/2 & 5/8 inch thicknesses.

A good price for the amount of work you have put into them.

Don Tolbert
Holmes Brigade

tolberd@polaroid.com

[Sam Doolin]

Re: Hardtack boxes

I agree that Basswood would be preferable, but it's cost in modern greenbacks is over twice that of pine. Photos of surviving originals show pine was used there also. I have no reservations about using pine. It also must be planed to thickness as would the Basswood.
Sam Doolin