Vegetarian Soldiers?

[John Rouse]

I was wondering if anyone had any information regarding primary sources for vegetarian soldiers of the era. I'm chiefly interested in learning if federal soldiers of the Army of the Potomac, albeit a scant minority, maintained these dietary limits, either of religious or otherwise convictions. Yet of course, any information will be very much welcomed. My apologies if this particular inquiry is redundant.

Did some privates, choose not to eat meat? Why or why not? Would it be fair conjecture, that if there were a handful in the AoP(or any army), these individuals would be ridiculed most severely by their comrades, NCO's, or even officers?

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Humbly present,

John Rouse

[WoodenNutmeg]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

The only evidence that I have ever uncovered regarding the conscious decision not to eat meat during the war by soldiers has been mainly because of health reasons and nothing more; I would be interested to read examples of any other type(s) of account.

[Gary of CA]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

I've love to hear about it. Having read hundreds of memoirs, diaries and journals, I don't recall a single instance where someone refrained from eating meat. The only time soldiers adopted vegeterian eating practices was when there was no meat.

[markj]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

I've love to hear about it. Having read hundreds of memoirs, diaries and journals, I don't recall a single instance where someone refrained from eating meat. The only time soldiers adopted vegeterian eating practices was when there was no meat.

I'll have to check again, but, as I recall, Thomas Hart Benton McCain (86th Indiana) noted in his letters that he deliberately went on a vegetarian diet, at least for a time, after noting that most of his comrades who ate the meat rations given them were quickly afflicted with the "Tennessee Trots"...or worse. McCain's intuitive decision panned out and he remained in good health. McCain may well have eaten meat afterwards, but I'll wager he obtained from the freshest sources possible.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Son of Eire]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

There is a collection of letters written by George F Cram titled Soldiering with Sherman that you would find helpful. Cram's regiment the 105th Ill was full of country boys and was particularly hard hit by disease. In response to this Private Cram paid especial attention to his health becoming a vegeterian and a stickler for personal hygeine.

[Spinster]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

As you look, one additional point of reference may be to look for the phrase 'grahamite' for the diet developed by Sylvester Graham in the 1830's -40's, which carried with it both nutritional and moral implications.

http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Sylvester_Graham

[AZReenactor]

From the Left Coast...

This from an old thread on the West Coast Campaigner (where else?) a couple of years ago.

This topic struck my curiosity since I am always interested in food and I know the Grahamites and others had "non traditional" diets.

It seems two Vegetarian Societies wore formed in America in the 1850s: the American Vegetarian Society in 1850 & the New York Vegetarian Association in 1852.

I came across a few famous vegeterians from around our era ; Sylvester Graham and John Harvey Kellogg. There is also Bronson Alcott, father of Louisa May who wrote Little Women. Also, though considerably earlier, John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, was apparently a Swedenborgian and a vegetarian.

It seems there is quite a lot on the net about the history of vegetarianism. The Address to the 2000 annual meeting of the UK Vegetarian Society talks about the 1850 founding of the Vegetarian Society and was rather interesting.

One very interesting resource is Matthew Brennan's Masters Thesis The Civil War Diet. It mentions vegetarianism in a number of places.

Another particularly interesting item is the letters of John Milton Hadley who enlisted as a private in the 8th Kansas Infantry in 1861 and rose to Major by 1865.

[Gallo de Cielo]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

Mitch Critel of our unit was making noise about becomming vegan so likely he is watching this thread with interest.

Regards,

[Hank Trent]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

Cram's regiment the 105th Ill was full of country boys and was particularly hard hit by disease. In response to this Private Cram paid especial attention to his health becoming a vegeterian and a stickler for personal hygeine.

Haven't read the letters, but I'm betting those two things in combination weren't coincidence. Sounds like he became a Grahamite (as Terre mentioned) or was following the hygienic branch of hydropathy, a natural descendant of Graham's philosophy, one of the loudest promoters in the 1860s being Russell Thacher Trall.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[hiplainsyank]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

I don't think that John Milton Hadley ever served in campaign with the 8th Kansas because they were sent to Corinth in May 1862, and subsequently served in the Army of the Cumberland, whereas it seems Hadley spent most of his time in Leavenworth and the Kansas area.

It would be hard to see how a soldier could live on basically hardtack and coffee and sugar and have enough energy to campaign for long periods of time. A body undergoing such exertions needs proteins and beans take a long time to prepare.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

I It would be hard to see how a soldier could live on basically hardtack and coffee and sugar and have enough energy to campaign for long periods of time. A body undergoing such exertions needs proteins and beans take a long time to prepare.

Joanna,

The nutrition related chapters in an 1863 publication by Surgeon General of the US Army, William A. Hammond, M.D., are well worth reading. You can find in Googlebooks a Treatise on Hygiene.

If the linky dinky works, that would be:

Treatise on Hygiene

This is a handy wartime (1863) source of information, and Hammond does discuss the effects of single source diets on dogs (primarily) and on humans. The latter being mostly prison cases. Immediately after the CW, the topic of military nutrition was a hot, hot, hot topic in the various medical publishing circles. For a more modern point of view (especially for those with an interest in either the Iron or Stonewall Brigade) clicking the link to Brennan's work is highly useful. Frankly, I use Brennan's Master's thesis to estimate the carbs and nutrients in our ration issues. The link is in Troy's post.

I can't recall who it was who asked if I had seen an intact copy of Kilburn's work the other day (the hardtack information from his work is splattered all over the web, and one of Tom Ezell's CG newsletter articles -- maybe about lighting sources), and I realized I had not and it hasn't (to my knowledge been reprinted or Google-ized), but two original copies are close by. One is in Box 29 at Gettysburg, and the other is at AHEC. Kilburn is the fellow who actually describes how the crackers go into the hardtack box, BTW. I mention Kilburn in this context, because Hammond also delves into the topic of detecting food adulteration.

[John Rouse]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

Thank you all for the great responses! They are most helpful and much appreciated! Any other insight is surely welcomed. Though I have plenty to get me started and I'll post any pertinent follow-up information I run across. Thanks!:)

Humbly Sentient,

John Rouse

[John Rouse]

Re: Vegetarian Soldiers?

An article of interest. There was a Vermont soldier, Franklin J. Hubbard, who wrote a letter while in Louisiana, dated 18 June 1862, to his brother, stating "I draw my rations in the morning, take what I want for the day & sell the rest. I keep my bread & potatoes sugar; sell all my meat...part of my soap & candles & the most of my Coffee & this I take to by milk, blackberrys cornbread Eggs fish &c &c so you see I live pretty well just now."

Interesting that he would sell all of his meat to his fellow soldiers, and with his earnings purchase fish, among the other fares he mentions.

I pulled the quote from Wiey's ...Yank, his citation lists the University of Vt. as the archival gatekeeper. Edwin C. Bearss' A War of the People: Vermont Civil War Letters contains references of Hubbards' letters. I haven't read the book, I plan on it. Doing a quick search, I came across a 2nd Vermont Battery- Roster by Towns. There was one Franklin J. Hubbard, listed as musician, from Whiting. I am unable to verify if this is the same soldier, though it seems likely.

Humbly Sentient,

John Rouse