pipe tobacco

[markj]

Re: Nice "soldier with cigar" image

Yeah, and all those cigars found on the Steamers Arabia (sank 1856) and Bertrand (sank 1865) were obviously for "high society" types too....

Here is much of the stuff that was found on the Arabia:

ITEM MATERIAL
AMOUNT
Tobacco chew boxes (unmarked) tobacco 200
Keg of chewing tobacco tobacco 3
Pipe tobacco in lead foil(1) lead foil/tobacco
100
Pipe stem bamboo
100
Pipe bowl clay
100
Cigar tobacco
7000
****

Wreathed in the fragrant aromatic smoke of an Arango Sportsman Vanilla 400 Maduro as he writes this,

Mark Jaeger

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Cigars

Is there any way of estimating the cost per smoke? In other words, how many cigars would have been in a box, vs. how many pipes could be filled from a paper of smoking tobacco? That might show how much (or how little) of a luxury a cigar was, compared to a pipe of tobacco.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

Hank,

I went back to _Historic Accounts_ and pulled some individual prices for cigars.

8 cigars cost $ .25
1 cigar $ .05
6 cigars $.31
2 cigars $ .01 1/2
3 cigars $ .01
1 box of 100 cigars $1.25
1 bundle of 25 cigars $ .38
12 cigars $ .12
200 cigars $2.00

There was no indication at to the size of the paper of smoking tobacco.

[CJSchumacher]

Re: Cigars

Four young cavalrymen from Pottsville, Pennsylvania ready to take on the world. There are some tremendous photographs on enlisted men and officers or the 7th PA cav at this site.

Source: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/commun...upid=145986&ck

[Chuck Winchester]

Re: Cigars

The Pickett's Mill standards list cigars for officers only. Some might say that this is a knee-jerk reaction to all the cigar smoking farbs...and that assesment may not be altoghter incorrect. However, there are a lot of factors to consider before you light up.
Garrison troops early war would likely have easy access to all types of tobacco. And there's a good chance most of the pictures showing cigar smoking soldiers weren't taken on campaign.
Secondly, the South was the main source of tobacco products of all types and there was a war going on which tended to dry up your source. The Atlanta quote is proof enough in itself that at least during the previous campaign tobacco of any type was at a premium. Once the city was captured that changed.
There is a modern perception that cigar smoking was something that denoted a gentleman, the corn cob or briar wood pipe was somewhat more rustic. However based on artwork and photo's of the period apparently this was a period perception as well. I'd suspect it was at least partly based in fact, simply from an availability standpoint, even before the war.
Could an industrious, determined soldier get his hands on a cigar if he wanted one? No doubt. But in the field were they PEC? Not likely. I'd consider all of the factors before diving in.
Chuck Winchester,
Critter Coy.
Pickett's Mill Battlefield

[markj]

Re: Cigars

The Pickett's Mill standards list cigars for officers only. Some might say that this is a knee-jerk reaction to all the cigar smoking farbs...and that assesment may not be altoghter incorrect. However, there are a lot of factors to consider before you light up.
Garrison troops early war would likely have easy access to all types of tobacco. And there's a good chance most of the pictures showing cigar smoking soldiers weren't taken on campaign.
Secondly, the South was the main source of tobacco products of all types and there was a war going on which tended to dry up your source. The Atlanta quote is proof enough in itself that at least during the previous campaign tobacco of any type was at a premium. Once the city was captured that changed.
There is a modern perception that cigar smoking was something that denoted a gentleman, the corn cob or briar wood pipe was somewhat more rustic. However based on artwork and photo's of the period apparently this was a period perception as well. I'd suspect it was at least partly based in fact, simply from an availability standpoint, even before the war.
Could an industrious, determined soldier get his hands on a cigar if he wanted one? No doubt. But in the field were they PEC? Not likely. I'd consider all of the factors before diving in.
Chuck Winchester,
Critter Coy.
Pickett's Mill Battlefield

One small item of interest: if you see somebody smoking a corn cob pipe, respectfully tell them to make it disappear: among other sources Alexis Libert's "Illustrated History of the Pipe" (London: Harold Starke Publishers, 1994) reports that corncob pipes are strictly post-war items. As might be expected in this country, there is even a "Corn Cob Pipe Museum":

Corn Cob Pipe Museum
400 West Front Street
Washington, MO
Phone: 636-239-2109

The precise date regarding the first fabrication of corncob pipes varies but most opine it was no earlier than 1867 and no later than 1869. This link provides further details:

http://www.corncobpipe.com/

Briar was popular. So was meerschaum. I've also seen reports of pipes made out of laurel (particularly by troops in Western Virginia). But "corn cobs?" Nope.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[RN_PAC]

Re: Cigars

[QUOTE=markj]One small item of interest: if you see somebody smoking a corn cob pipe, respectfully tell them to make it disappear: among other sources Alexis Libert's "Illustrated History of the Pipe" (London: Harold Starke Publishers, 1994) reports that corncob pipes are strictly post-war items.

Jeez, that's an eye opener. I have a nice origional period (non corncob) pipe that I took out to an event or too, but fearing for its safety actually made up a corn-cob pipe for myself to use in lieu of it. I was kind of proud of the corn-cob but looks like I'll be putting the kabosh on that :cry_smile Makes me a little embarrassed to think that that was incorrect all along (of course, there are PLENTY of other things I need to improve as well, but at least I am aware of those!).

Just as an interesting aside, I had my first encounter with a period reference to solders smoking marajuana. I was already sure that this had taken place, or at any rate was not entirely surprised to eventually find a reference to it (indeed, possibly many of you have already read of such instances) but I thought I'd share it for the interest of others). The reference is in the letters of Charles Brandegee (5th NY), who refers to many of the 5th smoking toke-weed while on Fort Federal Hill.

I am not suggesting that reenactors should do this by any means! Just sharing for interests' sake.

Respectfully,
Tom Scoufalos

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Re: Cigars

The reference is in the letters of Charles Brandegee (5th NY), who refers many of the 5th smoking toke-weed while on Fort Federal Hill.

Tom,

Charles Brandegee is saying "toke-weed" instead of tobacco (He's not referring to marijuana.) Charles and the boys from the 5th, are smoking good tobacco... That's all.

Marijuana wasn't called "weed" back then...

[markj]

Re: Cigars

[QUOTE=RN_PAC]

One small item of interest: if you see somebody smoking a corn cob pipe, respectfully tell them to make it disappear: among other sources Alexis Libert's "Illustrated History of the Pipe" (London: Harold Starke Publishers, 1994) reports that corncob pipes are strictly post-war items.

Jeez, that's an eye opener. I have a nice origional period (non corncob) pipe that I took out to an event or too, but fearing for its safety actually made up a corn-cob pipe for myself to use in lieu of it. I was kind of proud of the corn-cob but looks like I'll be putting the kabosh on that :cry_smile Makes me a little embarrassed to think that that was incorrect all along (of course, there are PLENTY of other things I need to improve as well, but at least I am aware of those!).

Just as an interesting aside, I had my first encounter with a period reference to solders smoking marajuana. I was already sure that this had taken place, or at any rate was not entirely surprised to eventually find a reference to it (indeed, possibly many of you have already read of such instances) but I thought I'd share it for the interest of others). The reference is in the letters of Charles Brandegee (5th NY), who refers to many of the 5th smoking toke-weed while on Fort Federal Hill.

I am not suggesting that reenactors should do this by any means! Just sharing for interests' sake.

Respectfully,
Tom Scoufalos

Hi Tom,

This site is also interesting although it's mostly in German:

http://www.pfeife-tabak.de/Artikel/Pfeifenkunde/Corncob/corncob.html

There is one pipe illustrated that has "1863" printed on a label attached to the underside of the bowl but I'd bet my next paycheck that the date merely refers to when the manufacturing company was established, rather than the actual date of the pipe itself.

As for the history of American social use of "mary jane," this book, which I have not yet read, appears to be a standard work on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312195230/102-4656599-8145736?v=glance

The above is offered strictly for educational purposes only.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

P.S. I just looked for the above title in the Purdue University on-line library catalog. The book is listed but, not surprisingly, it's currently identified as..."missing." Those wacky "kollege kids!" What will they do next? :tounge_sm

[vbetts]

Corn Cob pipes

SOUTHERN ILLUSTRATED NEWS, August 1, 1863, p. 32, c. 1

To Correspondents.

"An Inveterate Smoker" inquires concerning the best brands of Havana cigars and all about pipes. As an "inveterate smoker," he ought to be fully informed upon these subjects, but we have no objection whatever to give him what knowledge we have gathered from reading and experience. Of Havana cigars, we believe that the brand of Cubana of Carjaval is in best repute. His "weeds" obtained the first prize in the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park, and have ever since commanded the highest prices. They are mostly put up in boxes of one hundred each, and the mere smell of them upon lifting the lid of the box is enough to run an "inveterate smoker" distracted in these days of the blockade. Next to the Cubana stands the Partagg, which is even preferred by some consumers, and of which, like the Cubana, there are three grades of excellence—firsts, seconds and thirds—and three varieties of color: dark brown, medium and light brown. Then we have the Figaro, a glorious after-dinner companion, of which the larger quantity manufactured are "pressed" in shape. These are known as genuine by a representation of the jolly Figaro of the opera, smoking, burnt into the top of the box lid with a hot iron brand. None of these superior cigars are for sale in the tobacco shops of Richmond. Occasionally we have seen a Cubana or a Figaro in the hands of an amateur who had a friend on board the Giraffe or the Antonica, but they have wholly disappeared from the Southern market. Before the war they used to sell at from $80 to $100 a thousand; now they might, perhaps, be retailed at any price from 75 cents to one dollar and a half apiece.

As for pipes, we are reluctant to enter upon the subject, for fear of being drawn into a dissertation, and our remarks becoming, like the clouds that issue from pipes, voluminous. Whole volumes, indeed, might be written of the meerschaum, the hookah, the narghile, the porcelain, the common clay, the dudeen, the briar-root, the corn-cob, and then of the smoking tobacco in its endless varieties of Jatakia, Perrique, Old Virginia, &c., &c.

Sublime tobacco, which, from East to West,
Cheers the tar's labors and the Turkman's rest.

The meerschaum, we believe, is omnium consensu, the prince of pipes, when made of the genuine Trieste article and furnished with veritable amber mouth-piece. But there are those who, having smoked the pipe of peace and the pipe of war, and qualified themselves to sit in judgment upon the comparative excellency of all kinds of pipes, declare without hesitation that the Powhatan clay pipe is above and beyond all others. The corn-cob, if finished by the hand of an artist, is a delicious and very beautiful pipe, and has the merit of being easily procurable, everywhere. As for the briar-root, which some dealers have the audacity to sell at ten, fifteen and twenty dollars, it is in our judgment a poor thing, and will not long enjoy its present popularity. With so much of palaver, we dismiss the matter, hoping to enjoy a puff or two with our correspondent when business or pleasure may bring him to Richmond.

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

[vbetts]

Corn cob pipes

[LITTLE ROCK] WEEKLY ARKANSAS GAZETTE, October 20, 1860, p. 1, c. 8

Campaign Song.
Air.—"Oh Susannah."

I had a dream the other night,
When all around was still;
I dream'd I saw poor Breckinridge
A sitting on a hill.
A corn-cob pipe was in his mouth,
A tear was in his eye;
Says he, they'll beat us North and South;
But Yancey do not cry.
Oh, Fire-eaters do not cry, said he,
Tho' we are left of hope bereft
By Bell, of Tennessee.

Not far away stood Stephen A.,
I think I see him now,
With clenched fist and lips compressed,
And dark and frowning brow.
With sorrowing phiz poor Breckinridge
No sooner caught his eye,
Than hands did place upon his face,
And loud began to cry,
Oh, Lord, Stephen, don't be mad with me;
There was nothing so deceivin'
As that Bell, of Tennessee.

Then in the rear there did appear,
A doleful picture drawn,
With clothes neglect and hair erect,
And features woe-begone.
I'll go again to splitting rails,
Quoth he with piteous sigh;
The colored question once more fails,
So, darkies, let us cry;
Oh, dear niggers, come and cry with me;
Our hopes are o'er for evermore,
With Bell, of Tennessee.

Then by his side I there espied,
Old Buck, with phiz demure;
Friend Abe, he said, I'm much afraid,
Our cause is hopeless sure.
To Breckinridge tho' I was pledged,
All powers I did apply,
Tho' indirect, you to elect,
So Lincoln do not cry.
Oh, fanatics, do not cry, said he;
We all have feel by Old John Bell,
That hails from Tennessee.

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

[markj]

Re: Corn cob pipes

[LITTLE ROCK] WEEKLY ARKANSAS GAZETTE, October 20, 1860, p. 1, c. 8

Campaign Song.
Air.—"Oh Susannah."

I had a dream the other night,
When all around was still;
I dream'd I saw poor Breckinridge
A sitting on a hill.
A corn-cob pipe was in his mouth,
A tear was in his eye;
Says he, they'll beat us North and South;
But Yancey do not cry.
Oh, Fire-eaters do not cry, said he,
Tho' we are left of hope bereft
By Bell, of Tennessee.

Not far away stood Stephen A.,
I think I see him now,
With clenched fist and lips compressed,
And dark and frowning brow.
With sorrowing phiz poor Breckinridge
No sooner caught his eye,
Than hands did place upon his face,
And loud began to cry,
Oh, Lord, Stephen, don't be mad with me;
There was nothing so deceivin'
As that Bell, of Tennessee.

Then in the rear there did appear,
A doleful picture drawn,
With clothes neglect and hair erect,
And features woe-begone.
I'll go again to splitting rails,
Quoth he with piteous sigh;
The colored question once more fails,
So, darkies, let us cry;
Oh, dear niggers, come and cry with me;
Our hopes are o'er for evermore,
With Bell, of Tennessee.

Then by his side I there espied,
Old Buck, with phiz demure;
Friend Abe, he said, I'm much afraid,
Our cause is hopeless sure.
To Breckinridge tho' I was pledged,
All powers I did apply,
Tho' indirect, you to elect,
So Lincoln do not cry.
Oh, fanatics, do not cry, said he;
We all have feel by Old John Bell,
That hails from Tennessee.

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

Leave it to Vicki Betts and her newspaper articles to make liars out of all of us. Vicki, I would STRONGLY suggest you contact the corncob pipe museum and that corncob pipe website and let them know about your items.

Maybe the "history" of corncob pipes should be qualified in that they were undoubtedly pressed into service when necessary but they were not commercially or, at least systematically, patented and offered for sale until after the war.

Inquiring minds want to know,

Mark Jaeger

[vbetts]

Re: Cigars

Actually, Mark, your post on the corncob pipes at first struck terror to my heart! I had written an article on tobacco usage among Southern women for the Citizens' Companion, and had boldly stated that the corncob pipe was indeed available during the war. I *had* to backtrack and see if I had been totally misled by postwar accounts. Whew!! Back ot our previously scheduled program... ;)

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

[markj]

Re: Cigars

Actually, Mark, your post on the corncob pipes at first struck terror to my heart! I had written an article on tobacco usage among Southern women for the Citizens' Companion, and had boldly stated that the corncob pipe was indeed available during the war. I *had* to backtrack and see if I had been totally misled by postwar accounts. Whew!! Back ot our previously scheduled program... ;)

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

Well, I don't want to scare anybody! In any event your quotes indicate that corncob pipes were, first and foremost, items made only individually or in small quantities. I can't imagine any "gentleman" worth his salt condescending to smoke such a "rustic" device when he could easily obtain a briar or meerschaum pipe.

The "true history" of corncob pipes as mass-produced commercial items still apparently starts in 1869 as stated on the website. I would also think antebellum use of them was pretty much confined to corn-belt states in the West and South; they likely were little known, if at all, in the North and East. I've never seen advertisements for corncob pipes in any Northern papers and my guess you haven't either. Maybe a check through "Making of America" might bring up some more "hits."

Of interest is that no corncob pipes were found on either the "Bertrand" or the "Arabia." Of the hundreds that were recovered, they were all either made of wood (e.g., briar) or clay.

Your thoughts, ma'am?

Mark Jaeger

[vbetts]

Re: Cigars

I would say that you are correct. Limited to corn growing areas, not sold in stores, in peace time might get them from a skilled uncle or grandfather or neighbor if you weren't particularly that handy yourself, and a skill handed down person to person within families or neighborhoods as are so many of that time period. In wartime all sorts of swapping might be going on if your comrade could produce a sweet smoking item and you didn't have the knack. I have seen no advertisements for corncob pipes in Southern newspapers, my primary field of interest, whereas I have seen other pipes mentioned.

BTW, if anyone is interested in researching tobacco products in the South, 1860-1865, I've transcribed quite a few newspaper advertisements that give types and brands, and some articles that mention a few prices. See: http://www.uttyler.edu/vbetts/newspaper_titles.htm and enter pipe, tobacco, cigar, snuff, etc.

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

[markj]

Re: Cigars

I did some searching "Making of America" (both U. of MI and Cornell) sites and did find a number of references to corncob pipes. Here are the most interesting items I pulled from U. of MI:


Author: [Devens, Richard Miller]
Title: The pictorial book of anecdotes and incidents of the war of the rebellion, civil, military, naval and domestic ...from the time of the memorable toast of Andrew Jackson--"The federal union; it must be preserved!" ... to the assassination of President Lincoln, and the end of the war. With famous words and deeds of woman, sanitary and hospital scenes, prison experiences, &c. By Frazar Kirkland [pseud.]
Publication date: 1867.
Collection: Making of America Books
Search results: 1 match in full text
list of all pages | view first page | add to bookbag
Page 233 - 1 term matching "corncob pipe"

************

Author: Kennedy, John Pendleton, 1795-1870.
Title: Swallow barn, or, A sojourn in the Old Dominion. By J. P. Kennedy.
Publication date: 1860.
Collection: Making of America Books
Search results: 1 match in full text
list of all pages | view first page | add to bookbag
Page 472 - 1 term matching "corncob pipe"

*************

Author: Brewerton, George Douglas, 1820-1901.
Title: The war in Kansas. A rough trip to the border, among new homes and a strange people. By G. Douglas Brewerton ...
Publication date: 1856.
Collection: Making of America Books
Search results: 1 match in full text
list of all pages | view first page | add to bookbag
Page 250 - 1 term matching "corncob pipe"

**************

Author: King, Clarence, 1842-1901.
Title: Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada. By Clarence King ...
Publication date: 1874.
Collection: Making of America Books
Search results: 1 match in full text
list of all pages | view first page | add to bookbag
Page 28 - 1 term matching "corncob pipe"

***************

Author: Browne, J. Ross
Title: A Ride on the Texan Frontier
Publication Info.: Overland monthly and Out West magazine. / Volume 1, Issue 2, Aug 1868, pp.157-164
Collection: Making of America Journal Articles
Search results: 1 match in full text
table of contents | view first page | add to bookbag
A Ride on the Texan Frontier, J. Ross Browne, pp.157-164
Page 163 - 1 term matching "corncob pipe"

Note that all of the above deal with Western (i.e., Trans-Mississippi) or Southern contexts!

Here are some other interesting items I found at the Cornell site, using the key words "corn-cob" and "pipe" as well as the dates 1850-1870.

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/moa-cgi?notisid=ABK4014-0011-3

("The History and Mystery of Tobacco")

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/moa-cgi?notisid=ABK4014-0012-4

("Remembrances of the Mississippi," Harper's New Monthly Magazine," December 1855. A "corn-cob pipe" is mentioned on page 40.)

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/moa-cgi?notisid=ABK4014-0018-3

("Winter in the South," Harper's New Monthly Magazine, December 1858. Pages 4 and 7 mention "corn-cob pipes.")

Once again, these types of pipes are strictly used in a Southern, "rustic" type of context.

There are undoubtedly other citations. The "Scientific American" also carries a number of references to pipes (including corn cob pipes). One in particular is in its 6 March 1869 issue, page 146:

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/moa-cgi?notisid=ABF2204-1020-12

Regards,

Mark Jaeger