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  • #1

    Watermellon

    Hello,
    I was wondering if anyone has read any diary or similar accounts of watermellon being eaten in camp or taken from a garden or anything of that nature. And also,
    what kind of watermellon would be period for events. In these hot days of summer i know there is not much that compairs to the refreshing taste of a slice of watermellon.
    Thanks
    Travis Franklin
    "Patrick Fhailen"

    The Missoura Shirkers
    4th Mo. Inf.

    "The Northern onslaught upon slavery was no more than a piece of specious humbug designed to conceal its desire for economic control of the Southern states." Charles Dickens, 1862
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Watermellon

    Travis,
    I have read an account of a Confederate company getting off of a steamer at Selma, Al and ransacking some farmers melon patch. The farmer boarded the train and every man had to pay his fare share. For the life of me though I can't recall which regiment it was but believe it was the 3rd Mississippi. I will track down the source and post a footnote with the full citation when I find it.
    Patrick Landrum
    Independent Rifles

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    • #3
      Re: Watermellon

      Patrick,
      Very interesting just the kind of thing i was hoping to find!!! Now to find what KIND of watermellons are period....
      Travis Franklin
      "Patrick Fhailen"

      The Missoura Shirkers
      4th Mo. Inf.

      "The Northern onslaught upon slavery was no more than a piece of specious humbug designed to conceal its desire for economic control of the Southern states." Charles Dickens, 1862

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Watermellon

        I'm going to guess and say just your regular vine ripe seed variety.
        Patrick Landrum
        Independent Rifles

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        • #5
          Re: Watermellon

          Apple Seeded
          Black Spanish (Spanish)
          Bradford
          Carolina
          Citron
          Clarendon
          Ice Cream
          Imperial
          Mountain Sprout
          Mountain Sweet
          Odell's Large White
          Orange
          Pie Melon (California Pie Melon)
          Ravenscroft
          Souter

          Source: Pages 182-188, Fearing Burr's Field and Garden Vegetables of America, 1865, reprinted in 1990.
          Italics indicate seeds still commercially available in the mid-1990s.
          [B]Charles Heath[/B]
          [EMAIL="heath9999@aol.com"]heath9999@aol.com[/EMAIL]

          [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Spanglers_Spring_Living_History/"]12 - 14 Jun 09 Hoosiers at Gettysburg[/URL]

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          [EMAIL="JDO@npmhu.org"] 11-13 Sep 09 Fortress Monroe [/EMAIL]

          [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Elmira_Death_March/?yguid=25647636"]2-4 Oct 09 Death March XI - Corduroy[/URL]

          [EMAIL="oldsoldier51@yahoo.com"] G'burg Memorial March [/EMAIL]

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          • #6
            Re: Watermellon

            Wow what more could i have asked for.I am sure me and my pards will be thanking the both of you emmencely at the next hot event!!!
            Travis Franklin
            "Patrick Fhailen"

            The Missoura Shirkers
            4th Mo. Inf.

            "The Northern onslaught upon slavery was no more than a piece of specious humbug designed to conceal its desire for economic control of the Southern states." Charles Dickens, 1862

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Watermellon

              I even picked up a couple of Ravenscroft melons at the Nashville Farmer's Market early Friday morning. Never can tell what you'll find in plain sight.
              Terre Hood Biederman
              Yassir, I used to be Mrs. Lawson. I still run period dyepots, knit stuff, and cause trouble.
              sigpic
              Wearing Grossly Out of Fashion Clothing Since 1958.

              ADVENTURE CALLS. Can you hear it? Come ON.

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              • #8
                Re: Watermellon

                I thought there was an account of one entrepenuring soldier filling a watermelon with some aquired whiskey and went around charging for a suck at it with a straw.

                I got no source for it though.

                Anybody?

                Randy Allen
                Manteo, NC

                (Randy, notice how much nicer the post looks with your signature. Setting up an automated signature is easy to do and keeps you within the boundaries of the AC Forum rules. Thanks! - Charles Heath, one of those pesky moderators)
                Last edited by Charles Heath; 08-14-2007, 10:13 AM. Reason: Signature
                Randy Allen

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                • #9
                  Re:Watermellon: a funny account

                  This is a mellon story as told by pvt David Cardwell,a cannoneer in McGregor's battery..3 miles SW of Petersburg 1864

                  "One hot afternoon our battery was ordered into camp near Jones's farm. When we had spread our blankets and unsaddled-that was all we had to do as we had no tents-some of the boys went out to see what the neighborhood afforded in the way of something to eat. Very soon one of them returned with information that Mr. Jones's watermellon crop had not been harvested.but lay in full view. and that the ground was fairly covered with luscious melons.
                  The fellow who brought the news was asked why ne did not bring in a sample, when he informed us that there was a guard over the patch.
                  For a moment the situation was gloomy. Soon Joe Pearl,rarely ever downed by trifles, said:"Boys, Ive got it;get ready to eat Jones's watermellons. Do you fellars join me? I will go on guard in the field myself and you boys lay along the fence in the bushes and I'll roll out the mellons".
                  We both had great faith in Pearl as a manager, but did not see how he would get away with the guard already in charge.
                  Well, we did as he directed. With a sabre hanging to his belt he mounted the fence and boldly advanced on the 'true' true' guard, who in time challenged
                  "HALT!" guard Pearl did not stop, but he commanded "HALT!" "Who are you?"
                  "I am on guard here" he answered. "Whose command do you belong to?" demanded Pearl in haughty tones, he replied "To Graham's battery" "AH! thats all right" said Pearl, "I am from McGregor's: you watch that end and I will watch this" And the goose said "All right"
                  In a few minutes our 'guard' began to roll out the largest and best mellons
                  under the fence. We held a council of war to decide wether we should give our officers any of them or not. Finally we decided to roll a mellon or two down to where they had their bivouac, and it was noticed that not one of them even cared to know where they come from"

                  taken from: Galloping Thunder: The Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion, by Robert J Trout orginally fr. CV 2 1894 David Cardwell "They Got The Watermellons"
                  Gary Mitchell
                  2nd Va. Cavalry Co. C
                  Stuart's horse artillery

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                  • #10
                    Re: Watermellon

                    Take to account season... and also go with organic, naturally.
                    2

                    Brett "Homer" Keen
                    Chicago
                    [I]"Excessively spirited in the pranks and mischief of the soldier"[/I]

                    OEF 03-04 [I]Truth Through Exploitation[/I]

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                    • #11
                      Re: Watermellon

                      We used to raise the Black Spanish (name of seed, studied the growth habit compared to Burr, and compared matured fruit with Burr -- it was the Black Spanish), and it really does look very much like what you can buy at the store today. Just don't go for a jumbo sized one, but otherwise, very similar. Tasted very similar as well.

                      Linda.
                      Linda Trent
                      [email]linda_trent@att.net[/email]

                      “It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble.
                      It’s what you know that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Watermellon

                        Where those "Black Spanish" the dark green round mellons with the dark pulp?
                        Gary Mitchell
                        2nd Va. Cavalry Co. C
                        Stuart's horse artillery

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Watermellon

                          And for my very first post... Something relevant!

                          From our Battery website...

                          http://www.batterybri.org/battery-b/Watermelons.htm
                          Martin T. LaBelle

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