Hardtack

Today we will discuss HARDTACK. This was a staple for the soldiers during the Civil War. Easy to prepare and store, it lasted a long time. Not very tasty but the soldiers found ways to make it taste better and we will explore all those fun tidbits of information in today’s blog.

First of all…what is hardtack? Hardtack lived up to its name and was definitely hard, breaking its fair share of teeth, especially as it aged. Often times it would be several months old before it even arrived to a camp to be distributed to the soldiers. It was similar to a cracker and easy and cheap to prepare in bulk. I have enclosed a recipe and baking instructions for those of you wishing to be adventurous and give it a try. J

The life of a soldier during the Civil War was treacherous especially for Confederate Soldiers whose army supply commissaries had yet to be fully developed at the onset of the war.  Both the North and the South thrived on hardtack. Most rations consisted of hardtack, dried meat or uncooked meat such as bacon, corn meal, sugar, and some fruits and vegetables if they were lucky. Six to eight hardtack crackers were rationed for a three day supply.

One recipe that they used to make their meals more bearable was called “swoosh” They would cook the bacon in a frying pan and then throw cornmeal into the hot grease or dip their hard tack in it to soften it up.

Soldiers would often cook at the same campfire called “mess”. If they knew that they would be marching the next day they would take the time to cook up their rations for the week and store in their haversacks so they would have food ready as needed.

Hardtack Recipe

3/4 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tbs animal fat
6 pinches of salt
Make a thick batter and knead. Roll out into a thich layer approximately 1/2" thick. Bake for 1/2 an hour at 400 degrees, cut into squares. Using a toothpick poke several holes in each square. Turn the squares over and cook for another half an hour. Remove from oven, cool and eat.

For kicks here is a song that the soldiers came up with for their distaste for hardtack.

"'Tis the song that is uttered in camp by night and day,
'Tis the wail that is mingled with each snore;
'Tis the sighing of the soul for spring chickens far away,
'Oh hard crackers, come again no more!'

'Tis the song of the soldier, weary, hungry and faint,
Hard crackers, hard crackers, come again no more;
Many days have I chewed you and uttered no complaint,
Hard crackers, hard crackers, come again no more!"

-from a soldiers' parable called "Hard Times"