7 Foods Civil War Soldiers Really Ate

War is never a picnic, and the American Civil War became the deadliest war in US history. What everyone thought would end in a matter of weeks became a four-year battle between the Union and the Confederacy. The amount of supplies and rations needed was sometimes underestimated because the war dragged on, and soldiers on both sides had to get creative with their meals.

Soldiers during the Civil War were used to having their meals cooked for them, so it was a steep learning curve out on the battlefield and with sparse ingredients. The rations were technically edible but not always the tastiest, and while there were sometimes treats to boost morale, they were rare. These seven foods were real things that Civil War soldiers ate, making the best of what they were given.

Hardtack

A staple for Union soldiers during the Civil War was hardtack. Aptly named, hardtack was a rock-hard cracker made with flour, water, and salt. As long as it stayed dry, hardtack could last a long time, though the crates carrying hardtack would often get wet and mold or worms would begin to infest it. Soldiers soaked their hardtack in coffee, cooked it in lard, or broke it apart with the butts of their rifles to make it a bit more palatable.

Johnny Cakes

The Union army might have had hardtack, but the Confederate states didn't grow much wheat. The food Confederate soldiers more often had was Johnny cakes. These cakes were just as hard and dry as hardtack, but were made with cornmeal instead of flour. Without milk, sugar, or eggs to make cornbread, the Johnny cakes were hardly enjoyable, and Confederate soldiers would cook them with lard or even just steal food from their Union prisoners.

Salt Pork

When it was available, meat was given as part of the soldiers' rations. Usually pork, but sometimes beef, was overly salted and then stored in barrels of salt to preserve it as long as possible. Soldiers had to scrape off as much of the salt as they could before cooking the meat, but it still tasted incredibly salty. The salt pork was often the fattier portions of the animal, so the fat and grease could be used to cook other foods or as lamp oil.

Chicory Root Coffee

Coffee was another staple in the Union soldiers' rations, but the Confederate soldiers often had to struggle without it. They took to making their own substitutions, grinding up plants and vegetables to brew in the hopes it would taste similar. They used dandelions, rye, and sweet potatoes, but the most common substitute was chicory root, or the whole chicory plant. Some said it gave off a slightly similar taste to coffee, which was the best the Confederates could do until they could take rations from the Union soldiers or trade with them in temporary truces.

Desiccated Vegetables

Knowing that soldiers needed more than salt pork and hardtack to keep them healthy and strong, the Union and Confederacy began dehydrating vegetables to send to their troops. These weren't like the kale chips at Whole Foods, though. Several different vegetables, including carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes, were dried and then compressed into tight, hard pucks. They tasted so awful that soldiers started referring to them as "desecrated vegetables."

Condensed Milk

After seeing children sick from drinking spoiled milk, Gail Borden worked to make a shelf-stable milk. Using a vacuum evaporator, Borden invented condensed milk, which was popular with young children and Civil War soldiers alike. The Union army loved having a calorie-dense food that wouldn't spoil, and the Northern soldiers loved that it was sweet. Compared to their other rations, it was heavenly! Condensed milk played such a big role that some historians have said it helped the Union win the war.

Molasses

When sugar was hard to come by, molasses stepped up as the Civil War sweetener. This thick syrup was sent to the troops with their rations to aid in the eating of the less tasty offerings. Soldiers on both sides used molasses to sweeten their hardtack or Johnny cakes, as well as their coffee. Some men even made candy out of molasses since it was similar to taffy after boiling and drying it. This sweet treat helped keep morale from plummeting during an already depressing and bloody war.

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