1863 SPECIFICATIONS Assistant Commissary General of Subsistence - Lt. Col. C.L.

Kilburn - Notes on P reparing Stores for the United States Army and on the Care of the Same, etc, wit h a few rules for Detecting Adulterations - Printed 1863 Under Hard Bread Should be made of best quality of superfine, or what is usually known as extra s uperfine flour; or better, of extra and extra superfine, (half and half). Hard b read should be white, crisp, light and exhibit a flaky appearance when broken. If tough, solid and compact, is evident the fault is either in the stock, manufa cture or baking; it should not present the appearance of dried paste. If tough a nd pasty, it is probably manufacture from grown wheat, or Spring wheat of an inf erior kind. In all cases it should be thoroughly cooled and dried before packing . Kiln drying, where practicable, for long voyages, is particularly desirable; b ut if really and thoroughly dried in the oven, hard bread will keep just as well and its flavor is not destroyed. To make good hard bread, it is essential to em ploy steam; hand work will not do. The dough should be mixed as dry as possible; this is, in fact, very essential, and too much stress can not be placed on it. Good stock, dry mixed, and thorough ly baked, (not dried or scalded) will necessarily give good hard bread. If salt is to be used, it should be mixed with the water used to mix the dough. Both sa lt and water should be clean. Bread put up with the preceding requirements shoul d keep a year; but as a usual thing, our best bread as now made for army use, wi ll keep only about three months. Good, bread, packed closely and compactly shou ld not weigh, net, per barrel, more than 70 or 80 pounds; should it be heavier t hat 80 it indicates too much moisture. The thickness of the biscuit is importan t; it should not be so thick as to prevent proper drying, or so thin as to crumb le in transportation. The quality of stock used for hard bread can be partially told by rules mentioned in the article 'Flour,' as far as they apply. The term 'sprung' is frequently used by bakers, by which is meant raised or flaky bread, indicating strong flour and sound stock. The cupidity of the contracting baker i nduces him to pack his bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, and before the moisture has been completely expelled by drying. Bread of this kind hangs on b reaking; it will also be soft to the pressure of the finger nail when broken, wh ereas it should be crisp and brittle. The packages should be thoroughly seasoned, (of wood imparting no taste or odor to the bread,) and reasonably tight. The usual method now adopted is to pack 50 pounds net, in basswood boxes, (sides, top and bottom 1/2 inch, ends 5/8 of an inch,) and of dimensions corresponding with the cutters used, and strapped at ea ch end with light iron or wood. The bread should be packed on its edge compactl y, so as not to shake. Bread thoroughly baked, kiln dried, and packed in spirit casks, will keep a long time but it is an expensive method. If bread contains weevils, or is mouldy, ex pose to the sun on paulins, and before re-packing it, rinse the barrel with whis key. Other Traditional Recipes Army Hardtack Recipe Ingredients: 4 cups flour (perferably whole wheat) 4 teaspoons salt Water (about 2 cups) Pre-heat oven to 375 F Makes about 10 pieces

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that wont stick to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out, shapin g it roughly into a rectangle. Cut into the dough into squares about 3 x 3 inche s and inch thick. After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square, using a nail or other such object. Do not punch through the dough. The appearance you want is similar to that of a modern saltine cracker. Turn each s quare over and do the same thing to the other side. Place the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minut es. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides. The fresh crackers are easily broken but as they dry, they harden and assume the consistentency of fired brick. Swedish Hardtack 1 cup water 3 tbsp. vegetable oil 3 tbsp. honey 3 cups rye flour (or 1 1/2 cups rye & 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour) 1 1/2 tbsp. brewer's yeast (optional) 1/4 tsp. salt Mix liquids together. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine the mix tures, stirring to moisten throughout. Form a ball. On a floured surface, flat ten the dough, and roll out thinly. Cut into squares and prick each cracker with the tines of a fork a couple of times. Transfer to lightly greased baking shee ts. Bake at 425 F for around 8 minutes, checking to be sure not to over-brown. I t is best served warm. Simple Recipes Flour, water, and a little salt. Mix them together to form an elastic but not st icky dough, Roll to a one-inch thickness, bake in a 400 F oven until slightly bro wn. Allow to cool. It may yet be soft. Put it in 200 F oven until it is hard. Pri ck with nail or sharp instrument. No baking powder, soda, sugar, cinnamon, raisi ns, or anything else. Just mix about 2 cups of flour and a half-tablespoon of salt with enough water t o make a stiff dough. Roll it out thin on a cookie sheet. Score it into square s of about 2x2 and poke some holes in it (not all the way through). Bake it at 400 F for about 45 minutes or until it is lightly browned. Let it cool in the oven . Preheat oven to 400 F. For each cup of flour (unbleached wheat), add1 tsp. of sal t. Mix salt and flour with just enough water to bind ingredients. Roll the doug h about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into squares 3 inches by 3 inches. Pierce each square with 16 holes about inch apart. Place hardtack squares on cookie sheet a nd bake in oven until the edges are brown or the dough is hard (20-25 minutes), making sure all moisture is removed from mixture before taking out of oven. Not e: The longer you bake the hardtack, the more authentic it will appear. If you w ant to make it softer for eating, bake only about fifteen minutes. Mix: two cups of all-purpose flour and a half teaspoon of salt. Use more salt f or authenticity. Mix by hand. Add a teaspoon of shortening and a half cup of wat er, stirred in a little at a time to form a very stiff dough. Beat the dough to a half inch thickness with a clean top mallet or rifle butt. Fold the sheet of dough into six layers. Continue to beat and to fold the dough a half dozen time

s until it is elastic. Roll the dough out to a half-inch thickness before cuttin g it with a floured biscuit cutteror bayonet. Bake for about a half hour in a 32 5 F oven. The basic ingredients are flour, salt and water. General directions are also sim ilar: Dissolve the salt in water and work it into flour using your hands. The d ough should be firm and pliable but not sticky or dry. Flatten the dough onto a cookie sheet to about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into squares 3 inches by 3 inches. Pierce each square with 16 holes about inch apart. Bake in oven until edges a re brown or dough is hard. Preheat the oven to 400 F For each cup of flour add 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix salt and flour with just enough water to bind. Bake 20-25 minutes. The longer you ba ke the hardtack, the more authentic it will appear. Use one part water to six parts flour. Mix in salt. Roll the dough flat and scor e into cracker shapes. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 F and let it cool until comp letely dry before storing in canisters. The crackers should be hard as bricks an d indestructibly unappetizing. A cup of water 2 cups of flour 6 pinches of salt Mix flour, water, and salt into a stiff dough, kneading it several times. Sprea d dough inch thick onto baking sheet and slice into 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch squares. Poke holes in dough, four lines of four holes across and four down. Bake for hour at 400. F. Remove from the oven, cut the dough into 3 inch squares. Turn d ough over, return it to the oven, and bake for another hour. Turn the oven off, leaving the oven door closed. Leave the hardtack in the oven until it is cool. Less Traditional Recipes 2 c 1/2 1/2 1/2 Flower tb Salt (optional) tb Sugar (optional) c Water

Mix together in an electric blender at medium speed until it has the consistency of playdough. Roll it out with a rolling pin to about 1/3" or so, the thinner t he crisper, then cut it into 3 x 3 inch squares. I use the barrel of a ball poi nt pen to punch 16 holes (4 x 4) in each square. Bake at 375 F on the first side for 20-25 minutes or until it turns a light brown color, then turn them over and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Small Batch, Just for a taste. 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/2- 3/4 cup water Mix to a stiff dry dough. It should not stick to your hands. Add water slowly. Add more flour if needed. Cut to 3x3 inch squares 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Now put 16 little holes in each one, using a 10 d nail or some other such thing. Toothpi ck are too small. Bake in an ungreased cookie pan, preheated to 400 F for about 2 0 to 30 minutes on each side, or until dry. Check it every now and then. 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons buttermilk 1 cup flour 4 teaspoons real maple syrup

3/8 teaspoons salt 1-1/2 tablespoons shortening Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix the soda and buttermilk, then set aside. Combine flou r, syrup, and salt. Cut in the shortening. Add the buttermilk mixture. Roll ou t very thin and score rectangles in the dough without cutting all the way throug h. Prick each rectangle several times with a fork. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. 2 cups of flour 3/4 to 1 cup water 1 tbl spoon of Crisco 6 pinches of salt Mix the ingredients together to form a stiff batter, kneading several times. Spr ead the dough onto a baking sheet at a thickness of 1/2 inch. Bake for a half ho ur at 400 F. Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four row s of holes, four holes per row into the dough. Turn dough over, return to the o ven and bake another half hour. Turn oven off, leaving door closed. Leave the h ardtack in the oven until cool. 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2` cup cracked wheat 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk Combine the flours, cornmeal, wheat, sugar and salt. Add buttermilk, mix well, a nd knead briefly. Shape dough into golf-ball-sized portions. Dust with flour and roll very thin. Place on greased and floured baking sheet. Bake at 400 F turni ng several times, until lightly browned on both sides. Cool; then store in water proof container. 2 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 Level teaspoons baking powder pinch of salt 1/2 cup flour cups sugar eggs, well beaten jelly glass of orange marmalade lb Finely chopped walnuts lb Finely chopped dates

Sift ingredients together. Add the remainder of ingredients; mix well. Bake abo ut an inch thick on a cookie sheet in an oven at 375 F for about 45 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. 2 1 1 6 cups of flour cup water tablespoon of Crisco or vegetable fat. pinches of salt

Bake for 30 minutes at 400 F. Remove the dough from the oven, and cut it into 3-i nch squares. Punch four rows of holes into the dough. Turn the dough over, retu rn it to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. A Sailor's Diet 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick oats. 3 cups unbleached flour.

1 1/2 teaspoons salt. 1 teaspoon baking soda. In a separate container, mix: 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. 3 tablespoons honey. 1/2 cup melted bacon drippings or shortening. Combine the two sets of ingredients. When the dough is thoroughly mixed, roll it out on a floured board to a thickness of about a quarter inch. Cut out circles of dough with a large drinking glass dipped in flour and put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 5 1/2 minutes at 450 F. Let the hardtack c ool on a wire rack before serving with jam or jelly. Confederate Recipes As the the Civil War progressed, both sides faced hard times, but the South foun d it particularly difficult. Farmers became soldiers, and a large percentage of Southern crops were used to feed the troops in the field. Union troops blockaded the 3,000 miles of Southern coast, and commercial trade w as prohibited between the Confederacy and the rest of the United States. Clothes , food, and many other items were no longer flowing into the South. Food became more and more scarce as Northern troops cut rail transport lines. Wh ile Southern farmers switched from cotton and tobacco crops to cultivating edibl e products, there was often no way to package the food for transport. Most Southern civilians gladly shared their food with Confederate troops; by gro wing more than they needed, by inviting soldiers to share from their table, and by limiting their own consumption. The rule among the South was personal sacrifi ce and devotion to the ideal of preserving the homeland. Southerners made do with the food they had available to them. Some of their reci pes are provided below, some of them modernized for todaCampfiresys provisions. Artificial Oysters 1 or 2 eggs 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 12 ounces of whole kernel corn Beat eggs, adding flour, a tablespoon at a time until smooth. Add salt, pepper, corn, and 2-3 teaspoons of water (or liquid from canned corn). Make oval cakes 3 x 2 1/2 inches. Fry in a mixture of butter and oil. Turn once. Drain co rn oysters on paper. Serve with roast chicken or beef, if available. They may al so be eaten with maple syrup or honey. Cottage Cheese The next recipe, from the Confederate Receipt Book, published in 1863, describes how ot prepare homemade cottage cheese: This is a good way of using up a pan of milk that is found to be turning sou r. Having covered it, set it in a warm place till it becomes a curd, then pour o ff the liquid, and tie up the curd in a clean linen bag with a pointed end, and set a bowl under it to catch the droppings, but do not squeeze it. After it has drained ten or twelve hours transfer the curd to a deep dish, enrich it with som e cream, and press and chop it with a large spoon till it is a soft mass, adding as you proceed an ounce or more of nice fresh butter.

Note: On the remainder of this page, text in italics is from the Confederate Receipt Book. Indian Sagamite Three parts of Indian meal and one of brown sugar, mixed and browned over th e fire, will make the food known as Sagamite. Used in small quantities, it not o nly appeases hunger but allays thirst, and is therefore useful to soldiers on a scout. South Boston Brown Bread 1 cup rye flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons unbleached or all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup raisins 1 pint buttermilk or sour milk 1/4 cup molasses Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add raisins. Stir. Mix buttermilk an d molasses, and pour into the first mixture. Blend all ingredients together well , and pour into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes. Yields one loaf. Notes: To sour milk, put 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar in a pint mea suring cup. Add milk to make 2 cups. Stir, and let sit a few minutes, until clab bered. This bread is named after South Boston, in Halifax County, Virginia. Corn Bread 1 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk 2 eggs 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour 1/4 cup melted butter Combine the first five ingredients. Stir in cornmeal and flour. Add the melt ed butter. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 425 degrees F f or 30 minutes. Molasses Corn Bread 1 1/2 cups wheat bran 1 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 1/3 cup molasses

Combine dry ingredients. Add liquids and blend well. Pour into a greased 9x9 -inch baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. You can make muffins with the same mixture by pouring it into 18 greased muffin tins and baking at 3 75 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cornmeal Loaves 4 cups yellow cornmeal 2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar 6 tablespoons butter, melted 4 cups buttermilk or sour milk Mix dry ingredients. Stir in butter and buttermilk. Blend well. Pour batter into two greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Let stand for 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degre es F for 50-60 minutes. Biscuits From the Confederate Receipt Book, three recipes for biscuits follow. Take one quart of flour, three teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, mixed well t hrough the flour, two tablespoons of shortening, one teaspoonful of soda, dissol ved in warm water, of a sufficient quantity to mould the quart of flour. For lar ge families the amount can be doubled. Take two quarts of flour, two ounces of butter, half pint of boiling water, one teaspoonful of salt, one pint of cold milk, and half cup yeast. Mix well and set to rise, then mix a teaspoonful of saleratus in a little water and mix into dough, roll on a board an inch thick, cut into small biscuits, and bake twenty minutes. One quart of sour milk, one teaspoonful of soda, one of salt, a piece of but ter the size of an egg, and flour enough to make them roll out. Also from the Confederate Receipt Book, a recipe for nice buns: Take three quarters of a pound of sifted flour, two large spoonfuls of brown sugar, two spoonfuls of good yeast, add a little salt, stir well together, and when risen work in two spoonfuls of butter, make into buns, set it to rise again , and bake on tins. Another Recipe for Nice Buns 1 heaping tablespoon baking yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 teaspoon honey or sugar 2 cups warm water 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 5 cups whole wheat flour 1/4 cup wheat germ 1 teaspoon salt Dissolve yeast in warm water with honey added. When mixture froths and bubbl es up, add the 2 cups warm water and the oil. Meanwhile, combine flour, wheat ge rm, and salt. Combine the two mixtures and mix thoroughly. Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. For

m a large ball of dough and put it in a greased bowl, turning the ball once to g rease its entire surface. Cover, set in a warm place, and allow to rise until do uble in bulk, which may take an hour or more. Next, divide the dough, using a kn ife, into 16 balls. Flatten slightly. Place on a greased baking sheets. Let rise again until almost doubled in size. Bake at 450 degrees F for ten minutes. Make s 16 buns. Baking powder didnt become commercially available until the late 1860s. I t was made from a carefully measured ratio of cream of tartar and soda. Prior to the introduction of baking powder, women leavened their breads and cakes with s our milk and molasses, or pearl ash (potassium carbonate), or saleratus (a comme rcial preparation of potassium bicarbonate. Whole Wheat Biscuits (Using Todays Leavening Agents) 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 8 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups milk Mix edients h space bout 12 dry ingredients. Combine oil and milk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingr quickly. Drop spoonfuls of dough on greased baking sheets, leaving enoug between the biscuits to allow for expansion. Bake at 425 degrees F for a minutes.

Buckwheat Cakes 1 tablespoon baking yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-2 teaspoons honey or sugar 1 1/2 cups warm milk 2-3 eggs 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup buckwheat flour Dissolve yeast in warm water, adding salt and sweetener. Beat in remaining i ngredients with a rotary beater or whisk. At this point, cover and let rise for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight in a 3-quart container. If refrigerated, le t the batter come to room temperature before using. Cook pancakes on a lightly g reased griddle, or in a skillet, over medium heat. Flip pancakes when small bubb les appear. Remove when they stop steaming. Makes about sixteen 4-inch pancakes. Pumpkin Bread Boil a good pumpkin in water till it is quite thick, pass it through a sieve , and mix flour so as to make a good dough. This makes an excellent bread. Soldier around campfireLoaf Rice Bread Boil a pint of rice soft, add a pint of leaven, then three quarts of rice fl our, put it to rise in a tin or earthen vessel, until it has raised sufficiently ; divide it into three parts, and bake it as other bread, and you will have thre e large loaves, or scald the flour, and when cold mix half wheat flour or corn m eal, raised with leaven in the usual way. One quart of rice flour, make it into a stiff pap, by wetting with warm wate r, not so hot as to make it lumpy, when well wet add boiling water, as much as t

wo or three quarts, stir it continually until it boils, put in half pint of yeas t when it cools, and a little salt, knead in as much wheat flour as will make it a proper dough for bread, put it to rise, and when risen add a little more whea t flour, let it stand in a warm place half an hour, and bake it. This same mixtu re only made thinner and baked in rings make excellent muffins. Jonny Cakes To three spoonfuls of soft boiled rice add a small tea cup of water or milk, then add six spoonfuls of rice flour, which will make a large Jonny cake or six waffles. Rice Cakes Take a pint of soft boiled rice, a half pint of milk or water, to which add twelve spoonfuls of the rice flour, divide it into small cakes, and bake them in a brick oven. Rice Pudding Take a quart of milk, add a pint of the (rice) flour, boil them to a pap, be at up six eggs, to which add six spoonfuls of Havana sugar and a spoonful of but ter, which when well beaten together add the milk and flour, grease the pan it i s to be baked in, grate nutmeg over the mixture and bake it. Bread Pudding 2 cups milk 4 cups bread crumbs 1/4 cup melted butter 2 beaten eggs 1/3 cups sugar 1/4 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup raisins Mix together and place in a baking dish. Bake 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees F . Pass lemon sauce for each person to spoon onto their portion of bread pudding. Lemon Sauce 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup water Combine. Cook until smooth and thickened. Add and heat: 2 tablespoons grated lemon rind 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon butter Jeff Davis Pie 1 cup brown or white sugar 2 tablespoons unbleached or all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup of a 50% mixture of milk and cream (half-and-half) 4 egg yolks 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell Prepare meringue 4 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup sugar Whole eggs can be used in the filling instead of the meringue. Combine sugar, flour and salt. Beat cream, egg yolks, and vanilla. Add to su gar mixture. Pour in melted butter. Spoon into unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Top with prepared meringue and brown. Cool on a wire rack. Apple Pie Without Apples To one small bowl of crackers, that have been soaked until no hard parts rem ain, add one teaspoonful of tartaric acid, sweeten to your taste, add some butte r, and a very little nutmeg. Cider Jelly Boil cider to the consistence of syrup, and let it cool, and you have nice j elly. Coffee Substitute Take sound ripe acorns, wash them while in the shell, dry them, and parch un til they open, take the shell off, roast with a little bacon fat, and you will h ave a splendid cup of coffee. Cream Substitute Beat the white of an egg to a froth, put to it a very small lump of butter, and mix well, then turn the coffee to it gradually, so that it may not curdle. I f perfectly done it will be an excellent substitute for cream. For tea omit the butter, using only the egg.