The Daily Lives of Confederate Soldiers vs. Union Soldiers During the Civil War

The Daily Lives of Confederate Soldiers vs. Union Soldiers During the Civil War

Larry Holzwarth - April 27, 2019

The Daily Lives of Confederate Soldiers vs. Union Soldiers During the Civil War
Private Japhet Collins of the Confederate States Army, circa 1861. Wikimedia

3. Johnny Reb relied on corn for his daily ration of bread

As the war went on rations for the Confederate Army dwindled to next to nothing. Early in the war Southern troops were issued either bacon or beef, both usually preserved with salt, and a ration of flour which they mixed with water to form flat breads, usually fried. As flour became scarce the Confederate authorities supplanted it with corn meal, and cornbread and corn meal mush became the main source of grains in the Confederate diet. Coffee soon became scarce in the Confederate Army, and the Southerners took to brewing a mixture of chicory and coffee, or chicory alone, as a substitute for the beverage. Coffee and chicory remained a popular beverage in the Deep South for more than a century following the war.

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