Rations of a colonial solider.

[jmjkd]

Typical daily rations, with a treat of peas, or a cup of vinegar once a wk.

Ration per day...if they were lucky.
1 lb meat
1 cup flour/corn meal
1qt beer
1 cup milk
This was cooked in a small pot or in the open fire pit. These rations originated in Europe became the staples of the frontier and grandma''s pantry during the Great depression and the basis of our staples today.
The solders were very creative with these basics. Some good ideas when storing for today, especially with out refrigeration. Fun tid-bits.

 

[Contramnky]

A pound of meat and a cup of corn meal? And beer? AND MILK?!

That's a heck of a lot more than I would have thought they'd receive. I'd be alright on that.

 

[CobaltBlueSteel]

Fun fact of the day

 

[Robbie]

From a sailors perspective a quart/2 pints of beer is a bit light. Just saying.

 

[Timber]

A pound of meat and a cup of corn meal? And beer? AND MILK?!

That's a heck of a lot more than I would have thought they'd receive. I'd be alright on that.

Lol. It's not the first time he's spouted complete bullshit. Actually, he's never posted anything that isn't.

 

[coastie]

From th is site: http://www.qmfound.com/history_of_rations.htm


l6 oz; beef 6.8 oz.peas

18 oz. flour 1.4 oz. rice

16 oz. milk .1830 oz. Soap

1 qt. spruce beer .0686 oz. candle

And that was the hoped for ration. There is a book call Private Yankee Doodle that describes in great detail the daily life of a soldier in the Colonial Army. It sucked. It tells of guys eating rotting meat knowing they would get sick just to have something in there stomach.

If you want misery make some hardtack. That stuff is horrid. IIRC when the Great White Fleet sailed with 50 yo hardtack left over from the Civil War. So it does keep well.

 

[coastie]

Was curious about spruce beer:

Alcoholic spruce beer was common in the colonial United States and eastern Canada, made from red or black spruce.[6] A Canadian recipe from 1757 states:[7]

It is made of the tops and branches of the spruces-tree, boiled for three hours, then strained into casks, with a certain quantity of molasses; and, as soon as cold, it is fit for use [...]

An American recipe[8] from 1796 states:

Take four ounces of hops, let them boil half an hour in one gallon of water, strain the hop water then add sixteen gallons of warm water, two gallons of molasses, eight ounces of essence of spruce, dissolved in one quart of water, put it in a clean cask, then shake it well together, add half a pint of emptins, then let it stand and work one week, if very warm weather less time will do, when it is drawn off to bottle, add one spoonful of molasses to every bottle.

The Daily Order for the Highland Regiment in North America stipulated that: "Spruce beer is to be brewed for the health and conveniency of the troops which will be served at prime cost. Five quarts of molasses will be put into every barrel of Spruce Beer. Each gallon will cost nearly three coppers."

Today Sitka spruce, native to the northwest coast of North America, tends to be favored, although other species of spruce have also been used. Lighter, more citrus-like flavors are produced by using the bright green fresh spring growth before the new needles and twigs harden and become woody. Sitka spruce trees on the north-central Oregon Coast develop spring growth in early to mid-May.

from wikipedia

 

[jmjkd]

As stated above. Solders lived and died with the bare minimum. At times even eating the boots of fallen solders.
God forbid if there is ever a SHTF day, you may find yourself without like these colonial solders 200 yrs ago, or the union solders 100 yrs later, or gramps in the great depression only 75 yrs ago. It all sucked.

More fun stuff from this era.
http://www.concordhistorical.org/

http://www.youtube.com/user/jastownsendandson/videos?sort=dd&shelf_id=2&view=0

http://www.youtube.com/user/jastownsendandson/videos?sort=dd&shelf_id=2&view=0

 

[browncoat]

Was curious about spruce beer:

Alcoholic spruce beer was common in the colonial United States and eastern Canada, made from red or black spruce.[6] A Canadian recipe from 1757 states:[7]

It is made of the tops and branches of the spruces-tree, boiled for three hours, then strained into casks, with a certain quantity of molasses; and, as soon as cold, it is fit for use [...]

An American recipe[8] from 1796 states:

Take four ounces of hops, let them boil half an hour in one gallon of water, strain the hop water then add sixteen gallons of warm water, two gallons of molasses, eight ounces of essence of spruce, dissolved in one quart of water, put it in a clean cask, then shake it well together, add half a pint of emptins, then let it stand and work one week, if very warm weather less time will do, when it is drawn off to bottle, add one spoonful of molasses to every bottle.

The Daily Order for the Highland Regiment in North America stipulated that: "Spruce beer is to be brewed for the health and conveniency of the troops which will be served at prime cost. Five quarts of molasses will be put into every barrel of Spruce Beer. Each gallon will cost nearly three coppers."

Today Sitka spruce, native to the northwest coast of North America, tends to be favored, although other species of spruce have also been used. Lighter, more citrus-like flavors are produced by using the bright green fresh spring growth before the new needles and twigs harden and become woody. Sitka spruce trees on the north-central Oregon Coast develop spring growth in early to mid-May.

from wikipedia

IIRC spruce beer was actually pretty important to the health of soldiers at that time due to its vitamin content.

 

[MisterHappy]

It was not just soldiers' lives that sucked.

Everyone's lives sucked. It was just a matter of degree.

The sailors in the British Navy often returned from their "cruises" in better health than when they shipped out.