From the articles, I am not surprised that some Union soldiers died from starvation or malnutrition, but I didn’t know coffee was so important to them. The caffeine produced in coffee probably kept the soldiers alerted and wide awake. I guess being attentive during a war could be the difference between life and death. The most fascinating thing about these readings was that coffee was more essential to soldiers than food. I thought food would be one of the most important tool for surviving a war. I also realized how important meat was to a soldiers diet and they made several soup dishes to keep them full or well-feed. Personally, I would gladly give up coffee for food especially during hard times, but some people might argue differently.
