ARTH1100 History of Photography Fall 2016

Based on what the articles stated, both Union and Confederate soldiers had it a bit hard with military rations. It was interesting to see how Union soldiers were hooked on coffee and the symbolism it held with all of them, even more so with their changing diet (depending where they were, how far they were and how bad the situation was.) The Confederate soldiers also liked coffee but because they were under a blockade, they had to create substitutes to soothe their craving.

Personally, a food I cannot live without is Mexican style tacos. They remind me too much of home and although I don’t have them frequently, you can’t go wrong with them!

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Hearing that coffee was such a vital and treasured aspect of soldiers during the civil war came off a bit humorous at first because coffee is almost an addiction to many in modern day. However, in this event I wouldn’t have thought it played such a large role for them whether it was a mental or physical dependency. I believe other than the body craving it, that it also served as a comfort during these difficult times especially in comparison to the poor meals they had to rely on. While many would think nutrition would have played a more vital part, coffee was what they treasured most. This was even to the extent that a captured soldier was devastated over all the coffee he’d missed in a year. Even the south that could not get authentic roast even made rye-sweet potato blend. It can be debated if then coffee in itself was a psychological up lifter. Although the union may have felt otherwise, their success relied more upon their well-equipped army but coffee was their drive and sacred to them nonetheless.

I personally am not a coffee drinker, I much rather tea. Food is definitely my pick and one I love especially is my mother’s stewed chicken.

After reading the articles, it really showed me how important not only was food to the soldiers, but the basic meals they received was to them. Being inexperienced with cooking because it was considered the women’s task forced all these men to try to learn how to make a meal for themselves. One thing that I would’ve never thought of was how coffee fueled the soldier’s energy and their way in winning battles. Coffee is something that I have easy access to whether it be at home, or walking out to a Starbucks. It was eye opening to see how the soldiers adjusted and used coffee in ways to survive. Coffee was so important to them that they felt “robbed” of the hundreds of cups of coffee they weren’t able to drink when they were captured by the opposing side. A food item I wouldn’t be able to live without would have to be soup, particularly pho. I consider pho comfort food that I wouldn’t say no to.

When questioned, if one had to choose between food or coffee, the thought of food automatically came to mind. However, after reading the two articles and learning about the unimaginable conditions that the soldiers had to face during the civil war, it’s understandable why the coffee was much more desired. The hard, pilot bread, raw pork, dried vegetables doesn’t seem to give off that mouth-savory feeling as one should feel before a meal. The idea that coffee was so idolized during that time is so fascinating. The soldiers saw coffee in many different entities; some saw it as a caffeine-rush, something to keep them warm, and others saw it simply as a beverage to wash down their horrible meals.

There are many dishes that I feel I can’t live without, but if I had to choose one it would be macaroni and cheese pie. There’s something about it being incredibly cheesy and the fact that it can go with anything; rice and peas, fried fish, etc and make the dish complete.