Perhaps the most fascinating Civil War Soldier diet is that it is similar to our daily diets today. The fact that they relied on small portions of food to gain their source of energy is very similar to how we manage to grab a quick snack in between our classes. Hardtack is a cracker like bar that’s made from flour, water and salt. It may not be the most nutritious thing available but it was all they could carry on their long journeys. This would also explain how photographers managed to carry their food along with all the equipment needed for the wet plate collodion process photos.
When it came to drinks, coffee served as their energy drink. Soldiers ground the coffee themselves and they prepared it with very poor sources of water using muckets.
One of the things I can’t live without is a Clif bar. They are small protein bars made to serve as a source of energy when you can’t carry heavy loads of food. The founder of Clif Company was once climbing a mountain and he noticed how he couldn’t carry heavy food on his trip, so he created this bar.
