fandomhigh | Hands On History of the American Civil War, Monday, Period 2

Once again, the class was meeting in the Danger Shop, because Nathan was just that kind of teacher, and there was nothing like actually sitting in the middle of what was generally considered the front lines to really hammer in just what it was that the students were supposed to be learning today.

... About food.

"So," Nathan said, smirking faintly, because the longer they could put off actually simulating battles, the happier he would be, "today we're going to talk about rations."

"He smiles because his side was able to actually provide a consistent ration," Goody drawled. "All the hardtack and salt-pork a man could ask for. I can almost taste it."

Which was possibly why he was grimacing a little.

"Really, with all the effort it took to get through the hardtack, I wouldn't be surprised if you could," Nathan countered. "I think I chipped a tooth on a ration, once."

Or he was just being dramatic. One of those.

"Touché." Goody had a rather prominent gold tooth that he'd claim came from an awful meal somewhere in Virginia. "It was sometimes easier to live off the land when marching through unfamiliar country, far from the supply line. Though that could cause a little… fuss… with the residents therein. For some reason, they didn't want to accept Confederate currency."

It was almost as though that money was worthless!

"It's probably worth something to museums these days, at least," Nathan offered, with all the sympathy in his heart. Nathan, not being a terribly sympathetic man, probably didn't sell it well. "See, back in the day of the war, there was a guide as to what the proper rations ought to be, for men out fighting. A proper selection of rations ought to include pork or beef - salted, because it needs to stand up to some time and travel. Hardtack, which is a sort of bread that I still revisit in my darkest nightmares. And desiccated mixed vegetables or potatoes. Because nothing is more appetizing than something that can be described as 'desiccated.'"

"My my, you got vegetables?" Goody asked with mock awe. "I can't recall much of that by '64."

He meant 1864, kids.

"Once or twice, I was even handed bacon," Nathan replied, shooting Goody a brief grin. "But we both know the real prize was our coffee."

"And our tobacco," Goody countered. "In fact, during the lulls in battle, as both armies settled in for the evening, it wasn't too strange to see a gentleman in a blue coat walk out to the middle of the field to drop off a package of coffee--"

"--And then, to see a gentleman in what was arguably meant to be gray come out to drop off a package of tobacco in turn," Nathan finished. "Of course, we had to be subtle about it. The officers didn't exactly care for that sort of fraternizing with the enemy. Unless they could be bought off with some tobacco themselves."

And there were just enough of that sort in the rank. Or enough willing to turn a blind eye for a few minutes as long as it wasn't spying.

Goody clapped his hands together. "So, today y'all will be trying out the rations we had." His was not a kind smile.

"Salted meat, desiccated vegetables, hardtack--" Nathan couldn't even hide his shudder. "-- beans, hominy... Coffee." He looked at Goody, and then shrugged. "Or tobacco."

Look, he still hadn't really gotten the 'no smoking under eighteen' memo, here. This was a guy who used to think that laudanum was great for whatever ailed you.

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Ones or Twos!

Pinkie Pie, ones

Jalian d'Arsennette, twos!

Khadgar, ones!

Two old men complain about food, the series.

"Hardtack" as a term was . . . very descriptive. And for the first time in this class, Pinkie was properly appalled.

There wasn't any sugar anywhere in this lecture!

Hardtack was… best soaked in something, kids. But hey, they took a little pity and included some johnnycakes in there too. Careful for possible (probable) weevil infestations in your food. Though, really, that was just protein, right?

Pinkie examined that hard tack from every angle, including through a magnifying glass. It didn't get less terrible up close, no.

After long consideration, she decided that the best thing to do would be to crumble up the hardtack and put it in hot water with the salted meat for a very, very basic soup. She set up a tiny little cauldron over a campfire for just that purpose, got the water and meat happily simmering, and attempted to crumble the hardtack.

This eventually required the aid of a hammer and chisel.

Jalian shrugged and tried a little of the hardtack.

It took long enough to chew, maybe they wouldn't notice she avoided the meat?

Khadgar had eaten some questionable things in the name of nutrition, but that hardtack was probably one of the worst things he'd ever put in his mouth. He ate just enough to get the general idea and got the rest of it as far away from himself as possible.

Would you rather have coffee or tobacco? Ones will be yankees with a lovely supply of coffee, twos will be Johnny Rebs with tobacco to spare.

...look, the 19th century was special, okay?

Pinkie didn't know what tobacco was. Which was the only reason she might end up trading some of this nice, fragrant coffee for it.

And she didn't even like coffee.

Jalian eyed the tobacoo, eyed the coffee, and wondered how much she should trust either.

Still, since she didn't smoke... "Trade?" she offered Pinkie.

"I don't knoooooooow," Pinkie said slowly. "Why should I want what you've got to trade?"

She was totally willing to reward a good sales pitch.

"Well," Jalian suggested, "do you like what you have? This smells good," sort of mostly, "and..." she eyed it. "You could probably press it into different shapes."

That seemed like the sort of thing Pinkie might like.

"You can do that with dirt," Pinkie pointed out. "And the coffee smells neat, too. You're gonna have to do better than that!"

"You can smoke this," Jalian said. She was eyeing the tobacco dubiously, though. Honestly, she had no idea why anybody would want it.

Pinkie looked down at the tobacco.

"No thank you."

When they tag in!

Nathan was here, and yes, he was drinking coffee.

His coffee was not green, unroasted coffee bean, though. His coffee was dark roast from the Perk and no, he wasn't trading it. Not even for tobacco.

Shockingly, he wasn't trying any of the salt pork himself. If he ever ate salt pork again, it would be too soon.

Stop the world I wanna get off.

Hands On History of the American Civil War, Monday, Period 2

Sign In

Re: Sign In

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Lecture

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Eat

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Trade

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Re: Trade

Re: Trade

Re: Trade

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Talk to the Teachers

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OOC