Have you wondered how the first Civil War Thanksgiving (our first year at war with each other) was celebrated by the troops on both sides?
Keep in mind that in 1861 there was no national Thanksgiving, as I explained in my blog post of last week. Every state set its own date.
Thanks to a blog I've just discovered, we have a good description of how Thanksgiving was celebrated by the troops in 1861. I love it when someone does my research for me! Some of the foods are those we would gobble (pun intended) down today.
The troops had a lot to be thankful about. Similar to the Thanksgiving dinner our troops get today (if at all possible, according to location) the troops on the designated Thanksgiving Day for their locality got special rations, and the chance to eat "real food": turkey, potatoes, and even oysters.
If you are interested in Civil War food in general, this site will give you a good selection of foods to choose from and experiment with.
Me - I'm grateful for the pre-slaughtered, defeathered, and gutted turkey of today.
Amen. The inspected and wrapped food of today is a blessing. Love the link to the foods and medicinals. Great wealth of info.
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