Archive for 'Hardtack' Category
Hardtack Described
By Jonathan R. Allen - Last updated: Tuesday, February 16, 2010
For both Billy Yanks and Johnny Rebs, a common food was hardtack. Hardtack was a quarter-inch thick square cracker or biscuit baked from unleavened flour, water, and salt. It was inexpensive and durable, qualities making it suitable for military campaigning.
Civil War Speech
By Jonathan R. Allen - Last updated: Thursday, December 6, 2007
The soldiers of the Civil War had their own way of saying things. The words, slang, and phrases of Billy Yank (a Union soldier), Johnny Reb (a Confederate soldier), and the civilians of the 19th century are unique and strange to our modern day ears. Their language reflected their lives and times, and it was rich and colorful.