4C COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL November 25, 2015
How Civil War soldiers celebrated
Thanksgiving in the fi eld
BY TOM EMERY
For the Sentinel
A
s in most wars, the men
of the Civil War found
it excruciatingly diffi cult to be
away from loved ones at holi-
day time. Thanksgiving was no
exception.
The holiday itself has its roots
in the Civil War. The fi rst of-
fi cial proclamation declaring
Thanksgiving as a national day
of remembrance was issued by
Abraham Lincoln in 1863, part-
ly in honor of northern success-
es in the war that year. Lincoln
designated the last Thursday in
November “as a day of Thanks-
giving and Praise.”
That year, Thanksgiving fell
on the day after a crucial Union
victory at the battle of Chat-
tanooga. The previous year in
late November, armies were on
the march during the Freder-
icksburg and Vicksburg cam-
paigns. Around Thanksgiving
1864, some Union forces were
on the cusp of the bloody battle
of Franklin, while others were
marching to the sea with Wil-
liam T. Sherman.
Due to their harsh surround-
ings, many Civil War men in
the fi eld enjoyed only the most
Spartan of celebrations. In Ke-
wanee, Illinois, teenage sisters
Tirzah and Sarah Vaill received
a letter from their older brother,
an Illinois infantryman, after
Thanksgiving 1861 that de-
scribed his holiday meal, “hard
bread” and salt pork. He added
that “during the day I thought of
you at home having your nice
dinners” and “wishing maybe
that you might present a plate to
some of us soldiers fi lled with
your own goodies.”
From his camp in Virginia
that same year, Private Zebina
Bickford of the 6th Vermont In-
fantry made the best of his day.
In a letter home, he mused that
“you may think we are home-
sick today but it is not so,”
mainly because of a care pack-
age sent from loved ones back
in Vermont. The goodies con-
sisted of “a box of clothing and
a few knick-knacks consisting
of eatables” that made “a very
27, 1862, he wrote that “there
has been a surprise party here
today for the benefi t of soldiers
and nurses.” The feast included
“roast turkey, chicken, pigeon,
and oysters stewed” along with
“baked chicken, boiled potatoes,
turnip, apple butter, and cheese
butter.” Bean, though, lamented
that he “cannot eat much with-
out being sick.” He, too, would
die months later.
Elsewhere that year, Federal
soldiers stationed at Fort Pu-
laski, Ga. held their own “fete
and festival.” The day’s events
"With tongue in cheek,
he wrote that 'you can’t
imagine what a lot of fi ne
things we had for supper…a
piece of sour bread and salt
pork.'
good thanksgiving for us.”
With tongue in cheek, he
wrote that “you can’t imagine
what a lot of fi ne things we
had for supper…a piece of sour
bread and salt pork.” However,
he gleefully noted that “some of
mother’s cookies and doughnuts
that came in our box” made the
evening memorable. It would be
Bickford’s last Thanksgiving, as
he died the following April 30.
The following year, Asa Bean,
a doctor in the 114th Ohio, en-
joyed greater tidings. On Nov.
included target practice and a
rowing match, foot race, and
hurdle sack race. Competitions
involving a greased pole and
a greased pig were also on the
agenda, as was a “burlesque
dress parade.”
In some cases, Thanksgiving
was a time of spiritual refl ec-
tion. On the fi rst offi cial install-
ment of the holiday in 1863,
Sewell Van Alstine, a soldier in
the 95th Illinois, wrote in his di-
ary that he “went to town” and
“heard an excellent discourse by
an army chaplain at the Presby-
terian Church.” He also wrote
there was “no drill today,” a
welcome respite.
In 1864, the Union League
Club of New York City pleaded
for donations of “cooked poul-
try and other proper meats” as
well as “mince pies, sausag-
es, and fruits” for men in the
fi eld. The call brought in some
$57,000 in cash donations, as
well as nearly 225,000 pounds
of poultry and large quantities
of cakes, gingerbread, pickles,
apples, vegetables, and cheese.
One appreciative soldier saw the
deeper meaning, writing that “it
isn’t the turkey, but the idea that
we care for.”
Others received far less. That
year, Lewis Crater of the 50th
Pennsylvania recorded in his
diary that the Sanitary Commis-
sion “issued three fi ne apples to
every man.” Despite the mid-
dling fare, Crater and others
likely gave thanks that they had
survived to see another Thanks-
giving during the four bloodiest
years in American history.
I
t's probably safe to say that
most of us dream of a Nor-
man Rockwell Thanksgiving,
with a golden-brown turkey,
savory trimmings and radiant
faces around the table. But, of
course, we don't live in a Nor-
man Rockwell world. We live in
a world where this most tradi-
tionally American of meals oc-
casionally takes an unexpected
turn.
Just ask the good folks at the
Butterball Turkey Talk-Line,
who for more than 30 years
have provided a listening ear
and helpful advice for bewil-
dered holiday cooks. Some of
their most memorable calls in-
clude a gentleman who, after bi-
secting his bird with a chainsaw,
queried whether the oil from the
chain would harm it, and a lady
who needed instruction on thaw-
ing her gobbler -- which she had
creatively frozen in a snowbank
outside her house the night be-
fore. The call ended premature-
ly when she realized she wasn't
sure which snowbank.
Or perhaps you're one of
those unfortunate souls whose
oven decides to call it quits the
day before the big event. Have
no fear ... there's always your
car engine, though unless you're
planning an overnight drive to
COTTAGE GROVE DENTAL
DR. BRENT BITNER DDS
350 Washington St • Cottage Grove
541-942-7934
As we count our blessings this
Thanksgiving holiday, we realize that
your friendship is at the top of the list for this,
we are truly thankful.
From all of us to all of you,
we send you sincere best wishes for a
happy Thanksgiving filled with the
blessings of family, good friends,
good food and good fun.
21410 Bailey Hill Road, Eugene, OR 97402
541-484-1151
your dinner destination, a full
bird will likely be too much for
it. However, with a little help
from Chris Maynard and Bill
Scheller's car-engine cookbook,
"Manifold Destiny," and a trip
of at least four hours, you can
still manage a breast and some
side veggies. Just have someone
else bring the green bean casse-
role and pie.
www.laneelectric.com
Then again, as Jim McClarin
demonstrated for Mother Earth
News back in 1980, neither an
oven nor a car engine is neces-
sary to roast a piece of meat if
you have a compost pile, which
at its peak life cycle can reach
an internal temperature of up to
170 F.
After initial experiments with
yogurt-turned-cheese and a
hardboiled egg, McClarin took
things a step farther with a roast
(13 hours cooking time), and
then a duck with orange juice
and apricots (23 hours). Both
efforts yielded delicious results,
though the backyard chef took
care to include a disclaimer that
his "limited knowledge of mi-
crobiology" didn't permit him to
recommend the method to oth-
ers. Nevertheless, if done cor-
rectly, compost cooking is per-
fectly safe, according to a 2013
article on the subject in Bon Ap-
petit magazine.
At this time of Thanksgiving
celebration, our thoughts turn
gratefully to you with warm
appreciation, and a heartfelt,
Thank You!
Tom Emery is a freelance
writer and historical researcher
from Carlinville, Ill. He may be
reached at 217-710-8392 or il-
civilwar@yahoo.com.
Turkeys No Match for
American Ingenuity
By Lucie Winborne
Happy
Thanksgiving
In the spirit of the holiday, we’d like to give our thanks to you,
our neighbors and friends, for the generous support
you’ve given us this past year.
We feel truly blessed to serve people
like you and look forward to
your continued friendship.
Not in a state of distress but
looking for a new fl avor sensa-
tion? How about turkey gravy
cranberry cupcakes, pumpkin
pie fortune cookies, or mashed
potato and gravy jellybeans for
dessert instead of pecan pie?
And forget the customary tur-
key sandwiches the day after: A
slice of Thanksgiving leftovers
pizza has everything needed to
satisfy. (Yes, these are all real.
Just think outside the box!)
Let's face it, sometimes it's
fun to be non-traditional. That's
how great stories -- and memo-
ries -- are made.
(c) 2016 King Features Synd.,
Inc.
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942-4466
Giving
thanks.
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to you and your family.
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blessings we enjoy, including the friendship of
good people like you! With best wishes for a
happy Thanksgiving from all of us to all of thee!
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