Civil War soldiers' hard tack

Corporal Si Klegg and his "pard"... was written by Wilbur F. Hinman from Ohio, who enlisted in 1861 as a sergeant. He wrote about the common life of recruits.

So this Memorial Day we remember those who put up with incredible hardships, poor food, and the many who lost their lives so we can be free.



Corporal Si Klegg and his "pard". How they lived and talked, and what they did and suffered, while fighting for the flag. By Wilbur F. Hinman, [1841-1905] late lieutenant-colonel Sixty-fifth regiment Ohio veteran volunteer infantry. 1887. With 193 original illustrations drawn by George Y. Coffin [1850-1896] and over 700 pages. HERE

The last resort hardtack

The call to Breakfast Hard tack

Meat and hardtack

Test of jaw power

Breakfast before fight

UPCOMING TALKS

Jun 1 Mon 1 The Neglected Interface between the state and voluntary organisations: The historical and contemporary politics of providing food in hospitals. Raphael Allerton, Rebecca O’Connell, Helen Abnett. Institute of Historical Research HERE. IHR TAPE maybe HERE

Jun 3 Wed 12 What is a Recipe? Augusto Esteves, Míriam Herrero, Roger González March. Oxford Food Symposium on Food and Cookery Free – £15 HERE

Jun 8 Wed 7 Cookin’ with Congress: Drink Like a First Lady. Bennett Rea, the viral creator behind Cookin’ with Congress HERE. National First Ladies' Library & Museum HERE

Jun 10 Wed 7:30 Behind the Lines: Female Followers of the Continental Forces. Samantha Allison. Delaware River Greenway Partnership (DRGP) HERE

June 11 Thu 9AM Oranges & Lemons: A City Nursery Rhyme. “an English nursery rhyme which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London; its roots go back to the 18th century.” Jill Finch. Guildhall Library HERE

Jun 11 Thur 12:30 Substitution Food. Tracing material history of tapioca (cassava): Understanding western imperial and native state interventions in Kerala from 1870-1950. Nahla Mohammed KT. Institute of Historical Research. HERE. IHR TAPE maybe HERE

Jun 13-14 Sat & Sun 6-11AM British Library Food Season 2026. Variety of 16 talks, 8 online. Online tickets: from £5- tape for 14 days. discounts HERE

Jun 13 Sat 6:15AM From Aspic to Instagram Food Photography Through the Ages. British Library Food Season 2026 Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 13 Sat 8AM 1:00 UK The Edible Archive: Palestinian Memory and Resistance. Land, Seeds, Roots and Growth. British Library Food Season 2026. Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 13 Sat 9:30AM 2:30 UK In the Heat Together: Couples and siblings in the Kitchen. British Library Food Season 2026. Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 13 Sat 11:00AM 4:00 UK Much Ado About Cooking in Shakespeare. British Library Food Season 2026. Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 14 Sun 6:30 AM 11.30UK Ruthie Rogers: On Kitchen, culture and the Makings of River Café. British Library Food Season 2026. Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 14 Sun 7:45 AM 12.45UK Silk Roads and Ottoman Routes: How Ingredients and Tastes Came to Europe. British Library Food Season 2026. Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 14 Sun 9:00AM 2:00UK The Legacy of Edna Lewis. British Library Food Season 2026. Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 14 Sun 9-10:30AM Channeling the Muse or the Monster: Poems on the History of Tea. Shadab Zeest Hashmi. MACFEST - Muslim Arts and Culture Festival. HERE

Jun 14 Sun 11:00 AM 4.15UK Fork to Fiction: Food and Drink Writers Turned Novelists. British Library Food Season 2026. Online tickets: from £5 tape for 14 days. discount HERE

Jun 17 Wed 7AM Running a museum café: Balancing Hospitality and Heritage. Caroline Mathers, Sue McVey. Museums Galleries Scotland. HERE

Jun 18 Thu 7:30 Ingredients for Queer Food and the Makings of a Feminist Restaurant. Dr. Alex Ketchum. Culinary Historians of Canada CA$17.31 HERE

Jun 27 Sat 9-10:30AM Food and fashion: Fez - a model city of sustainability. Fatima Manar. MACFEST - Muslim Arts and Culture Festival. HERE

Jun 30 Tue 1-3 'Compliments to the Chef.' “For 29 years spanning two centuries, Daniell Clarke served as Master Cooke to Queen Elizabeth I and King James I (VI).” Guildhall Library HERE

Jun 30 Tue 1-3 Art and Science of Confectionery Crafting. Studyhub. HERE

CALENDAR OF VIRTUAL FOOD HISTORY TALKS HERE

©2026 Patricia Bixler Reber
Researching Food History HOME






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