An intact piece of the infamous Civil War soldier’s ration, hardtack. A plain flour and water biscuit, this example is an uneven shape and measures roughly 3” x 2.75” with the typical rows of “cracker holes”. This piece is in good, solid condition, but is somewhat dirty. Reportedly found in a South Carolina soldier’s knapsack.

Hardtack was a basic, unleavened cracker made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. Its primary purpose was to provide a long-lasting and easily transportable food source for soldiers in the field. During the Civil War, soldiers received hardtack as part of their daily rations, along with meat and coffee. Soldiers often found hardtack unappetizing, describing it as "wormy" or "old". Soldiers sometimes tried to make hardtack more palatable by soaking it in water, dunking it in coffee, or even charring it over a fire.

From the Texas Civil War Museum collection.  [jet][ph:L]

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