Army of Northern Virginia Commissary Equipment

Published 2023-10-05
What tools were used to prepare rations in the Army of Northern Virginia? Join Will as he visits the Manassas National Battlefield Park to speak with Andrew Bentley to explore more about this. Take this chance to see two great original artifacts, learn how they were used, and find out where they came from.

Want to dig in deeper? Here are two great articles.

One is a deeper dive on CS Mess Equipment, written by Craig Schneider: www.libertyrifles.org/research/uniforms-equipment/…

The other is a in depth look at Asa Snyder and his Richmond Stove Works, written by Andrew J. Bentley: www.libertyrifles.org/research/uniforms-equipment/…

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Thanks to the 125th OVI Fife and Drum Corps for supporting this video.

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All Comments (15)
  • @peterott-tn6pf
    This was absolutely amazing!!! I use nothing but cast iron, due to my grandparents using them, which in turn I've grown a fondness for! That spider skillet was so awesome to see along with that camp kettle
  • @lab35982
    As a re-enactor who does the cooking most of which is done in cast iron, I really appreciate this video. Presentations about the logistics of the army are not covered enough.
  • An army moves by way of its stomach. Two great relics. An incredible find.
  • @yaakovpiatt6479
    Another excellent video. I have a suggestion for a reenactment. Gather all of the wagons used by reenacting together, form a fully loaded train and move it from point A to point B over a few days just to get some small experience in what was I volved in the logistical support of a nineteenth century army.
  • @Greaser-zz7xo
    As per regular, another great installment of the series! I’m an absolute dieheart fan, me and my Mess utilize your videos for all sorts of information! Keep up the awesome content!!
  • @g.patton6872
    Favorite camp kettle story! Long post! Old Darb Greer's Joke on Lewis Peach. - "All of those who ever came in contact with the late John Greer, of Fayetteville, Tenn., will remember him as the "Ned Brace" of Tennessee. He and Lewis Peach belonged to the same mess in the 8th TN CSA. Peach was under medium size, but Darb said that he could hold his own at eating with any man in the army. He had often twitted him about the habit; but Lewis, unluckily, one day, afforded the opportunity of a practical joke, which Darb was not slow to take advantage of." (Lewis Peach) " We were camped near Tullahoma, after the battle of Murfreesboro, and some one of the mess got to making corn-meal dumplings. When it came my turn to cook, I was ignorant of the process, but thought it was easy enough; so I put on a big camp-kettle of them to cook, but they crumbled to pieces, and were nothing more than a mass of badly scorched mush. I took the kettle of abominations to a log near by, and emptied my dumplings on the ground. Old Darb had been down in the other end of camp, playing 'freeze out', but, getting froze out before night, he came on back to the mess. As he passed the log, he spied my dumplings, and asked 'Who did that?' 'Lewis Peach,' was the reply. That was as good as Darb wanted. He instantly yelled out, 'I told you all Lewis Peach was the biggest eater in the army; come here and I'll prove it to you.' He was as solemn and earnest as an owl, and soon had a crowd of curious and astonished spectators around him, to whom he related a circumstantial account of the whole proceeding. Said he, ' I saw at dinner that he would have to throw up this mess or go to the grave-yard , and I watched him. He come right here and set right down on this log, and tossed it up.' His imitation of the act, the location and the suspicious looking character of the mess, which had run down the slant for several yards, were convincing. Not a man doubted the truth of his story, but gazed, wondered and believed; nay more, went off and reported the wonder in the most solemn manner. In an hour there were 500 men crowding the spot, and tip-toeing, to get a look. Darb remained on the field to explain things and swear, in the most positive manner, that he wouldn't have believed anything human could have held that much if he hadn't a seen it with his own eyes. I knew it was of no use to try to explain the matter as long as long as Darb was present. In fact,, I was badly plagued at the turn of events, and crawled off into my bunk, and stayed there the rest of the evening. I thought the matter would blow over by the next morning, but, bless you, the crowd only increased. They came from all over Polk's corps to see the eighth wonder of the world. Darb was at his post to swear to the fact, and when he pointed me out as the little fellow that did it, men looked on me in astonishment, pity and disgust, and I was glad to take refuge in my bunk, where I stayed the rest of the day. The whole of Polk's corps religiously believed Darb's story, and to this day, for aught I know, I was a marked man, and was continually pointed out as 'the little fellow who eat a camp-kettle of corn dumplings."
  • @CRuf-qw4yv
    Great video. My late father was a cook for the 2nd Maryland Inf., Army Of Northern Virginia (living history group from Salisbury Md. from the early 80's to mid 90's At encampments he always had a large roast over the fire for the company and would have loved to have had these pieces (or reproductions thereof) in his collection. RIP Dad.
  • Love it! I can imagine some tasty Confederate cush in that spider skillet!!! Will, that plug hat is impeccable and I gotta find one!
  • @clockmonkey
    Somewhere to sleep and something cooking is a getting closer to being happy.
  • Question, why did they fire weld those side pieces, why didn't they just make that a feature in the mold?