Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-04
"HARDTACK" OF TODAY.
Old-Time Brand Which stopped
Bullets Has Gone Forever.
Chicago Chronic

| Chicago Chronicle)
Nothing so delights the veteran or the
civil war just now as the relation OF tales
| Of woe concerning bareback" He will
| expound the miseries suffered by himself
and his comrades in their efforts at re-
| ducing the hard commisary bread to such
| a degree of softness as would make 1t
| eatable. He can tell narrowing stories
of the biscuit. 1t pleases him to tell
| gaping crowds how lives were saved be-
| cause the men wore one or more OF these
biscuits inside their blouses. Bullets,
according to the veteran, were turned
back in their fight by the food.
This same veteran has been eating soft
bread ever since he left the army. he
would feel that soup is not soup II crack
ers were omitted from the bill. But when
ii comes to bareback he grows positively
eloquent. He can tell more about 1t even
than he can of the mistakes made by the
general who commanded his brigade, di-
vision or corps during the war. II all
the reports OF the bread be reliable-and
there is little reason to doubt part or
their truth--the men did suffer 10 con-
siderable extent.
But the bareback of to-day, the official
commisary hard bread now being issued
TO the troops, Is by no means such bug
bear. Men will eat bread soft and faky
three times a day for all their lives and
never complain. The bareback OF to-day
is really a very good article Of food, made
Of the best materials, and, aside from the
monotony Of such diet. is easily eaten.
1t has none of the bad features ascribed
10 its predecessor, for II is nothing but
cracker of fine wheat-hour mixed with
water. 1t is palatable and by no means
so hard that a man will lose his teeth In
eating It.
BY courtesy Of Major o. NJ. Smith, COM
missary of subsistence in charge OF the
depot in Chicago, reporter Tor the
Chronicle was able to obtain a supply Of
the hard bread, as it is officially design
ated. Not only did the reporter obtain
the goods, out he also secured the official
description of the materials used and the
manner of preparation. Here is the
description as furnished by the depart
ment at Washington:
Hard bread made from the very best
straight soft winter wheat-1our, mixed
with water only, baked in crackers one
inch long by half and inch wide. and
about three-eghths of an inch thick,
packed in air-tight cartons made OF strong
strawboard so processed as to be grease
prof. One end of the carton to be closed
with an easy opening flap one and one
half inches wide. Cases OF torty car
tons TO be made of wood that will not i'm
part odor.
The foregoing is the official bareback |
prepared for field use in times or peace |
or when the commissaries are not crowded |
with rush orders, as is the case at pre- |
sent But in such times as those OF to- |
day the officers whose duty IT is TO pro- |
vide for the subsistence OF the army have |
no time TO be particular about the little |
pasteboard boxes. The crackers now |
being furnished to Major Smith are of |
the usual soda-cracker size, made ac-
cording TO the specifications as set forth
in the foregoing paragraph. They are
packed in cases of about fifty pounds
each.
1T has been a long time" said Major
Smith, ~''since We manufactured the Old
biscuits which are popularity known as
bareback. The regulations now specify
the size as well as materials, and the
small cracker is the official style. But
we are rushed night and day TO get neld
rations ready. ind have no time to wait
for boxes for packing. We are pur-
chasing large quantities OF the hard
bread made in the usual cracker size,
packed in large boxes, so that one box
has one days rations for about fifty men,
one pound tue STUN Is the udliy |
for one man. Ordinarily il would come
in the little cases in the boxes, but now
we are glad TO get enough without going
to the added trouble OF putting ii into
the small cases. 1t is not bad food. and,
aside from the monotony or a continuous
cracker diet, would never disturb any
body"
The crackers, even after they have been
packed for several months, do not be-
come so hard as to wreck the teeth. al
though they are so manufactured as 10
develop all the resisting power OF the
wheat. The dough is mixed with pure
water only. and is absolutely devoid OF
the shortening" which the ordinary
cracker has Salt is not mixed with
the mass another fact which makes the
food pail upon ones palate after a time.
But IL is OF good materials and clean.
is we'll packed and presents few. IL any.
OF the objections which traditional hard
tack is popularity supposed 10 ofrer
The dough Is made stiff enough 10 de-
velop all the gluten of the wheat. Is
rolled out into thin sheets and cut into
the required size and form. Then II is
baked until IL Is thoroughly cooked ana
well Drowned. II II is used while fresh.
L crackles readily under the teeth. After
il has been packed for time the gluten
renders II tough and its friability is much
Then the man who must eat
il has some of the troubles OF which ne
has heard for thirty years or more. But.
an told. the man who lives on hardtack ,
M xrapa rsI NOW ltyaa on Q00d WhalQ- |