Camburn's Picket Stew - Vol. V, Episode 19

In this episode, we bring you a sergeant’s account of a stew he made while out on the picket line for his men. He utilized both ration items from the men and foraged items, including the equipment needed for the cooking. While preparing the stew there is a chat about the need for soldiers to share the workload and for sergeants to care for their men.
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[@GrangerGangster]

Excellent episode! I love the fact that it was brought down to us from a retrospective view, as in it had already happened, so he was telling us about it. The thing with a lot of those other recipes is we can’t know exactly who made them, nor when or where. The whole “connection to the Civil War” that you guys continually strive for was especially keenly felt in this episode. Bravo!

[@graemer3657]

Great to keep these stories alive and shared.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Thanks! It’s tasty too!!

[@ocrider69]

One of the coolest things a living historian can do is grow an heirloom vegetable garden. People have no idea what vege looked like during the civil war. A few years back at olustee I brought some 1800s era carrots and cabbage as well as late crop baby potatoes. The carrots are purple and yellow the potatoes golden and red, the cabbage green with a purple flush. People were astounded.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

I’m actually working on that! Will

[@mikewest77]

I just made some in the slow cooker! It was delicious. 4.5 hours on high.

[@chrishastings2665]

We're going to be making this tommorow at our picket. Should be perfect for our cool October Ohio weather. Great vid.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Enjoy and let us know!

[@clockmonkey]

Had an Uncle who landed at Normandy, and saw action from their to the Elbe, including Arnhem and the Rhine Crossings. Most of his War stories for the kids though were about cooking, I got the impression that as soon as they stopped for ten or fifteen minutes they'd Brew Tea any longer and they'd think about a meal. Thinking about it Tea and a Stew were probably the high spot of a day which at the very least involved a lot of hard work and on several occasions being shot at or shelled. Best part of the clip for me is when you both acknowledge the Stew is good as quickly as possible then get back to eating.

[@thodan467]

British i suspect

[@BocageTiger]

Outstanding, William! I'm going to make this in my Backyard!

[@davec.8406]

Another excellent episode. Actually the stew sounds good. I do like to hear that like today the NCOs take care of their men and work together as a unit

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

I’ve made it twice now - it is excellent! It was so good it surprised us the first time we did it at a living history event as a test. Will

[@jeffreyrobinson3555]

I would point out that bacon issued during the time frame of the war was dry smoked bacon, its was as salty as salt pork and made like salt fish

[@robluke4266]

Great job guys, we make something similar in my company, we call it "one pot wonder"..... everyone adds something to the pot, thereby buying you a stake in the meal..... it's always a good hardy meal......

[@Mis-AdventureCH]

Just finished that book. Excellent endeavor by Mrs. Zick. Excellent detail throughout. A very important work. After the July 11th 1863 entry, however, it was a read tinged with sadness. That was the day that my great grand uncle, Will Casto (Cash) was killed during the charge on the cotton bale battery at Jackson, MS. The war and life just went on without him. He was 21.

[@woodsbikes6130]

That was a real nice but simple recipe. Thank you for posting it. 🙂 And it's definitely important to make sure the troops are fed. 🙂. The author of the recipe was definitely a good NCO who cared about his troops.

[@frothslosh]

Nice sharp knife!

[@j.lebowski3917]

Another great video. Always love civil war ration/cooking videos. Please do more.

[@kaseybones]

2:56 love that right after he says this, the camera pans out to this guy just laid back relaxing hahaha

[@thodan467]

rest and take care of yourselv when you have the time an exhausted soldier is no advantage

[@kaseybones]

@@thodan467 agreed. Just thought it was funny

[@schoonerist]

Interesting video. I read once that regiments with a preponderance of German immigrants suffered less from digestive disorders than others because they primarily made soups or stews from their rations. What are your thoughts?

[@jeffreyburress5067]

Another good one!

[@jefffuhrman7903]

I think I would’ve added the hard tack in towards the last 5 minutes. It’s really no different than thickening a gravy. I would have pulverized it into a powder however.

[@rickerson81]

I do love bacon...

[@axillaryfox3912]

I absolutely loved this! By the way, my ancestor, Orlando Poe, was the Colonel of the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry, he lead them gloriously through the Peninsula campaign. And later he became Sherman's chief of Engineer during his March to the sea!

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Glad you enjoyed! It’s great to hear about a personal connection to the 2nd. Will you reach out to us through the communicate button on our webpage and say hi there? Thanks!! Will

[@OldHickoryAndyJackson]

Ever eat leaf stick stew? If you were hungry enough, you would

[@michaelpthompson]

You sure that's a 3-pail stew pot? Seems a bit small but then there were only actually two of you simulating a larger group. :-) Excellent video as always. Bacon, cabbage, and potatoes are a classic Irish stew even today.

[@miketaylor5212]

to save on the burning i would have not added the hardtack until the end they are just used to thicken the stew in any case.

[@BurkeSchneider]

Great video! Can you give the name of the music playing in the first few seconds of the intro?

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Minstrel Boy

[@patrickbush9526]

No wonder they had the Alabama Quick-Step

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Only if you don’t make it right. I have done it multiple times with no trouble.

[@ChrisPBacon-jl7oc]

you should collab with john townsend

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Thank you! They’re era is earlier than ours but we love watching their work!

[@ChrisPBacon-jl7oc]

@@CivilWarDigitalDigest It would make for a interesting watch seeing the two of you discuss how technology like rations and uniforms and all the sort have changed between the revolution and the civil wars.

[@Buffalo49]

Where did you get that 3 leg pot (cauldron)?

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

That reproduction came from Townsend’s.

[@cyberzenASMR]

Precious nutrients are cooked out of the foods. Overcook it and it loses nutritional value. But soup and stews is excellent and fair way to divide out the rations. Nutrients have left the products and reside in the soup.

[@joshuabale4923]

will, where did you get your hat. I'm always afraid I'll spend 120 on a hat and the color wont match my cj daley state jacket.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

My forage cap was made several years back by Starbuck. Will.

[@joshuabale4923]

@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Thanks!

[@peterhedrich7653]

Tasty wow and no battle food is ok

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

The only battle here is to keep the pot from burning - we don’t recommend that!

[@daviddelbecq795]

Great video. Where can I buy such a pot?

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

We got that from Townsend’s. You can also look for gatemarked originals at antique stores of eBay.

[@coultonelliott4312]

You would be awesome playing D&D it’s hard for some to not just narrate what the caricature is doing. Good players becomes their caricature.

[@carlclink9993]

It would make it taste like burnt, John Billings said every thing tasted like burnt.

[@Beaguins]

I mainly remember John Billings saying that food cooked in a camp kettle tasted like laundry (which is worse).

[@watchmanonthewall9927]

damn yankees , well .. that looks like somethin my Confederate ancestors woulda et too .. if they coulda found the stuff to make it .. so .. looks pretty good billy!!!

[@touko_nanami]

Traitors should hang

[@wizardofahhhs759]

@@touko_nanami so should you