Rambling Anecdotes

I've never used a measuring cup for cooking rice. Like the old timers, I used a "cup" and learned to measure with it. Give me another "cup" and I'd be in a world of hurt. Anybody got a bag of Uncle Ben? Please share the instructions as I've never read anything on cooking rice. :rolleyes:

BTW, at Conner Prairie Hearth Cooking Class I learned that a "cup" was not the same as a measuring cup. It was a "cup" and one learned to cook by eyeball. So, what was one man's cup could be another man's shot glass. The story related above probably involved a large cup which resulted in too much rice in the pot.

I also came across an account by one soldier whose "cup" measured a quart. Cup should then be read as a cup and not a unit of measurement.
 
Rice

Package back;
Doguet's Rice Milling Co.
795 South Major Dr.
Beaumont, Texas 77707
Cooking Directions
To 2 cups boiling water
add 1 cup Doguet's Rice
and 1 teaspoon salt,
put on low heat, stir and cover, let simmer for 15 minutes.
Don
 
Rapp's Free Company

First Aide to Napoleon, General Rapp, could lead a cavalry charge or cook a chicken. He was also an excellent marksman with a cavalry carbine. Highly trusted, he was given command of the Fortress of Danzig after Napoleon's retreat from Moscow.

The Russians besieged Danzig and called upon Rapp to surrender. He held while his food lasted. However, we're here today to learn of his Free Company led by Captain Chambure. Here's an interesting excerpt:

"The free company became every day more audacious. Trenches, palisadoes, were trifling obstacles; it penetrated every where. In the middle of a dark night, it stole along from tree to tree, the whole length of the avenue of Langfuhr, without being perceived by the Russians. On a sudden it leaped into their works, killed some of the Russians, drove out the others, and pursued them as far as Kabrun. The brave Surimont, the intrepid Rozay, Payen, Dezeau, Gonipet, and Francore, threw themselves on the redoubt, and carried it. A hundred men were put to the sword, the othres owed their escape only to flight."

Despite their work, shortage of food impelled the surrender of Danzig. Napoleon's eagle had flown.
 
The final installment

"In the days of which I am talking, among men whom I have in mind, when a man went after his guns, he did so with a single, serious purpose. There was no such thing as a bluff; when a gunfighter reached for his forty-five, every faculty he owned was keyed to shooting as speedily and as accurately as possible, to making his first shot the last of the fight. He just had to think of his gun solely as something with which to kill another before he himself could be killed. The possibility of intimidating an antagonist was remote, although the 'drop' was thoroughly respectd, and few men in the West would draw against it. I have seen men so fast and so sure of themselves that they did go after their guns while men who intended to kill them had them covered, and what is more win out in the play. They were rare. It is safe to say, for all general purposes, that anything in gunfighting that smacked of show-off or bluff was left to braggarts who were ignorant or careless of their lives.

"I might add that I never knew a man who amounted to anything to notch his guns with 'credits,' as they were called, for men he had killed. Outlaws, gunmen of the wild crew who killed for the sake of brag, followed this custom. I have worked with most of the noted peace officers -- Hickok, Billy Tilghman, Pat Sughre, Bat Masterson, Charlie Basset, and others of like caliber -- have handled their weapons many times, but never knew one of them to carry a notched gun.

"There are two other points about the old-time method of using six-guns most effectively that do not seem to be generally known. One is that the gun is not cocked with the ball of the thumb. As his gun was jerked into action, the old-timer closed the whole joint of his thumb over the hammer and the gun was cocked in that fashion. The soft flesh of the thumb ball might slip if a man's hands were moist, and a slip was not to be chanced if humanly avoidable. This thumb-joint method was employed whether or not a man used the trigger for firing.

"On the second point, I have often been asked why five shots without reloading were all a top-notch gunfighter fired, when his guns were chambered for six cartridges. The answer is, merely, safety. To ensure against accidental discharge of the gun while in the holster, due to hair-trigger adjustment, the hammer rested upon an empty chamber. As widely as this was known and practiced, the number of cartridges a man carried in his six-gun may be taken as an indication of a man's rank with the gunfighters of the old school. Practiced gun-wielders had too much respect for their weapons to take unnecessary chances with them; it was only with tyros and would-bes that you heard of accidental discharges or didn't-know-it-was-loaded injuries in the country where carrying a Colt was a man's perogative."
 
Drown 'em

A Confederate cavalry officer had set up camp in an area protected by deep streams and heavy brush. He wanted a defensible location that wasn't easily accessible. He balked when he received the order that his company would be inspected. He and his men had little desire to clear the brush, line up the tents in orderly fashion and lay everything out per regulation.

He turned to his lieutenant and told him that he would escort the inspecting officers to the camp. It was clear to the lieutenant that he wasn't enthusiastic and the lieutenant was unsure about his orders. In frustration, the good captain ordered, "Drown 'em on the way here." Off rode the lieutenant and many many hours later he returned. The lieutenant was wet to the skin and covered with mud. In fact, all the horses and the wagon that the inspectors were riding in were wet and covered with mud. The inspectors were visibly shaking from cold when they dismounted their perch.

The captain strode up to them, smiled and threw a regulation salute and welcomed them to his camp. The inspectors complained about how he had set up his camp in the most inaccessible location that was surrounded by rivers that could barely be forded. Predictably, when they left, they were still unhappy campers.

The captain went to the lieutenant and asked him what happened. The lieutenant explained that he had taken them through the most difficult roads (if the paths could be called that) and through the deepest streams he could think of. The captain stared in disbelief and asked why. The lieutenant reminded him of the order to drown the inspectors and said that he had tried his best but had failed. :p
 
Raccoon routs Rebels

Early in the Late Great Unpleasantry Between States or the Mother of American Family Feuds, two Rebs were out camping and chanced upon a deer which they promptly killed. Desiring to take it back to share with their comrades, they tied it to a pole and were about to carry it back when a piece of bark struck the ground. Looking up, they saw a coon. The Lt. in charge (there were only two Rebs involved) suggested capturing it and releasing in the barn where the boys slept. Well, the first coon in the tree turned out to be too big for one man to capture in a blanket but by the third coon (they brained second with a stick), they were successful. Note: spelling & other errors are the authors.

"Ike caught the coon by the back of the neck and the hind legs and after having untied him, carried it up to the house, slipped it in and closed the door hitching the chain over the staple, then sat down on the step to await developments. Pretty soon one of the boys, Sam Bane said to Uriah Lease, 'Uriah, Uriah, what is it climbing over me. Uriah there is some kind of an animal in here and I believe it's a pole cat.' Then there was a general scramble. In a very short time the boys were all perched up on the joist holding consultation as to what it was and how it got in, the door being shut. Sam Bane declared in very emphatic language that it was fast on the outside as he had tried to get it open and couldn't. 'Well boys,' said the Colonel, who was almost dying from laughter, 'we must have a light, who has a match.' All seemed to have but they were all below and no know would volunteer to get them. Day was beginning to break in the east. We quietly slipped the chain from the staple and then ran to the boat and shoved out to a large rock in the river to await further developments as soon as it became light enough. They discovered the little coon 'scrooched' up in a corner. Then some roared with laughter and some roared with anger and swore vengeance against Parsons and Blue. We were soon discovered and dire threats were made as to what our fate would be when they got us though most of the boys took it as a joke and laughed at those who did not see in that light, when we told them he had a deer and they wouldn't get any of it unless they promised not to molest us. But they did not believe that we had a deer. Finally they agreed if we had a deer we could land without being disturbed, but if we had no deer then we must submit to a thorough ducking. So we pushed ashore, we had the deer, they settled the matter though we had to tell the boys all about the coon hunt. We soon had our deer dressed and frying for breakfast."
 
Custer almost gets it...

At Appomattox, holding a red handkerchief aloft, General Custer rode up to General Longstreet and rashly demanded the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Longstreet refused stating that talks were being conducted between Lee and Grant and that they, as subordinates, would have to wait. Custer insists at which point an angered Longstreet orders his officers to prepare for battle. Crestfallen, Custer rides away. Check out Longstreet's memoirs (From Manassas to Appomattox) if you want to read more about it. However, I found this tidbit from another source.

"From the left we saw a Federal officer riding at full gallop into our lines, waving before him a red bandanna handkerchief. When he came near enough to be heard, he inquired who was in command, and some one said: 'General Gordon.' He then went on, waving his handkerchief, until he met the General and had some conversation with him in connection with the surrender. When he galloped by us and in easy range, a brave soldier of the 31st Georgia Regiment, whose face was set with tears, threw his gun up and said: 'I'll get that scoundrel.' But some one who was more thoughtful knocked his gun up and said: 'Don't, John; it may be that the surrender has already taken place, and it may cause trouble.' Thursby replied: 'That's not a white flag, and I am not bound to respect it.' But his comrades would not allow him to shoot, and Custer, the bloody tyrant (shall I use the word?), who had shed so much innocent blood that devastated the Valley of Virginia with the torch, rode on, not knowing how near he came to the expiation of his heartly cruelty, only to meet a fate later on which he richly deserved if the command, 'Thou shalt not kill,' means anything."
 
Confederate style recon mission

"A few days after the battle of Franklin my regiment was in position with right resting at Dr. Berry's (new) residence, just outside the city limits of Nashville. One morning Gen. R. L. Gibson, our brigade commander, asked me if I knew the position of the Federal troops on Brown's Creek. I was ignorant of any creek by that name, even although it was close by us. One of Dr. Berry's boys said to me, pointing with his finger: 'Colonel, that's Brown's Creek where the railroad bridge crosses.' The bridge was about halfway between the lines. I gave orders to cease firing on our side, and without any side arms I waved a handkerchief, which was promptly answered by the Federals. I made my way toward the small bridge, and got ahead of the Federal officer and two men, and took advantage of the time to carefully take in the position of the enemy. On their approach the officer asked me what I wanted.

"I told him I wanted 'a ball of shoe thread to make a pair of boots (this was true); He replied: 'That is a queer thing for a flag of truce.' I thought so myself, but I did not know anything better to say. I promised to pay them in tobacco. The officer said he did not believe the general would allow him to do that. 'Well, let me know to-morrow at noon.' We shook hands, and I asked the two cavalrymen what command they belonged to. They replied, 'Second Kentucky.' I said: 'Ah, boys, you should be on my side.' They smiled, and we returned to our respective lines. The information obtained seemed to be sufficient, as Gen. Hood ordered an advance that afternoon and drove the enemy back some distance. The next morning Capt. Samuel Haden asked me if he might reconnoiter and get a newspaper and see what they thought of the 'shoe thread trick.' I said, 'Go ahead,' and he approached their lines. I saw them point their rifles at him and force him to enter their lines, and thus I lost one of my most gallant and skillful captains, who had been in many tight places with me."

BTW folks, I'm going to be in Washington, D. C., for the rest of the week and won't be back until April 15th. Be good and if you have a good rambling anecdote, share it. :)
 
Thanks John. Sorry, but I edited my post to show which Washington. BTW, I'll be going to Philomath, Oregon next month for the Oregon Gun Makers' Fair.
 
Cover v. concealment

The former not only hides you, but also offers some protection. The later only conceals you but offers you no protection. Here's a tidbit from the past that illustrates this lesson:

During the advance of Evans' Brigade across the wheat field from the end of Brooks' Hill to the Thomas house, a Federal soldier fired at the advancing enemy from bheind a wheat shock. The man himself was not visible, but the smoke of his rifle was. Immediately the guns of many Confederates were turned upon that particular wheat shock, and when the Confederates in their onward go, came to the shock of wheat, the Federal soldier lay there dead with a dozen bullet wounds in his body.
 
The James boys loved their mother

There's no dispute that Frank & Jesse robbed banks. Teddy Roosevelt even called Jesse the "Robin Hood of America." Well, there's no proof that they ever gave to save a widow's home from a mortgage. However, they did share their loot with dear old mom. After all, she was the woman who bore them, raised them and fed them as babes. They repaid her by giving her stolen revenue stamps stolen from the Liberty Bank. One day Mother James took her revenue stamps to the Liberty Bank to pay off a loan. Said bank refused to accept them as they figured (rightfully) that they were stolen. Indignant, she paid in cash. History does not record what if anything she said to her boys but it sure would have been interesting.
 
I'll pass on the johnny cakes

Johnny cakes are Corn-fed food. It's generally corn mixed with water and a pinch of salt (if available) which is fried to perfection in bacon grease (generally the only grease available). While quite yummy, I'll pass on this batch and so will you:

"When we Crossed into the town of Fredericksburg, the men Captured many things & thease three, Davis, Howells & Hill got into a house [and a] Carpenter's store room & Dye Davis said, 'We be got him now, lads. Fill your haversacks.' And the Haversacks was filled. Dye Davis [said], 'Now, lads, lets go down to the fire & we will have some Johnny Cakes.' And when they reached the fire, Dye said, 'John Howells, do we get some wood & make a fire?' & 'Bill Hill, do we get some water & I make some Johnny cake' & the work went on & Dye [made] a Cake on the old plate & he turned it up to see if it was done, but [it] was not browned yet & Jack said, 'Turn 'em over any'ow." & Dye turned [it] over & said, 'Jack he is hard any'ow' & they got the other side hard & Dye wanted it to get browned but Bill Hill got impatient & said, 'Damn, 'em, Dye, less [let's] have him!' & the Cake was handed to Bill & the Cook put another on the pan & while Dye was working at the second one, Bill Hill could not get his Knife to splite the first one & Jack Howell says, 'Bill, get a stone & Break 'em.' & they got a stone & Broke it & tried to bite it, but it was no go & Jack examined it Carefully & exclaimed, 'Damn 'em, Dye, 'e is plaster [of] Paris!' & the Cook stopped instantly & he examined & exclaimed, 'Well, Jack, I did think he was Damn heavy flour in my haversack.' & sure enough it was white Plaster of Paris."

It almost sounds like a script for the Three Stooges. :D

Sorry but I've been busy with the manuscript. A couple of readers have made suggestions and I've been incorporating them.
 
Lie, lies & more lies

When I was at the Smithsonian a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a book by Charles Minor Blackford. He's the older brother of Eugene B. of the 5th Alabama. Well, anyway, here's Charles' passage after Gettysburg:

"Eugene just left my camp, where he stopped while the regiment was passing, to get something to eat, and I never saw anyone enjoy a meal so much. He was very hungry having been in the line of battle four days without the chance of cooking anything and having anything but hardtack and water."

Yeah, sure. Sounds like the younger brother suckered the older brother out of his chow. Here's what Eugene really ate:

July 1: "That night I slept with my men in a barn in the outskirts of the town. In it there were countless [illegible], of which we made a great soup, thickened with artichoke. In the morning [July 2] the enemy now crowded on the heights, our lines were drawn around, and my men thrown out into the meadow between the lines. Here we lay in the broiling sun until about 1 p.m. when beginning to feel hungry, I sent a detail to catch chickens, which they cooked in a large pot found in a cottage, thro' which my lent went. This soup contained about 60 chickens, and the entire contents of the garden in the way of onions & potatoes. Saw it was necessary to feed the men as no rations had been issued..."

Lying dog ate well and then bummed chow off his older brother. But hey, what are brothers for? ;)
 
Early anti-tobacco movement (and you thought you had it hard)

I'm not a smoker and I don't like it. However, the following is taken from Conner Prairie's publication, Closer Look, and has the historical perspective on tobacco.

"From chewing tobacco (commonly called 'the chaw') to snuffing to smoking cigarettes, pipes, cigars, tobacco has been prevalent in American society for centuries. While tobacco use is still a strong cause for many, the impetus behind today's anti-smoking campagins differs greatly from that of the late 18th and early 19th century.

One of the first Americans to publish a work warning about the use of tobacco was Dr. Benjamin Rush. However, it was the moral flag that Rush was waving, not health. After the Revolutionary War, anti-tobacco sentiment began to grow in the United States on the basis of morality issues. Tobacco and alcohol were often paired as evil equals - precursors to gambling, prostitution and other social impurities.

By the 1830s, anti-tobacco activists were starting to emerge in Indiana. However, it wasn't until the mid-19th century that health concerns associated with tobacco surfaced. The effects of tobacco on the body and its strong addictive properties became widely discussed. These remain core issues in today's anti-tobacco campaign."

Gee, I didn't know that tobacco use led to gambling and prostitution. :p The following sidebar is also of interest. It is taken from Deborah Gage's and Madeline Marsh's, Tobacco Containers & Accessories

"In many countries, harsh punishments were imposed on those who indulged in tobacco. In Russia, Tsar Michael executed those caught smoking more than once and cut off the noses of snuff takers. In Turkey, smokers had their pipes driven through their cheeks and noses and were paraded on donkeys through the streets of Constantinople; and in Berne tobacco was officially added to the Ten Commandments - curiously included as 'Thou shalt not commit adultery, or take tobacco' - and smokers were liable to public prosecution."

Pretty harsh penalties even by our modern standards. :(
 
Tobacco and alcohol were often paired as evil equals - precursors to gambling, prostitution and other social impurities.
Click to expand...

I actually starting drinking and smoking AFTER I started gambling and engaging in prostitution and other social impurities. :D
 
I think that the anti smoking hysteria is still the same old moral saw, but now health and morality are seen as the same thing. I'm not saying that smoking is good for you--it's pretty clearly not. I'm saying that health is used as a bludgeon against groups that are not socially approved of--typically lower class non-whites. You see the same thing with obesity and marijuana, of which there is very little actual evidence of harmfulness. Our puritan culture just has a real problem with folks doing anything for pure enjoyment. After all, there *must* be some moral superiority to never having any fun and working all the time--otherwise *why do it?*

AK
 
Pass the cup - not.

Turn on the telly and look at any sitcom. The home is typically middle class and has plenty of nice furnishings. Now, here's a tidbit from the 1850s.

"A couple of years ago I made a pilgrimage to my great-grandfather's former home in Westford, Conn., in company with a kinsman over eighty years old - the last of his generation. It was a very comfortable house, with four rooms and a leanto, with a stone chimney. My great-grandfather lived there as early as 1750. My cousin called my attention to the old well near the door where, by the curb, there was a large stone hollowed out like a trough, he said the 'men folks' as they came from the field, would fill that trough with a bucket or two of water from which they would 'souse' themselves thoroughly, thus not disturbing the goodwife. And of course in the rustic neighborhoods the old customs existed long after they were abandoned in the larger villages and towns.

"You will hardly believe, when I say it, but I distinctly remember as a very samll boy, going to a house in this same primitive town of Westford where we were invited to a dinner. The only drinking vessel on the table was one of the quart Staffordshire mugs(would that I had that mug in my collection today) which was filled with water, milk or cider, I have really forgotten which, and passed around the table at the demand of any thirsty one. The family consisted of a man and his wife, an ancient grandmother, and several children with not too clean faces. I couldn't refuse the mug when urged upon me and selecting a place on the brim at the right of the handle, I drank, when one of the children exclaimed, 'See mar! He's got tranny's place.' Of course that practice in this instance was possibly nearly a century out of period." :barf:
 
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