Survival during war is often about more than just time spent on the front lines. During the Civil War, finding sufficient, edible food was challenging on account of a devastated landscape, insufficient labor after farmers went off to fight, as well as blockades and barricades preventing access to much-needed provisions.

Much like settlers headed out West during the expansion of the United States or millions of poverty-stricken individuals impacted by the Great Depression, Civil War soldiers and their civilian counterparts resorted to whatever they could find to eat. Sometimes the results were gnarly and out of the norm when viewed through a modern lens.

The following recipes reflect the creativity men and women undertook in the kitchen and at the campfire. From alternative forms of coffee to cakes of all kinds, you may not believe some of the things people actually ate.

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