Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army Part 6

In addition to the foregoing, commanders will require each man on the march to carry the unconsumed portion of the day's ration issued the night before for the noonday meal. In the same manner, cavalry and field artillery carry on their horses a portion of their grain ration issued the night before for a noonday feed. Reserve rations are consumed only in case of extreme necessity, when other supplies are not available. They are not to be consumed or renewed without an express order from the officer in command of the troops who is responsible for the provision of supplies, namely, the division commander or other independent-detachment commander. Every officer within the limits of his command is held responsible for the enforcement of this regulation. Reserve rations consumed must be replaced at the first opportunity.

=Section 2. Individual cooking.=

Sometimes rations for several days are issued to the soldier at one time, and in such cases you should be very careful to so use the rations that they will last you the entire period. If you stuff yourself one day, or waste your rations, you will have to starve later on.

Generally the cooking for the troop will be done by the troop cook, but sometimes every soldier will have to prepare his own meals, using only his field mess kit for the purpose.

The best fire for individual cooking is a small, clear one, or, better yet, a few brisk coals. To make such a fire, first gather a number of sticks about 1 inch in diameter. These should be dry. Dead limbs adhering to a tree are dryer than those picked up from the ground.

Split some of these and shave them up into kindling. Dig a trench in the ground, laid with the wind, about a foot long, 4 inches wide, and 6 inches deep. Start the fire in this trench gradually, piling on the heavier wood as the fire grows. When the trench is full of burning wood, allow it a few minutes to burn down to coals and stop blazing high. Then rest the meat can and cup over the trench and start cooking. Either may be supported, if necessary, with green sticks. If you can not sc.r.a.pe a trench in the soil, build one up out of rocks or with two parallel logs.

The following recipes have been furnished from the office of the Quartermaster General, United States Army:

_Coffee._--Fill the cup two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil.

Add one heaping spoonful of coffee and stir well, adding one spoonful of sugar if desired. Boil five minutes and then set it to the side of the fire to simmer for about 10 minutes. Then, to clear the coffee, throw in a spoonful or two of cold water. This coffee is of medium strength and is within the limit of the ration if made but twice a day.

_Cocoa._--Take two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add one heaping spoonful of cocoa, and stir until dissolved. Add one spoonful of sugar, if desired, and boil for five minutes.

_Chocolate._--Take two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add a piece of chocolate about the size of a hickory nut, breaking or cutting it into small pieces and stirring until dissolved. Add one spoonful of sugar, if desired, and boil for five minutes.

_Tea._--Take two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add one-half of a level spoonful of tea, and then let it stand or "draw"

for three minutes. If allowed to stand longer the tea will get bitter, unless separated from the tea leaves.

MEATS.

_Bacon._--Cut slices about five to the inch, three of which should generally be sufficient for one man for one meal. Place in a meat can with about one-half inch of cold water. Let come to a boil and then pour the water off. Fry over a brisk fire, turning the bacon once and quickly browning it. Remove the bacon to lid of meat can, leaving the grease for frying potatoes, onions, rice, flapjacks; etc., according to recipe.

_Fresh meat_ (to fry).--To fry, a small amount of grease (one to two spoonfuls) Is Necessary. Put grease in the meat can and let come to a smoking temperature, then drop in the steak and, if about one-half inch thick, let fry for about one minute before turning, depending upon whether it is desired it shall be rare, medium, or well done.

Then turn and fry briskly as before. Salt and pepper to taste.

Applies to beef, veal, pork, mutton, venison, etc.

_Fresh meat_ (to broil).--Cut in slices about one inch thick, from half as large as the hand to four times that size. Sharpen a stick or branch of convenient length--say, from two to four feet long--and weave the point of the stick through the steak several times, so that it may be readily turned over a few brisk coals or on the windward side of a small fire. Allow to brown nicely, turning frequently. Salt and pepper to taste. Meat with considerable fat is preferred, though any meat may be broiled in this manner.

_Fresh meat_ (to stew).--Cut into chunks from one-half inch to one inch cubes. Fill cup about one-third full of meat and cover with about one inch of water. Let boil or simmer about one hour, or until tender.

Add such fibrous vegetables as carrots turnips, or cabbage, cut into small chunks, soon after the meat is put on to boil, and potatoes, onions, or other tender vegetables when the meat is about half done.

Amount of vegetables to be added, about the same as meat, depending upon supply and taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Applies to all fresh meat and fowls. The proportion of meat and vegetables used varies with their abundance, and fixed quant.i.ties can not be adhered to. Fresh fish can be handled as above, except that it is cooked much quicker, and potatoes and onions and canned corn are the only vegetables generally used with it, thus making a chowder. A slice of bacon would greatly improve the flavor. May be conveniently cooked in meat can or cup.

VEGETABLES.

_Potatoes_ (fried).--Take two medium-sized potatoes or one large one (about one-half pound), peel and cut into slices about one-fourth inch thick and scatter well in the meat can in which the grease remains after frying the bacon. Add sufficient water to half cover the potatoes, cover with the lid to keep the moisture in, and let come to a boil for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cover and dry as desired. Salt and pepper to taste. During the cooking the bacon already prepared may be kept on the cover, which is most conveniently placed bottom side up over the cooking vegetables.

_Onions_ (fried).--Same as potatoes.

_Potatoes_ (boiled).--Peel two medium-sized potatoes (about one-half pound) or one large one, and cut in coa.r.s.e chunks of about the same size--say, 1-1/2-inch cubes. Place in meat can and three-fourths fill with water. Cover with lid and let boil or simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. They are done when easily penetrated with a sharp stick. Pour off the water and let dry out for one or two minutes over hot ashes or light coals.

_Potatoes_ (baked).--Take two medium-sized potatoes (about one-half pound) or one large one cut in half. Lay in a bed of light coals and cover with same and smother with ashes. Do not disturb for 30 or 40 minutes, when they should be done.

_Canned tomatoes._--One 2-pound can is generally sufficient for five men.

_Stew._--Pour into the meat can one man's allowance of tomatoes and add about two large hardtacks broken into small pieces and let come to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, or add a pinch of salt and one-fourth spoonful of sugar.

_Or_, having fried the bacon, pour the tomatoes into the meat can, the grease remaining, and add, if desired, two broken hardtacks. Set over a brisk fire and let come to a boil.

_Or_, heat the tomatoes just as they come from the can, adding two pinches of salt and one-half spoonful of sugar, if desired.

_Or_, especially in hot weather, eaten cold with hard bread, they are very palatable.

_Rice._--Take about two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add 4 heaping spoonfuls of rice, and boil until the grains are soft enough to be easily mashed between the fingers (about 20 minutes). Add two pinches of salt and, after stirring, pour off the water and empty rice out on meat can. Bacon grease or sugar may be added.

_Corn meal, fine hominy, oatmeal._--Take about one-third of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add 4 heaping spoonfuls of the meal or hominy, and boil about 20 minutes. Then add about two pinches of salt and stir well.

_Dried beans and peas._--Put 4 heaping spoonfuls in about two-thirds of a cupful of water and boil until soft. This generally takes from three to four hours. Add one pinch of salt. About half an hour before the beans are done add one slice of bacon.

HOT BREADS.

_Flapjacks._--Take 6 spoonfuls of flour and one-third spoonful of baking powder and mix thoroughly (or dry mix in a large pan before issue, at the rate of 25 pounds of flour and 3 half cans of baking powder for 100 men). Add sufficient cold water to make a batter that will drip freely from the spoon, adding a pinch of salt. Pour into the meat can, which should contain the grease from fried bacon or a spoonful of b.u.t.ter or fat, and place over medium hot coals sufficient to bake, so that in from 5 to 7 minutes the flapjack may be turned by a quick toss of the pan. Fry from 5 to 7 minutes longer, or until by examination it is found to be done.

_Hoecake._--Hoecake is made exactly the same as flapjacks by subst.i.tuting _corn meal_ for _flour_.

_Emergency rations._--Detailed instructions as to the manner of preparing the emergency ration are found on the label of each can.

Remember that even a very limited amount of bacon or hard bread, or both, consumed with the emergency ration makes it far more palatable, and generally extends the period during which it can be consumed with relish. For this reason it would be better to husband the supply of hard bread and bacon for use with the emergency ration when it becomes evident that the latter must be consumed rather than to retain the emergency ration to the last extremity and force its exclusive use for a longer period than two or three days.

=Section 3. The forage ration.=

"_1077, Army Regulations._--The forage ration for a horse is 14 pounds of hay and 12 pounds of oats, corn, or barley, and 3-1/3 pounds of straw (or hay) for bedding; for a Field Artillery horse of the heavy-draft type, weighing 1,300 pounds or over, 17 pounds of hay and 14 pounds of oats, corn, or barley, and 3-1/3 pounds of straw (or hay) for bedding; for a mule, 14 pounds of hay and 9 pounds of oats, corn, or barley, and 3-1/3 pounds of straw (or hay) for bedding. To each animal 3 pounds of bran may be issued in lieu of that quant.i.ty of grain.

"The commanding officer may, in his discretion, vary the proportions of the components of the ration (1 pound of grain, 1-1/2 pounds of hay, and 2 pounds of straw being taken as equivalents), and in the field may subst.i.tute other recognized articles of forage obtained locally, the variation or the subst.i.tution not to exceed the money value of the components of the ration at the contract rates in effect at the time of change.

"_1078, Army Regulations._--Where grazing is practicable, or when little work is required of the animals, commanding officers will reduce the forage ration. When, on the other hand, conditions demand it, they are authorized to increase the ration, not in excess, however, of savings made."

In the field the authorized allowances must often be reduced and supplemented by grazing and other kinds of food, such as green forage, beans, peas, rice, palay, wheat, and rye. Wheat and rye should be crushed and fed sparingly (about one-fourth of the allowance). For unsh.e.l.led corn, add about one-quarter weight.

On the march the grain ration is the only forage carried. It consists of 12 pounds of grain for each horse and 9 pounds of grain for each mule. Recourse must be had to grazing if it is not possible to procure long forage in the country traversed.

In campaign a command carries as a part of its normal equipment the following forage:

(_a_) For each draft animal: On each vehicle a _reserve_ of one day's grain ration for its draft animals.

(_b_) On animals and vehicles: A portion of their grain ration issued the night before, for a noonday feed.

(_c_) In the ration section of the field train, for each animal, two days' grain rations.

(_d_) In supply train of an Infantry division two days' grain rations, and of a Cavalry division one day's grain ration.