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At twelve
the whistle sounds again and Grog and Dinner is the order. I
forgot: I was discribing Sunday, and will have to go back a
little before I discribe dinner. I forgot to tell you of Muster,
which only comes on Sunday. At 9 oclock the word is passed t
get ready for muster. All hand[s] get their Bags and out comes
their Sunday go to meating Cloaths. Every body must have on
clean cloaths, and at 10 oclock we are all Mustered on the main
Deck and the Captain takes a look at each one as our names are
called, and woe to the one who is found dirty, as he will be
given over to the Master at Armes, whose business it is to take
him on deck, strip him naked, and take a scrubbing brush and
give him a cleaning. We have not had but one case occur; I think
I had rather do my own washing.
But about
our Grog and Dinner. The Grog is whiskey, and they give a Gil
cup twice each day, and it is equal to a good stiff horn each
time. For Dinner on Sunday we have Rost Beef put up in cans
and preserved Potatoes. The Potatoes taste like I don't know
what--any thing that has no taste at all--and the Beef is all
parts of the Cow cooked to gather untill it is next to a Jelly
and will drop to Pieces. It is good where there is none bettor...
I will not discribe any Pies or Puddings, as we are not troubled
with any Desert. We have nothing to drink, or any thing to drink
out of.
After dinner
it is the same thing--do nothing and sleeping until five, when
supper is Piped, and such a supper. I am sure I will get the
Gout on such high living. Our Supper consists of Tea and Crackers.
The Tea is made by taking, for twelve of us, about three times
as much Black Tea or Grass as you would take to make a cup of
Tea for you and me, and about a tea cup full of that muscovada
shugar that has such a bad taste; you recollect I got some once
and we could hardly use it. Wall, it is put in the mess kettle
and Boiling Water put on it twenty moments before we want to
drink it, and we are served out [of] a tin Pot full and can
eat as many crackers as we may wish, which for me is usuly one.
The supper
is the same every night, with the addition of Butter on Tuesday
and Thursday and Pickles Wednesday and Friday, but I cannot
see the use of Butter quite so strong. We are none of us weak,
but perhaps the Government is fearful we will get so, or it
may be that they get strong Butter to go with these Strong
Crackers. Each man has his own Crockery, which consists of a
Tin Pot Pan and Spoon. Geo. S. Geer is a little more aristocrattic,
and has a Knife & Fork, which every body uses and I hardly know
how we get along with out them.
The mess
has only two Pieces of Crocery: the Tin Pail in which we draw
our soups, wash up dishes, make tea & coffee in, and most every
thing else the Pail is used for. The other is a large oval Tin
Pan, and in that the meat is kept, Duff made, and so forth.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays we have Been Soupe, or
perhaps a bettor name would be to call it Bean Water. I am often
tempted to strip off my shirt and make a dive and see if there
really is Beens in the Bottom that gives it the flavor. I think
there must be, but I seldom see them. But the Government say
Beens are very Wholesom and strengthning. I am of the same opinion
(in a horne).
The Pork,
as I told you before, is of the Lardy kind, and no body pretends
to eat it. It is used for making the Skouse, as we call our
Breakfast dish, and the balance is given to the Fishes.
On Tuesdays
and Fridays we have a dish called Duff. I will give you the
recpt [recipe], and you can try it. Take ? lb. Flour to each
person and wet it all untill it is a thick paste, then put in
one ounce of Dride Apples to each person--cores and dirt--without
cutting them up or Washing them, then put them in a Bag over
night and Boil them in the morning until it is about half done
through. Then cut it up with a knife so as to make it as heavy
as poseable, and put a spoon full of common Molasses on each
mans piece and you have one of our crack Duffs. You must not
put any yeast or any such stuf in it, or you will be shure to
spoil the flavor and you will not receive half the good from
it as it will be apt to work out your stomac in the course of
time, and this Duff is waranted to stay and the Apples have
so much the taste of Plums.
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Go to Main Category:
Life on the Monitor
Go to other documents in this category:
Biographies of Commanders of the
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Photo Identification of the
Officers of the Monitor, July 1862
Biographies of the Crew of the Monitor
Photo Identification of the
Crew of the Monitor, July 1862
Photo Identification of the Monitor,
July 1862
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