Food historians tell us during the American Civil War the civilians/soldiers of the north generally ate better than the civilians/soldiers of the south. They also tell us the Southern plantation owner's family ate quite differently from its slaves. Members of the Gullah-Geechee community, Ohio factory workers, wealthy Boston merchants, New Orleans Acadians, New Jersey Swedes, Pennsylvania "Dutch," and Maine whaling sailors all preferred/enjoyed/ate different foods. In a nation populated by settlers from many lands there was (as is today) no "typical" breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. At the same time, The Industrial Revolution was making it possible to preserve (cans, bottles) and distribute (railroads) large quantities of food to a greater number of consumers. Indianapolis-based Van Camp's Packing Company supplied canned pork and bean rations to the Union Army. http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpioneer.html#civilwar Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com