Did anyone ever come up with any additional information on what Civil War soldiers were eating when they ate pickled Vramatices. I have the e-mail address of the current Lenape Nation Chief in Wisconsin, Chief Robert Redhawk Ruth. I inquired with him as to whether any of his people knew what that referred to. He said none of their Clan Mothers had ever heard of such a thing but they knew their people pickled quite a few varieties of food for preserving them. Herman Nagle

I found this question very interesting. A short question, but a rather lengthly reply (but not an explanation of vramatices) from me. I did find a Civil War era letter to home from Morris Island, SC dated December 4, 1864 mentioning the food as part of the Lehman-Burke Family History by Harvey Eugene Lehman. Someone, perhaps the transcriber, has comments in paranthesis. "Monday, Dec. 4th AD 1864 Morris Island, S.C. Dear Brother and all ... ... I had quit my letter till this evening although I have nothing of importance to write at present but must tell you that we drawed a little eztra rashions (were issued a few extra rations) this evening. we drawed 5 onions each and a plaid (plate) full of pickled vramatecie (the meaning of the word, vramatecie, is unknown to me) and a lot of Butter Crackers, that we drawed all extra. well den I'll tell you what I ate for Supper. I got one full days rashions of Bread of (from) a feller that are sick he cant eat much for a few days, well den I ate that days Rashions of bread, my plaid full of Vramatices two meals Rashions of meat one onion, my rashion of coffee, although I am gone (going) to take a little bite yet before I go to bead (bed) I can have some more bread of (from) the man that aint well, I could eat every meal one days rashion(I could eat a whole days rations at every single meal), & am very thankful if I Say So until my year is expired (I will be glad when my enlistment runs out). ..." I looked at Morris Island in the Civil War about Dec 1864, sent an email to the Food Network (no reply yet) and checked with my local Civil War brainiac contacts. Role of Morris Island 1864 - Harvey Lehman describes the role of Morris Island at this time during the war - - "Letter from Samuel Lehman, December 4, 1864, from Fort Wagner on Morris Island, Charleston, SC. This letter by Sam is universal in describing the boredom of daily military life and in a soldier's preoccupation with getting food. I find his barbarous spelling and atrocious grammar appealing and appalling - Sel is So! Morris Island with Fort Wagner is situated on the south side of Charleston Harbor and had been captured and garrisoned by Union forces since 1862 as part of the blockade of Charleston along with other Southern Atlantic ports. The letter (dated Dec. 4 & 6, 1864) from Morris Island, SC, was written near the close of the war, just two weeks before Sherman completed the march from Atlanta to Savannah. By way of clarification, Fort Sumpter is on a small island in the middle of Charleston harbor and the armed point of land in the city facing the harbor is Charleston Battery. Sullivan Island and Morris Island form, respectively, the northern and southern borders of Charleston harbor. Under Union naval attack, Sullivan Island with Fort Moultry fell late in 1861. The Union took Morris Island with Fort Wagner late in 1863. Fort Wagner was garrisoned with armed troops who blockaded the entrance to Charleston harbor. In spite of repeated Federal bombardment, Confederate troops held Fort Sumpter until about six weeks before the war ended in 1865 when Charleston finally fell to Sherman." I'm hoping we have a Charleston SC history buff on this list to help, but given the information in the above letter, "we" came up with . . . *vramatecie* is probably of the Gullah or possibly Creole language of coastal northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas describing a locally grown or water harvested food. Sam is stationed at Morris Island and not on patrol or at camp, so his dinner is not of the common soldier's rations (beans, salt pork hardtack). Sam received a plateful of vramatecie which led us to believe it was found in abundant amounts in December. We noted that Sam did not mention a vegetable (other than onion) in his dinner description. With these clues, we concluded vramatecie was a local *green* grown on or near the island . Whatever the food, Sam ate a plateful AND it was pickled (or possibly *picked*). Although the word vramatecie appears twice, I wonder if there wasn't an error in transcribing the handwriting. I have not contacted Harvey Lehman, but would love to read other transcriptions of and look at the original handwriting. Please post if anyone contacts him. Nancy, in what context did you find the term *vramatices*? Regards, Jane Tripp ______________________________________ Original message From: Karns,Nancy C. To: '[email protected]' Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 2:27 PM Subject: [PACAMBRI] Another word meaning Hi, does anyone know what this word could mean: vramatices - used during Civil War - name of a food? German origin? thanks. Nancy Karns _____________________________________ Reply From: Marcia < [email protected]> Subject: Re: [PACAMBRI] Another word meaning Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 13:40:53 -0700 (PDT) Since you mentioned it in connection with food, the word may have been vermicelli. It was used in the 18th and 19th century to refer to thin noodles. I think the word means "little worms" in Italian. I find the term in several cookbooks from that time period. Marcia __________________________________ Reply From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, September 16, 2011 6:03 PM Subject: [PACAMBRI] Pickled Vramatices Did anyone ever come up with any additional information on what Civil War soldiers were eating when they ate pickled Vramatices. I have the e-mail address of the current Lenape Nation Chief in Wisconsin, Chief Robert Redhawk Ruth. I inquired with him as to whether any of his people knew what that referred to. He said none of their Clan Mothers had ever heard of such a thing but they knew their people pickled quite a few varieties of food for preserving them. Herman Nagle ______________________________