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Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life (1887) is a memoir by John D. Billings. Billings was a veteran of the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Light Artillery Battery in the American Civil War. Originally published in 1888, Hard Tack and Coffee quickly became a best... Read Full Overview

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely... Read Full Overview

Includes six color plates of corps badges and more than 200 black and white illustrations

Billings was a veteran of the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Artillery Battery during the Civil War, but he is best known for his 1888 book Hardtack and Coffee, a reference to the most common food and drink given to soldiers during the war. Billings' book is not about battles but... Read Full Overview

Originally published in 1887, Hard Tack and Coffee quickly became a best seller, and is now considered one of the most important books written by a Civil War veteran. Some sample chapter headings reveal the breadth of subjects covered: How the Soldiers Were Sheltered Life in... Read Full Overview

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887 Excerpt: ...unmindful that they must first go to school and learn the art of war... Read Full Overview

Hard Tack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life (1887) is a memoir by John D. Billings. Billings was a veteran of the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Light Artillery Battery in the American Civil War. Originally published in 1888, Hard Tack and Coffee quickly became a... Read Full Overview

Excerpt from Hardtack and Coffee

Hardtack and Coffee is a non-fiction book written by John Davis Billings in 1887. The book is an account of the daily life of soldiers during the American Civil War. The author, who served as a Union Army hospital steward during the war, provides a detailed and vivid description... Read Full Overview

Throughout history, from antiquity to the present, service in the armed forces of one's country has provided an almost endless source of material to entertain and even enlighten listeners. Military life has usually been a unique and peculiar experience for most civilians exposed... Read Full Overview

This vivid memoir offers an in-depth look at the daily life of a Union soldier during the American Civil War. John D. Billings, a veteran himself, recounts the mundane and extraordinary aspects of military life, from camp routines and food rations to the chaos of battle. With... Read Full Overview