The Civil Warriors CWRT of the San Fernando Valley/Los Angeles will hold its next meeting of 2025 on Wednesday, October 8, at 7PM Pacific Time via Zoom. We are pleased to host a presentation by author Michael Hardy, who will be talking about:

"Feeding Lee's Army of Northern Virginia"

Historians typically only write about big battles and campaigns, not how the common soldier fried his bacon and baked his biscuits. Save for a few scattered references, no one has documented how an army was fed or has discussed in any detail the daily eating habits of Confederate soldiers until Michael C. Hardy’s work.

Food (or the lack thereof) and its logistics played a critical role during the war, contributed mightily to the success and failure of campaigns, and affected the overall outcome of the conflict. Hardy bases his unique study on more than 300 sets of letters and diaries that closely examine the importance of sustenance in the life of the soldiers in the Army of Northern Virginia. He examines food issued by the army, food sent from home, and food carried, collected, and eaten during campaigns. Accounts dispel many misconceptions about food during the war and provide a complex picture of the arduous journey various foodstuffs underwent to reach hungry soldiers in the field.

In addition to the common soldier, Hardy examines what the Confederate high command ate and explores the relationship between hospitals and food, demonstrating the importance of proper nutrition in the recovery and care of the wounded. Hardy also examines the vital role played by camp servants, as well as the critical connection between proper nutrition and morale.

After three decades and more than two dozen books, Michael C. Hardy is still finding unexplored corners of history. His books, articles, and popular blog posts cover the history of people, places, and events across the southern United States. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Michael is fascinated with the life of the Confederate soldier from the boots up. When he is not researching and writing, he spends his time at historic sites volunteering as a historic interpreter.

We will be meeting via the Zoom app. We will send out the meeting online connection information shortly before our meeting day (10/8/25). Please plan on beginning your hookup a few minutes before the 7:00 PM Pacific meeting time. If you are a first-time visitor to the Civil Warriors, please contact us at cwrtsfv@gmail.com for information regarding the meeting. Guests, new members and returning members are always welcome to join us for this and future meetings! If you can’t make this meeting, please consider one of our exciting upcoming meetings noted in our Future Presentations section.

Future Presentations