The oft-toted phrase “an army marches on its stomach” was very much the case when the French arrived in America. Expédition Particulière, commanded by Rochambeau, spent much of 1780 and 1781 in New York and Rhode Island, and research by Dr Selig has shown that these 4-5 thousand soldiers went through 8-10 wagon loads of flour and 30 cattle per day! A soldat would have usually expected his ration to be around 1.5 lbs of bread, an ounce of rice, and 1 lb of fresh (or salted) meat, although the French did also work to include corn (or maize, as some call it), as it was more accessible than wheat. Soldats (or more usually their officers) were expected to supplement this basic ration with locally sourced vegetables.
As reenactors, we don’t always subsist purely on period rations – here you see a more varied and luxurious diet from our “parade duty” at Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust – but we do make an effort to incorporate period expectations where we can.
Photo by kind permission of Matt Armett
Le Régiment Gatinois 