The Continental soldier often had to provide his own eating utensils, but on occasion they came as standard issue. Maryland troops, for example, were provided a wooden trencher (plate), and bowl, as well as wooden and pewter spoons. Each man would have his knife, of course; and for quaffing his rum, cider, beer, or whiskey, a horn cup, which was extremely light compared with pewter or ceramic. Officers, as might be expected, had more refined utensils. George Washington’s mess kit, for example, was a very elaborate affair housed in a handsome fourteen-compartment wood chest lined with green wool.
Place | City | |
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Fort Morris State Historic Site | Midway | Earthwork fortification; building started in 1776 and it fell to the British in 1779. |
Midway Church and Museum | Midway | Midway Church was burned during the war and rebuilt in 1792; the museum focuses on 18th and early 19th century life. |
Savannah History Museum | Savannah | The 20,000 square foot museum stands on the site of the Battle of Savannah (1778). |
Patriot Battles: How the War of Independence Was Fought (2007)