Civil War Commissary in a Box

Civil War Era Candy: Favorites Found in the Civil War Candy Box and 1800s Candy Traditions

Civil War soldiers valued sugars as medicine, food, and morale boosters throughout the Civil War. These early forms of civil war era candy were vital for survival and comfort. Favorites came in packages from home for lucky soldiers, likely jelly beans, a direct descendant of the 9th century Arabic sore throat remedy turned treat Turkish Delight. Also medicinal in origin was stain glass candy - a version appeared in Martha Washington's cookbook - and lemon drops. Many of these sweets are now part of what we celebrate in our civil war candy box today.

Civil War Sweets & Sugars

Some soldiers made favorites for themselves at the start of the war, such as molasses pulls. Hospitals and other organizations sent packages, many items such as cacao and sugar recommended by the new US Sanitary Commission. Cane sugar was common at first, replaced by beet sugar, among others, all able to grow in cool climates. Soldiers bought or found dried fruit and other goods will foraging. These early sweets reflect the ingenuity that would later shape popular 1800s candy traditions.

Government Sweets & Sutlers

The government provided a small variety of sweets. Figures such as Grant shipped large quantities of cranberries, rich in sugar and vitamin C, to Union troops at the Battle of St. Petersburg. Soldiers with enough money bought goods from sutlers, disreputable merchants selling over-priced, hard-to-find items such as ginger and coffee, which troops used boiled or ate whole. Today, some of these flavors are captured in historical recreations like the civil war candy box, offering a tangible link to civil war era candy. The sutlers were later replaced by commissaries, providing approved goods at a reasonable cost.