While traveling on the Newbern, Martha experienced one of the least enjoyable aspects of a long journey - bad food. As you might recall from last week's post, Martha's day typically began with a light meal of black coffee and hardtack before a proper breakfast was served (25). To taste what Martha nibbled on with … Continue reading An Inedible Necessity: Hardtack
“The Heat…was Intense:” Series 1, Part 4
"The women who go to the Philippines on our great transports of to-day cannot realize and will scarcely believe what we endured for lack of ice and of good food on that never-to-be-forgotten voyage down the Pacific coast and up the Gulf of California in the summer of 1874" (28). Martha wrote that sentence about … Continue reading “The Heat…was Intense:” Series 1, Part 4
An Old-Fashioned Apple Pudding: Series 1, Recipe 2
In last week's post, we read about Martha's misadventures in the kitchen as a new army wife. Over time, Martha transformed from a cook who could barely boil an egg to one who compiled two cookbooks of her own. The recipes in these books are far superior to the failed lunch she served for her … Continue reading An Old-Fashioned Apple Pudding: Series 1, Recipe 2
“Women Don’t Reckon in At All:” Series 1, Part 3
As a new army bride, Martha's first days with the Eighth Infantry were glitteringly happy ones that soon came crashing down to reality, if not quite misery. Even though Martha was surprised by Fort Russell's remote location compared to the grandeur of Germany (11), it wasn't long before the ways of the Army captured her … Continue reading “Women Don’t Reckon in At All:” Series 1, Part 3
A Rhubarb Cake for Kaffeeklatsch: Series 1, Recipe 1
The early chapters of Vanished Arizona have a number of enticing references to food. One that particularly intrigues me is Martha's mention of Kaffeeklatsches, a charming German practice she enjoyed while in Germany.* She wrote, "In this beautiful city, life could not be taken any other than leisurely. Theatres with early hours, the maid coming … Continue reading A Rhubarb Cake for Kaffeeklatsch: Series 1, Recipe 1
Glittering Misery: Series 1, Part 2
At twenty-seven years old, Martha Summerhayes fell in love. She did not fall in love with a man, or a place, or a career of her own. Instead, she fell in love with the Army. King George of Hanover. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Martha's introduction to the Army was unusual, to say the least. In … Continue reading Glittering Misery: Series 1, Part 2
Meet Martha Summerhayes: Series 1, Part 1
In the last chapter of Vanished Arizona, Martha Summerhayes wrote: "I am glad to have known the army: the soldiers, the line, and the Staff; it is good to think of honor and chivalry, obedience to duty and the pride of arms; to have lived amongst men whose motives were unselfish and whose aims were … Continue reading Meet Martha Summerhayes: Series 1, Part 1
Welcome to the Revised Living in History Blog!
My reading friends, I hope this post finds you all well. Far too much time has elapsed since I last wrote, thanks to the reliable uncertainty of army life and motherhood. However, I have used this time to brainstorm ideas for recreating this blog as a space to explore one of my historical passions. Conversations … Continue reading Welcome to the Revised Living in History Blog!
The Fallible Washington
Charles Wilson Peale's 1772 portrait of George Washington in his Virginia Regiment uniform. Image courtesy of Washington and Lee University. With the 4th of July weekend upon us, many of us are surely looking forward to family gatherings, cookouts, parades, and fireworks. In the back of our minds, distracted though we might be by our … Continue reading The Fallible Washington
Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment, by Nancy K. Loane: A Review
Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment. By Nancy K. Loane. Lincoln, NE: Potomac Books, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-59797-385-4. Pp. ix-205. $25.39 (hardcover). If you have ever had the privilege of touring the Valley Forge National Historic Park, you will undoubtedly know a thing or two about the difficulties faced by the Continental Army … Continue reading Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment, by Nancy K. Loane: A Review
Living in History 