The Poor Soldier's Feast

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ย. 2024
  • I want to understand one of the most difficult situations of the last 250 years. How did soldiers during the American Revolutionary war survive. Food was hard to come by and the conditions were incredibly difficult. Come along with me as we try to get a taste of that time.
    Playlist of Poor Feast videos • The Poor Feast
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ความคิดเห็น • 1.4K

  • @townsends
    @townsends  ปีที่แล้ว +770

    The readings in this video are from "A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier" by Joseph Plumb Martin. Available here! - amzn.to/3DhHlsW

    • @bensweetra4871
      @bensweetra4871 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Plumb Pudding

    • @jordonrowland2143
      @jordonrowland2143 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I really enjoy your cooking videos and history lessons!

    • @andrejka_talking_out_loud
      @andrejka_talking_out_loud ปีที่แล้ว +1

      This is o interesting! Thank you! :) If I can ask, do you filter the water used form that pond or do you know it does not have all sorts of unpleasant microbes?

    • @HLBear
      @HLBear ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I think that boiling the water is pretty safe, but since this is a reenactment, maybe they used water they brought in for the cooking.

    • @milesbrown8016
      @milesbrown8016 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I see no ships admiral, only hardships….

  • @bitslammer
    @bitslammer ปีที่แล้ว +3619

    That was a really fantastic piece for just under 7 minutes. Didn't feel rushed and didn't feel cut off. Just a perfect little taste of the story that felt complete in and of itself.

    • @pineappleparty1624
      @pineappleparty1624 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      It did feel cutoff as it was cut off lol.

    • @TerrorTerros
      @TerrorTerros ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Nice and atmospheric

    • @Oldsmobile69
      @Oldsmobile69 ปีที่แล้ว

      The shoes messed up the immersion tho. The shoes!

    • @BlackMasterRoshi
      @BlackMasterRoshi ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@pineappleparty1624 the music could have gone for another 5 seconds, yes

    • @johnreeves5887
      @johnreeves5887 ปีที่แล้ว

      Did you just finish playing halo?

  • @keithtorgersen9664
    @keithtorgersen9664 ปีที่แล้ว +2018

    The fact that the man went home but then enlisted again knowing the hardships he would face, shows a lot of courage.

    • @stanfordwillis4841
      @stanfordwillis4841 ปีที่แล้ว +181

      Or a lack of choice

    • @kennethmcdonald5278
      @kennethmcdonald5278 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Today , they call him seal team Master Chief

    • @crimsoncherry3525
      @crimsoncherry3525 ปีที่แล้ว +78

      ​@@stanfordwillis4841 unfortunately this was probably most likely the case

    • @stanfordwillis4841
      @stanfordwillis4841 ปีที่แล้ว +57

      @@crimsoncherry3525 As it was most of the time unfortunately, I've read a lot of books about mariners and soldiers throughout the last centuries and their conditions were truly appoling for the shilling they earnt, those men sold their lives for nothing so europeans countries could be rich, in the name of king and country (not only the brits but the french, the dutch, the spanish etc), but mostly on the account that it's all that they knew, or all that they could do if they had been criminals, they couldn't read and had started working as soldiers or mariners since they were kids

    • @tobysgamingworld1550
      @tobysgamingworld1550 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      @@stanfordwillis4841 it amazes me how many of them had romantic ideas of war but reality hits pretty fast. Saying no meant they’re known as cowards so in that sense it’s not a choice

  • @Tadicuslegion78
    @Tadicuslegion78 ปีที่แล้ว +1141

    Just goes to show the most critical position to find the right man for is Quartermaster and cooks because an army is worthless if it can't feed itself.

    • @evanmarschand9930
      @evanmarschand9930 ปีที่แล้ว +93

      Absolutely true. Problems with logistics and lack of food have taken out many an army

    • @martino7263
      @martino7263 ปีที่แล้ว +123

      "An army marches on it's stomach"
      Napoleon Bonaparte

    • @ablewindsor1459
      @ablewindsor1459 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      The financings of the War was the worst at least at least the five richest persons of the different colonies went bankrupt trying to fund the long war.

    • @Tadicuslegion78
      @Tadicuslegion78 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      @@ablewindsor1459 And if I recall reading it somewhere, they were using every kind of currency from French, dutch, spanish, and more to help finance it all

    • @Dog.soldier1950
      @Dog.soldier1950 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Proud to have been a logistician

  • @malafunkshun8086
    @malafunkshun8086 ปีที่แล้ว +172

    “Joseph’s job was not to win the war. It was to survive the day.”
    Well said, Townsend!
    Aloha 🙏🏼🤙🏼

  • @YourLifeMyHands
    @YourLifeMyHands ปีที่แล้ว +547

    Sometimes surviving the day will be the greatest victory you will have in a 24 hour period. Let us all keep fighting for that victory. Thank you Townsends, sometimes you hear exactly what you need to hear from such an unsuspecting source. Love you guys

    • @dpt6849
      @dpt6849 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      In a life and death situation if you win you win. If you loose it is all over. People who are in survival situation still are in that mindset

    • @GreenBlueWalkthrough
      @GreenBlueWalkthrough ปีที่แล้ว

      @@dpt6849 All my life I've been living that fight and I was born into the Greatest Peace on Earth. A time where a sickly disabled man such as my self can live in pain 24/7/365 and still live in luxury and "Good" health... I'm surving yes but I'm also thriving because I have a I will see another sunrise mindset.

    • @Wolffur
      @Wolffur หลายเดือนก่อน

      A win is still a win. Even if it is just surviving another day.

  • @chriskourliourod1651
    @chriskourliourod1651 ปีที่แล้ว +417

    Having grown up in the upper part of the Southern Appalachians, I learned much about foraging the hills and valleys, and there’s nothing easy about it if you have to do it every day. I’m surprised no mention was made about light tin and copper ware, but back in those times people were forced to use what they had. If you’re a sane, sensible adult, you learn how to listen to what your body is telling you: if you need water, you focus on that, and never mind the coffee and the booze; if you need veggies and teas for their nutrition, you focus on that; meat obtained in any way possible, with that many men around, definitely was a luxury. One winter weekend all I had was deer-broth corn cakes, white pine bark with the needles for tea, and vodka. It sucked, but I lived like a king compared to historic suffering.

    • @ceciliajones7816
      @ceciliajones7816 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I wondered about the foraging aspect, too. There’s so many edible native plants but very few recognize them. Even in winter knowing what plants to eat and how to eat was necessary.

    • @greeneyesfromohio4103
      @greeneyesfromohio4103 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I enjoyed your story….question though, how do you make deer broth? That sounds very warm and delicious!

    • @chriskourliourod1651
      @chriskourliourod1651 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      In the home kitchen, it’s great. At the time, I had one steak left and tried to make it go a long way by boiling it, mixing cornmeal in the liquid and meat bits, and then cooking the patties in a skillet with only hunger for seasoning. It was not good at all; survival food seldom is, in my experience.

  • @MichaelJones-rn2pq
    @MichaelJones-rn2pq ปีที่แล้ว +182

    It puts in perspective what one should consider "a good day" and what is really "a bad day". Thanks so much for showing this to us.

    • @David-si9pi
      @David-si9pi ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Poor people are still going hungry now.

    • @Max._Power
      @Max._Power ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@David-si9pi if anything its worse now, because people are starving while surrounded by food and abundance.

  • @Thrive910
    @Thrive910 ปีที่แล้ว +763

    The fact that they still had the patience to cook the food once they had it and not eat everything raw is pretty incredible.

    • @yojirex6374
      @yojirex6374 ปีที่แล้ว +70

      If the weather there was also cold like in the video, they probably did it to warm themselves up more

    • @user-kv5lq9xm8c
      @user-kv5lq9xm8c ปีที่แล้ว +64

      A lot of people died of exposure and disease. They probably wanted to avoid any further casualties from sickness

    • @mattjohnson6227
      @mattjohnson6227 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Patience is in short supply today

    • @screamingcactus1753
      @screamingcactus1753 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Their main rations were meat and flour, not exactly things it's advisable to eat raw. Even then he mentioned that they did sometimes eat the meat raw

    • @cdgonepotatoes4219
      @cdgonepotatoes4219 ปีที่แล้ว

      just because of the food waste I would be worried making, I would at least try to boil everything and just barely char it outside if lacking water.

  • @piatpotatopeon8305
    @piatpotatopeon8305 ปีที่แล้ว +256

    2:23 That's some beautiful in-channel reference right there! Emphasizing the hardships that had to be endured through the symbolic gesture of leaving the nutmeg grater behind. It really drove home the point by reminding regular viewers through turning an inside joke into an impactful visual metaphor. Very well done.

    • @dedykurniawansantoso5279
      @dedykurniawansantoso5279 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      What is the inside joke here? There would be nutmeg lying around ? New subscriber here, thank you

    • @piatpotatopeon8305
      @piatpotatopeon8305 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@dedykurniawansantoso5279 A lot of period recipes include nutmeg so it has sort of become a joke that Jon has a nutmeg obsession/addiction. He even plays into it in a lot of the more humorous videos. It's become a part of the channel, and is featured in some merchandise. Their livestreams are often sited in the fictional Nutmeg Tavern, they sell handmade Nutmeg Tavern mugs (I have a few). I think a fan even sent Jon a period nutmeg grater once too.

  • @jeromedavid7944
    @jeromedavid7944 ปีที่แล้ว +286

    One of Napoleon's revelations of the convience of canned rations for his mobile units truly helped modernize the logistics of combat.

    • @zachjones6944
      @zachjones6944 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      "An Army marches on its stomach."

    • @avangardismm
      @avangardismm ปีที่แล้ว +2

      If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus Is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. -Romans 10:9

    • @jeromedavid7944
      @jeromedavid7944 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @dizo-jp2td Not really on topic but those who eat earthly bread will hunger again. Those who parttake of Bread of Life not so much. After drinking the water of this world one will thirst again that very day. However the Living Waters that Christ offers not only quenches the thirst of your body but more importantly your parched soul will be restored. Yeshua is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody goes to the Father except those who come by the way of the Son. In the Gnostic Gospels Christ also said, "Those who intrepret the meaning of these sayings will have eternal life." The first step toward that interpretation of those parables is the recognition of Christ's divinity as the Son of the one true God and His truly amazing grace.

    • @NosFurRatTou
      @NosFurRatTou 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@avangardismmsaved like how Christian settlers saved the Native Americans? Or the Spaniards saved the Aztecs? No thanks.

    • @Sketchy_2
      @Sketchy_2 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      ​@@NosFurRatTou The Spaniards certainly saved neighboring tribes from the Aztecs that's for sure.

  • @michaelIZZI
    @michaelIZZI ปีที่แล้ว +223

    I love that you focus on the common man, It's always so interesting to hear about someone's normal life and their day to day. Really humanizes the people of the past when you read and reenact their journals diaries and their cookbooks. Your videos are always so comforting. Thank you for doing what ya do!

    • @JavierChiappa
      @JavierChiappa ปีที่แล้ว +4

      It also makes you put things in perspective, as how easy we have it now most of us, and how bad things could really get (even if it's not as bad as a normal day back then!)

    • @pek5117
      @pek5117 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      He must do a lot of research, like he said it's easy to know about the lives of generals and the rich, you will find that at your local library, they won't have the memoirs of a random guy tho.

  • @pheddupp
    @pheddupp ปีที่แล้ว +107

    I found out recently about an ancestor that was at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78. He was in his forties and he was not an officer either. This story brings his plight into dramatic view, thanks for making this video.

    • @SamanthamusPrimeV28050
      @SamanthamusPrimeV28050 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      My friend Catie Bowman went to valley forge in late march or earily April. I forget when she went to valley forge, on school fieldtrip, but I know she did go there. It was fun for her.

    • @pheddupp
      @pheddupp ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@SamanthamusPrimeV28050 I have never been there but now more than ever I do want to make the trip. Cheers!

    • @SamanthamusPrimeV28050
      @SamanthamusPrimeV28050 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@pheddupp yeah. Yes. Cheers. And if you come on the exact same day as Catie's next field trip there, you'd be encountering a cyber school family, that has a lot of history nerds, that will share all history information with you, even the information that schools never teach you.

  • @merten0083
    @merten0083 ปีที่แล้ว +119

    Big ups to Joseph Plumb Martin, being the inspiration for most of my favorite Townsends videos i.e. Revolutionary war soldier cooking videos.

  • @WozzaDekon
    @WozzaDekon ปีที่แล้ว +66

    The sheer quality of these videos are insane, thank you for making history so interesting and engaging. I think its important that we all know the struggles of our ancestors.

  • @Denbo68
    @Denbo68 ปีที่แล้ว +61

    1. That uniform looks sharp!
    2. If you ever get the chance visit Jockey Hollow in New Jersey (Morristown area). This is where Washington's troops stayed during the winter of 1779-80. As Wikipedia puts it "...The Winter at Jockey Hollow was the worst winter of the war, even worse than the Winter at Valley Forge two years before."

    • @wayneantoniazzi2706
      @wayneantoniazzi2706 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      That it was! But the main difference was there wasn't anywhere near the amount of deaths at Jockey Hollow that there was a Valley Forge. Over 2,000 died of disease at the Valley Forge encampment, only dozens died at Jockey Hollow. The troops had learned about camp sanitation and were much better at hut building. But it was a miserable winter just the same.

  • @markraffety3246
    @markraffety3246 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    At least four of my ancestors served during the Revolutionary War and were at Valley Forge. Your videos have really made an impression me and made me even more aware of their struggles and the deprivation that they suffered during that war. Thank you.

  • @CounterNerd
    @CounterNerd ปีที่แล้ว +148

    I spent one windy night under a tarp just to try out camping on my own. Was enough to make me miss home. Trying to imagine what people like Joseph went through is like taking it to a thousand. The bond that formed between the soldiers must have been vital in surviving.

    • @scasny
      @scasny ปีที่แล้ว +11

      somewhat different but i was on "labor camp" (repairing a Celtic site mainly walls) and bond between like minded hard working people. In tents, harsh conditions, somewhat away from civilization. No running water, simple food and everybody need to put their hand to work. Nobody complain, was greedy or in bad mood, i mainly help cooking (i have a talent for that) simple but hearty, tasty meals and everybody share their treats they bring. All was spontaneous and we really feel everybody have each other back. After that i understand why the soldiers go back to fight again even knowing how harsh it will be.

    • @CounterNerd
      @CounterNerd ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@scasny that's a cool experience, thanks for sharing

    • @scasny
      @scasny ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@CounterNerd strangely the less you have the more wiling you are to share it. I am saying it for years that our lives get way too easy and comfortable. Sort of understand the hiking and camping that its mostly about adventure, the uncomfortable condition and mostly realization how little you need to feel happy, safe and cozy. Dry clothes, somewhere to sit and fire in front of you. I that moment all the problems of the world are just distance memory.
      Also yes i am a artist, stone sculptor and a little poet.

    • @justinmorrison6279
      @justinmorrison6279 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@scasny interesting

    • @tvviewer4500
      @tvviewer4500 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It’s almost like you have no idea how to regulate your body temperature

  • @jebbroham1776
    @jebbroham1776 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    I've been to Valley Forge, and I went in late December just so I could get a real feel of just how miserable the men must have been there, huddling around what fires they could make and trying their best to keep from freezing to death in their completely inadequate clothing. We came extremely close to losing the war that winter, and if Washington hadn't made the bold, almost suicidal, decision to attack the Hessian mercenaries in Trenton to raise morale it very well could have ended there. After the Battle of Trenton, the men found stores of weapons, alcohol, shelter, and most importantly...food. Many people don't realize it, but food is a HUGE morale booster in a time of crisis.

    • @caelanshpak2007
      @caelanshpak2007 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      As they say in Army marches on its stomach

    • @itsreal4738
      @itsreal4738 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Valley Forge (winter of 1777-78) was over 1 year after the victory at Trenton (Dec 25-26, 1776). The Continental Army was wintered in Morristown NJ during the time of the Battle of Trenton.

  • @fzvk922
    @fzvk922 ปีที่แล้ว +186

    a tear rolled down my cheek, at the thought of just how happy those soldiers must have felt to even have that simple meal, while in such dismal straits. thank you for this lovely video, the portrayal your team created feels very authentic and warm.

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I imagine a simple meal like that would literally seem like it was sent by God to those poor soldiers. That would have been invaluable.

    • @robopiplup5193
      @robopiplup5193 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Emphasis on literally. If I were three days deep without food during wartime and a fish planted itself in my boat, that's God. And I doubt I'd be convinced otherwise for the rest of my life.

    • @yardyknowwright1299
      @yardyknowwright1299 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Until they get their scalps swiped

    • @robopiplup5193
      @robopiplup5193 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@yardyknowwright1299 Why are you obsessed with scalps?

    • @highelf6086
      @highelf6086 ปีที่แล้ว

      I would eat my fellow soldiers

  • @dougabrahamsen2952
    @dougabrahamsen2952 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    These are the videos I appreciate! I'm a 62 year old that grew up with a native American grandfather and a German grandma. I have eaten many of the recipes you cook.

  • @yukitanaka6491
    @yukitanaka6491 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    The cinematography in this video is just gorgeous

  • @TheMichaelStott
    @TheMichaelStott ปีที่แล้ว +14

    One life lesson I learned is "For anything wanted, something must be lost/sacrificed". Of course today there are less hardships with most of our daily lives or obstacles to get or achieve something but we still have them. It is good to see how people in our past endured many things we could only ponder about because it shows us how deep the human spirit is and can provide us the strength to push through. Your channel and your work into bringing these parts of history to life provides us with these lessons that can help us in our present and carry us on into our future.

  • @HG-te1xr
    @HG-te1xr ปีที่แล้ว +180

    I am so excited to share this with my 13 year old son. We are learning about the revolutionary war in our homeschool and he is currently in the middle of reading 'Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier' and 'A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experience by One Boy'. I had picked these reads as I have always enjoyed when your channel has shared life through journals of the time, and I thought he would enjoy and identify with a young man his own age. We have watched for many years now, and so appreciate your content.

    • @RobKaiser_SQuest
      @RobKaiser_SQuest ปีที่แล้ว +7

      When I was that age I was a big fan of a Scholastic book series called My Story. They were fictional war accounts based on real letters and memoirs, usually starring boys who'd lied about their age to enlist. I always felt they found a good balance in telling an immersive, relatable story for young teens without glorifying war... They're mostly more modern, focusing on the world wars, but there are some from earlier times including a Medieval battle. You may want to screen them for violence but I'd definitely recommend those books for a young teen obsessed with history

    • @Vakqksb37
      @Vakqksb37 ปีที่แล้ว

      Send your kid to real school

  • @helioselexandros
    @helioselexandros ปีที่แล้ว +29

    Its strong young men like the one who wrote his memoir that made our great nation. Thank you good sir

  • @Niedans
    @Niedans ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Always a smile on my face when I get a notification of one of your videos, this one is no different. Bringing these stories to life and speaking of the little man is what keeps bringing me back to your channel. Thank you!

  • @wtk6069
    @wtk6069 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    It reminds me of the famous painting of Washington at Valley Forge, his men starving and freezing, going off on his own and getting down on one knee to pray for help from above because all seemed lost.

  • @SeanBlazze
    @SeanBlazze ปีที่แล้ว +9

    That opening shot; simply beautiful. The pops of blues and reds over the snowy terrain. Very well shot video.

  • @thedeaderer8791
    @thedeaderer8791 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Thos was powerful. It almost brought me to tears. To know what these men went thru so that we may have the life we usually take for granted

  • @troykrehbiel
    @troykrehbiel ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Another fantastic video! The stories of the common soldier will always be my favorite. We owe so much to all the brave men who have serviced his great country.

  • @calvinreedy9841
    @calvinreedy9841 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    I appreciate you taking a bite of the ship's biscuit for us to show just how hard tack that is. I hope your dental bill isn't too high after!

  • @TR-Mead
    @TR-Mead ปีที่แล้ว +45

    Yes!!!! I loved the Revolutionary War videos of soldier life you guys did a few years ago. I got Martin's book based off your recommendation and was amazed. I spent about a decade as an infantryman so this perspective lets me know my suffering was nothing compared to what these men went through to found our country.

  • @Fuzz82
    @Fuzz82 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I read that the buttons on the uniforms of that time were made from soft metals, like tin. And they got brittle and broke off at low temperatures. So soldiers lost the buttons on their uniforms during a cold winter tour. Yikes..

  • @kevinmahoney1995
    @kevinmahoney1995 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Joseph Plumb Martin lived until 1850 and died in Stockton Springs, Maine. Some of my ancestors lived in Stockton Springs at that time. I wonder if they knew him. I imagine they at least knew of him, as he was surely among the oldest residents of Stockton Springs at the time of his death.

  • @andrewlyle2687
    @andrewlyle2687 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Geez, guys, a wonderful video! I marvel at how much effort you put into making these episodes. Both the narrative and the guys in the background suffering in the cold make this history palpable! Thank you for offering this important glimpse into the life of a soldier and patriot.

  • @EireHammer
    @EireHammer ปีที่แล้ว +112

    I'm a former Marine and a long student of history. I love my nation and our Constitution.
    I'm so grateful for your work Jon and team (I'm sorry I don't know all of your names)
    Thank you.

    • @sherlockgnomes8971
      @sherlockgnomes8971 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Sure sure Walter Mitty

    • @SamanthamusPrimeV28050
      @SamanthamusPrimeV28050 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Have you heard of Larry Cullen, a Marine veteran who died in 2011, and had inspired his younger brother Peter Cullen to voice a transformers character named Optimus Prime, prior to death? I'm not sure if you did or not. Also, thank you for serving the country.

    • @EireHammer
      @EireHammer ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@SamanthamusPrimeV28050 thank you for your support!
      I am familiar with the Cullen family, it's thanks to my son that I'm familiar with Larry Cullen and his inspiration on his brother Peter to voice Optimus prime.
      Good knowledge to share, thank you!!

    • @SamanthamusPrimeV28050
      @SamanthamusPrimeV28050 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@EireHammer you're welcome.
      I understand. That's cool.
      Yes, and you're welcome again

  • @amandagrayson389
    @amandagrayson389 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Thank you so much for this video. If I were teaching history, I would be showing this to my students. It shows conditions in a very ‘real’ way. Thank you again, for your work. 6:51

  • @askmeaboutmattweiner
    @askmeaboutmattweiner ปีที่แล้ว +6

    All of your videos feel like a warm, comfortable blanket. Even when they are about serious subjects like war and hunger I applaud that you end them in a positive way. Keep up the videos and I will always keep watching.

  • @TihetrisWeathersby
    @TihetrisWeathersby ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Love and appreciate the dedication you history this channel shows

  • @UndeadFreak
    @UndeadFreak ปีที่แล้ว +11

    your dad would be so proud, this is next level production! super awesome!

  • @PaulTheadra
    @PaulTheadra ปีที่แล้ว +11

    these short video documentaries are astoundingly beautiful and well said. I almost feel like I'm there (it looks cold).

  • @ferdi5407
    @ferdi5407 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Can't say enough words about this OUTSTANDING video. I immediately went back and watched it multiple times, and each time I noticed a new detail. Awesome job Team Townsends!

    • @townsends
      @townsends  ปีที่แล้ว

      Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @BwAkattack
    @BwAkattack ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I'm always excited to see a new video from Townsends! Thanks for uploading these gems!

  • @madeline6048
    @madeline6048 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Whoever edits these videos does an incredible job 👏🏻

  • @SDguy3030
    @SDguy3030 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Another great video. I appreciate you turning out so much good content over the years, don't really watch em as much anymore, but it's nice to binge watch these on a weekend.

  • @phillylove7290
    @phillylove7290 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Incredibly beautiful portrayal of an incredibly horrid situation

  • @veesimmons2464
    @veesimmons2464 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    WOW! I was blown away with this! You and your amazing team compelled me to watch. The realism of the enacting made it all the more powerful. Kudos to you all!

  • @PeterGMcDermott
    @PeterGMcDermott ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Your storytelling and production has eclipsed that of what anyone would expect from some of the world's greatest documentarians. This is truly good stuff. Thank you for sharing your gift with us!

  • @ohusky271
    @ohusky271 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    it's been too long since we've had a soldier vid!

  • @jamesandrew8839
    @jamesandrew8839 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you for keeping the memories alive, and sharing them with us..

  • @paca_bill4863
    @paca_bill4863 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    It sounds like Quartermasters in virtually every army took advantage of the situations, by altering scales, shorting the rations, etc. I remember reading about that occurring with the British Napoleonic fleet, and I'm guessing every nationality had their issues. It is hard for us today to imagine all those who went through this, and despite the hardships, stuck with it. Thank you for bringing all of this history to life!

    • @ablewindsor1459
      @ablewindsor1459 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      The five richest men in the colonies went bankrupt trying to fund the War, till near the end when Franklin got French Royalty to drop Two million.

    • @chriskourliourod1651
      @chriskourliourod1651 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thank you for bringing up the very point of corruption. If I had things my way, such quartermasters would become animal feed, and slowly so. The same applies for our modern libturd politicos.

    • @Berserkism
      @Berserkism ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Because if they didn't they were hung for desertion and shunned by family and community as cowards. Same reason most of them went to war, social pressure for men to go off and die.

    • @Menuki
      @Menuki ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Not necessarily. The colonies had been blockaded. Supply lines were cut and they only had what the land produced. Since many farms were devoted to tobacco, it was useless without trade.
      Meaning the military and the population had to be fed on the same crop. QM weren’t shorting rations out of corruption, but literal rationing to cover all the soldiers/last a few more days.
      We’re spoiled today when we can’t imagine that food simply didn’t exist.
      Not every farm sympathized with the revolutionary side, so do you commit a war crime to feed your troops?

    • @ablewindsor1459
      @ablewindsor1459 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Menuki With between 20 to 35 % of the people (farmers) supporting the Revolutionary's and about the same the 👑 Crown... War Crimes were common on both sides.
      By some estimates the population of the colonies dropped by 1,000,000 plus after the war was won.
      Many going to Canada, New Orleans and the Bahamas......plus Europe, dropping the colonies to just under 3,000,000.

  • @dongatello6969
    @dongatello6969 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    You always have some relaxing videos to watch late at night. Thank you John and others for providing a wonderful look into history.

  • @4TheWinQuinn
    @4TheWinQuinn ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The shots with you walking and just general shots with people at the camp are very Immersive!

  • @joshuapatrick682
    @joshuapatrick682 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The sacrifices of those who fought for our freedom never cease to humble me, my life of comfort and ease is possible because they did without and for that I am grateful.

  • @vivianscircle
    @vivianscircle ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Thank you for showing light in pieces of history that we would never have known otherwise!!!

  • @Philusteen
    @Philusteen ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This channel really is one of the great gifts of TH-cam. Thank you for the love, history, and quality you all bring to the table. A banquet of knowledge and perspective.

  • @paulmcnicholas3846
    @paulmcnicholas3846 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I'm absolutely obsessed with life in early America up to and beyond the revolutionary war, the food, the way of life and the politics and these videos are a must for anyone fascinated about the people who left the mother country on the greatest adventure of all, how they lived and survived in what was for the most part a new undiscovered world. Thank you.

  • @deanbusch2727
    @deanbusch2727 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I absolutely love your videos, the stories and how you tie the food into each of them. I grew up fairly meagerly on the prairies and seeing my mother and grandmother cook and tell stories of how things were when they were young was priceless. Its hard to believe all these folks survived and with do little.

  • @mastershake407
    @mastershake407 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I've been a subscriber for years and this is one of my favorite videos so far. More content like this please! Keep up the good work!

  • @laurieasmus9998
    @laurieasmus9998 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I have read this amazing book, on your recommendation from a video a year or more ago. They suffered so much, on so little food, they were threadbare of clothing and any provisions. But still they had courage and made it thru. We all have much to learn from the endurance and fortitude of our forefathers who were part of that struggle for our country's independence. Thank you, Jon, for bringing history to life with your wonderful channel!

  • @danb366
    @danb366 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Absolutely one of your best videos in terms of story telling. You get better and better i terms of quality. I could watch this several times because it is paced so well, it's relatable, informative and compassionate. If this is 2023 Townsends: HURRAY!

  • @Native_love
    @Native_love ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Made me cry. Thank you for helping me to remember how lucky I am to live in such a blessed beautiful country! God bless our troops and God bless America!

  • @wayneantoniazzi2706
    @wayneantoniazzi2706 ปีที่แล้ว +42

    If you haven't read Joseph Plumb Martin do so! It's the closest you'll ever come to a sit-down with a Revolutionary War veteran. A superb and VERY entertaining read!
    And Jon's right when he talks about Martin and battle. According to Martin battle actually came as a relief from the boredom of army routine. Not that the soldiers didn't think it was dangerous, and Martin says it wasn't as dangerous as people may have thought it was, but in a sense they craved the excitement and looked forward to it.

    • @wayneantoniazzi2706
      @wayneantoniazzi2706 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Peters6221 You know what? We'll never know for certain. One battle we DO know about was Monmouth where more soldiers dropped from heat exhaustion and heat stroke than dropped from bullets, especially on the British side.
      And of course more soldiers died of disease back in those days than ever died from enemy action, in fact WW2 was the first war where more soldiers died from enemy action than disease.

    • @crimzonempire4677
      @crimzonempire4677 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@wayneantoniazzi2706 If I remember correctly more men died from sickness and starvation in the civil war than In battle and that was even bloodier

    • @wayneantoniazzi2706
      @wayneantoniazzi2706 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@crimzonempire4677 Quite true, and interestingly the military doctors figured out the reason more died of sickness even though germ theory hadn't been discovered yet.
      Regiments raised in cities tended to be healthier than those raised in the rural areas, basically because those who grew up in cities had been exposed to (and survived) all the communicable diseases weren't likely to catch them again. The young men who came from relatively isolated rural areas hadn't been exposed to those diseases and in the close confines of military camps finally were, and it carried off quite a few.

  • @islandspice807
    @islandspice807 ปีที่แล้ว

    It's refreshing to learn about the way people lived their lives in the past. Bitter-sweet even. Grateful for the comfort I have and questioning whether I have the stones to live as they lived.

  • @pinchevulpes
    @pinchevulpes ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Townsends getting back to his roots as a rifleman in the continental army! Maybe explain the logistics and kit a soldier would carry, how powder horns were maintained/acquired, and problems a soldier would face with his rifle! The US army before and after St. Claire’s defeat by the Indian General Little Turtle!

  • @desdelsur86
    @desdelsur86 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Lord.. I just realize how much I like your work. I watch often at your documentaries and today I will make sure I will like them all.

  • @onemanarmy8499
    @onemanarmy8499 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This channel is such a gold mine, and it's wholesome 😌

  • @Cornflakes234
    @Cornflakes234 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    brings tears to my eyes thinking about the hardships these men faced.

  • @wadeschwartz6281
    @wadeschwartz6281 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Bringing history to life ! Outstanding. Took me back to my army days marching in the rain 15 miles and then slept in the snow with a tent ,,I thought I was going to die 😂Yet I had plenty of food and coffee .

  • @alessandrofuligni4015
    @alessandrofuligni4015 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    One of the greatest videos ever on this channel, and boy there have been plenty already...
    Thank you!

  • @craigt9203
    @craigt9203 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Thank you, Mr. Townsend for showing the truth about the Revolution. How those men actually fought multiple adversities to win us this country. Always interested in history. Haven’t caught the show in a while. Been working lol seven days a week.

  • @johnmaida160
    @johnmaida160 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Amazing video. How quickly we forget the sacrifices made by so many unsung heroes long ago.. None of us today have their courage and fortitude. Cheers to them!

  • @jamesjacobs1909
    @jamesjacobs1909 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Having been a soldier for 25 years of my life, I can say that the Military's ability to feed me has never failed. Watching these videos tell me how they enjoyed their times as a soldier as I did around meal time.

    • @jamesjacobs1909
      @jamesjacobs1909 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks for the likes. Tonight , I'm making Chilli mac.

    • @floripaspbr
      @floripaspbr ปีที่แล้ว

      It´s all about perspective really. I live in Brazil and I never been in the army, and thankfully my family has never lacked for food. But my grandfather served and always complained about the quality of food, but never the lack of it. However my great uncles loved to tell stories of how they would often go hungry. Don´t know what to make of that but your comment made me smile!

    • @jamesjacobs1909
      @jamesjacobs1909 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@floripaspbr You are welcome: )

  • @nape1475
    @nape1475 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for honoring and immortalizing the memories of these soldiers and their sacrifices by telling their stories. Without their suffering, there would be no America.

  • @warmcrunch3829
    @warmcrunch3829 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I cannot stress how well made the content on this channel is. It’s truly brilliant

  • @madelers
    @madelers ปีที่แล้ว +1

    These videos are so moving. No one ever talks about the extraordinary burdens men have to deal with. Always have and always will. But really seeing it represented is incredible! It makes me so grateful for my husband and all the men throughout history that suffered and struggled and still did the right thing everyday! ❤

  • @c.m.krauss372
    @c.m.krauss372 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Your videos just keep getting better and better all the time. They have such an authentic feel. They are interesting. Of course the outfits and the props are first class. I learn so much from each one.

  • @TaterChip91
    @TaterChip91 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The passion John has for this era is exactly how I feel about the Civil War. I'm addicted to reading eyewitness accounts and personal memoirs from the soldiers who were there. Like the stories from Sam Watkins ripped off the tail of a rat trying to catch and eat it...distracting an old sick woman so other soldiers could steal and kill her last hog...and the stories of battles he was in...after being shot in the ankle and scrambling into the bushes for protection he sees a fellow Confederate soldier walking towards him....who had his left arm completely blown off at the shoulder and when he got close, he could see the man's heart beating inside of his chest and his lungs fill up with air as he breathed, he said the man was as white as a ghost and showed no hint of being in pain, when all at once he just dropped dead without a sound or struggle...then eating breakfast with another soldier sitting side by side at a camp fire and eating bread dipped in gravy from the same plate when a canon ball grazed the back of his head but hit the other man squarely and completely blowing his head apart and as Sam described "his blood covered my entire face and chest, his brains landed in our plate of gravy I still had in my hand. His body falling over and landing in my lap....only a few moments later another man saw what happened and chuckled a little and said to me, ' 'Sam that ball nearly cooked your goose."
    HIGHLY RECOMMEND his book "Company Aytch" and here's a link to the entire audio book on TH-cam you can listen for free if interested...
    th-cam.com/video/LnnpfOq9Jbs/w-d-xo.html

  • @toxichammertoe8696
    @toxichammertoe8696 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This why I load up on spices dehydrated onions and garlic because when food runs out, you still have water for a flavorful soup

  • @mstyres00
    @mstyres00 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I stumbled upon this channel by accident. I got lost in the story telling, the visuals, and the food. Everything combined makes such a compelling video and it's done beautifully. Well done, sir.

  • @derickvermillion659
    @derickvermillion659 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I've been experiencing homelessness for about 55 day now and this video especially the intro made me feel a lot less shame over it. That part about the fish jumping in the boat reminds me of when I had returned to a resting spot under a bridge and behind a book I had there was a crisp, neatly folded $20 bill. Thanks for helping me remember all of that every one of the days I've been out here I had a victory, isn't easy but I also have faith that I'll win my own war and come home like thoughs brave soldiers.

  • @floridaprepper751
    @floridaprepper751 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video sir. The people in america now have no idea, the sacrifices our continental army went through. Pure determination and grit. Those people were really tough.

  • @DasKrampusAirsoft
    @DasKrampusAirsoft ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I've been watching your channel for a few years now. I'm just lost on how you aren't a host for The History channel. You make it easy for crayon eaters like me to learn.

    • @Vikingwerk
      @Vikingwerk ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The history channel could learn a few things from this channel to be honest.

  • @travisrickett5681
    @travisrickett5681 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I really enjoy this type of video. Part history lesson, part cooking lesson, and part reenactment.

  • @easternWashington.
    @easternWashington. ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I really enjoyed this video it reminds me of some of your early soldier cooking ones and Crimson Bond.

  • @libprime_
    @libprime_ ปีที่แล้ว +2

    If this video was 3 hours long I would enjoy every second, you are truly one of the best channels on TH-cam. Thank you for doing what you do!

  • @charliep5139
    @charliep5139 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thank you for this! I loooove history especially military history. I can remember when the History Channel debuted when I was 10 and it was all I ever watched. I know JP Martin bc he was mentioned a lot in those documentaries and I always loved the most reading books about what it was like for the common soldier or colonists or Indian, housewife, etc during a certain time period and their day to day routine, food, clothes, thoughts, dreams, etc

  • @jesseporter6446
    @jesseporter6446 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Yours is such a peaceful and enjoyable channel, interesting and informative, uplifting, and such a break from and contrast to the somber mood of the times. Thank you.

  • @RedLogicYT
    @RedLogicYT ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Had to put my dog down 2 days ago since she couldn't eat or drink or pee or poop despite treatment. She was in immense pain, had her for 9 years- since I was 10- was the toughest decision of my life and I knew it would cause immense suffering- but I had to do what was right.
    Saved her from feeling the worst pain imaginable she would have to go through for a couple days before she'd pass away..
    Love you Fifi,
    Rest in Peace

  • @dpt6849
    @dpt6849 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great story Townsend.
    Especially the fear for deprivation. That part of your narrative is gold.

  • @whiskeypapa6606
    @whiskeypapa6606 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Modern Americans, myself included, often forget the sacrifices these brave men and women made to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. Thank you so much for making amazing content like this to remind us!!

  • @sangun123
    @sangun123 ปีที่แล้ว

    It’s always a treat finding hidden gems on TH-cam, that I’ve just been unlucky enough to only just now find, but I now have hours of content to go through

  • @paulring4267
    @paulring4267 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    We today cannot imagine the horrible hardships of our forefathers. I’m deeply concerned that we may be in for a return of such tragic events. 😞😢

  • @bdub0983
    @bdub0983 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This channel hits different in the fall. The weather is changing and you get to watch these guys become 18th century soldiers or whatever.

  • @wompstopm123
    @wompstopm123 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    this is early 2000s history channel at its peak

  • @seancroslin6858
    @seancroslin6858 ปีที่แล้ว

    Honestly one of the most valuable videos I’ve seen on this app. Thank you for sharing this awesome information and lifestyle with us

  • @Mick-hp4yg
    @Mick-hp4yg ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I really want my own colonial coat now. You guys make them look so cool.

  • @stevenking8988
    @stevenking8988 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Every video I watch from Townsends warms my heart. It reminds me to take pleasure in the little things, for life could be so much worse. Thank you, Jon, for sharing this experience and knowledge with us. I enjoy your content, and the effort you put it into it. Until the next time I see you, cheers.

  • @bossman1974
    @bossman1974 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Makes you appreciate even more what the Patriots that fought for our country did

    • @JmarieD
      @JmarieD ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I fully agree. It makes it so much more real to me, to know their personal thoughts and struggles vs "some guys fought some other guys because of taxes".

    • @anonanon7497
      @anonanon7497 ปีที่แล้ว

      It makes it even more sad that it was ultimately for nothing.

  • @coniston3106
    @coniston3106 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    hey townsends your production team is absolutely incredible for all your videos