Essays; Political, Economical, and Philosophical Part 15

Of the small expense at which the Bavarian soldiers are fed.

Details of their housekeeping, founded on actual experiment.

An account of the fuel expended by them in cooking.

It has often been matter of surprise to many, and even to those who are most conversant in military affairs, that soldiers can find means to live upon the very small allowances granted them for their subsistence; and I have often wondered that n.o.body has undertaken to investigate that matter, and to explain a mystery at the same time curious and interesting, in a high degree.

The pay of a private soldier is in all countries very small, much less than the wages of a day-labourer; and in some countries it is so mere a pittance, that it is quite astonis.h.i.+ng how it can be made to support life.

The pay of a private foot-soldier in the service of His Most Serene Highness the Elector Palatine, (and it is the same for a private grenadier in the regiment of guards,) is FIVE CREUTZERS a-day, and no more.--Formerly the pay of a private foot-soldier was only four creutzers and a half a-day, but lately, upon the introduction of the new military arrangements in the country, his pay has been raised to five creutzers;--and with this he receives one pound thirteen ounces and a half, Avoirdupois weight, of rye-bread, which, at the medium price of grain in Bavaria and the Palatinate, costs something less than three creutzers, or just about ONE PENNY sterling.

The pay which the soldier receives in money,-- (five creutzers a-day,) equal to one penny three farthings sterling, added to his daily allowance of bread, valued at one penny, make TWO PENCE THREE FARTHINGS a-day, for the sum total of his allowance.

That it is possible, in any country, to procure Food sufficient to support life with so small a sum, will doubtless appear extraordinary to an English reader;--but what would be his surprise upon seeing a whole army, composed of the finest, stoutest, and strongest men in the world, who are fed upon that allowance, and whose countenances show the most evident marks of ruddy health, and perfect contentment?

I have already observed, how much I was struck with the domestic economy of the Bavarian soldiers. I think the subject much too interesting, not to be laid before the Public, even in all its details; and as I think it will be more satisfactory to hear from their own mouths an account of the manner in which these soldiers live, I shall transcribe the reports of two sensible non-commissioned officers, whom I employed to give me the information I wanted.

These non-commissioned officers, who belong to two different regiments of grenadiers in garrison at Munich, were recommended to me by their colonels as being very steady, careful men, are each at the head of a mess consisting of twelve soldiers, themselves reckoned in the number. The following accounts, which they gave me of their housekeeping, and of the expenses of their tables, were all the genuine results of actual experiments made at my particular desire, and at my cost.

I do not believe that useful information was ever purchased cheaper than upon this occasion; and I fancy my reader will be of the same opinion when he has perused the following reports, which are literally translated from the original German.

"In obedience to the orders of Lieut. General Count Rumford, the following experiments were made by Serjeant Wickenhof's mess, in the first company of the first (or Elector's own) regiment of grenadiers, at Munich, on the 10th and 11th of June 1795.

June 10th, 1795.

BILL OF FARE Boiled beef, with soup and bread dumplins.

Details of the expence, etc.

For the boiled beef and the soup.

lb. loths. Creutzers.

2 0 beef[10] ... ... ... 16 0 1 sweet herbs ... ... ... 1 0 0 1/2 pepper ... ... ... ... 0 1/2 0 6 salt ... ... ... ... 0 1/2 1 14 1/2 ammunition bread, cut fine 2 7/8 9 20 water ... ... ... ... 0 ------- ------ Total 13 10 Cost 20 7/8

All these articles were put together into an earthen pot, and boiled two hours and a quarter. The meat was then taken out of the soup and weighed, and found to weigh 1 lb. 30 loths; which, divided into twelve equal portions, gave FIVE LOTHS for the weight of each.

The soup, with the bread, etc. weighed 9 lb. 30 1/2 loths; which, divided into twelve equal portions, gave for each 26 7/12 loths.

The cost of the meat and soup together, 20 7/8 creutzers, divided by twelve, gives 1 3/4 creutzers, very nearly, for the cost of each portion.

For the bread dumplins.

lb. loths. Creutzers.

1 13 of fine semel bread 10 1 0 of fine flour ... 4 1/2 0 6 salt ... ... ... 0 1/2 3 0 of water ... ... 0 -------- ------ Total 5 19 Cost 15

This ma.s.s was made into dumplins, and these dumplins were boiled half an hour in clear water. Upon taking them out of the water, they were found to weigh 5 lb. 24 loths; and dividing them into twelve equal portions, each portion weighed 15 1/3 loths; and the cost of the whole (15 creutzers), divided by twelve, gives 1 1/4 creutzers for the cost of each portion.

The meat, soup, and dumplins were served all at once in the same dish, and were all eaten together; and with this meal, (which was their dinner, and was eat at twelve o'clock,) each person belonging to the mess was furnished with a piece of rye-bread, weighing ten loths, and which cost 5/16 of a creutzer.

--Each person was likewise furnished with a piece of this bread, weighing ten loths, for his breakfast;--another piece, of equal weight, in the afternoon at four o'clock; and another in the evening.

a.n.a.lysis of this Day's Fare.

Each person received in the Amount of cost in course of the day Bavarian money.

In solids. In fluids.

lb. loths. lb. loths. Creutzers.

Boiled beef 0 5 ... ... ... ....... 1 1/6 In the soup.

Rye-bread 0 3 7/8 ]

Sweet herbs 0 0 1/12 ]

Salt ... ... 0 0 1/24 ].... 0 7/16 Pepper ... ... 0 0 1/24 ]

Water ... ... 0 23 1/2 ]

Total 0 4 2/24 0 23 1/2 ]

In dumplins.

Wheaten-bread 0 3 3/4 ]

Ditto flour 0 2 2/3 ]

Salt ... ... 0 0 1/24 ].... 1 1/4 Water ... ... 0 7 1/12 ]

Total 0 6 11/24 0 7 7/12 ]

Dry bread.

For breakfast 0 10 ]

At dinner 0 10 ]

In the afternoon 0 10 ].... 2 1/2 At supper 0 10 ]

Total 1 8 ]

------ ---------- General total 2 24 13/24 0 31 1/2 which cost 5 17/48

The ammunition bread is reckoned in this estimate at two creutzers the Bavarian pound, which is about what it costs at a medium; and as the daily allowance of the soldiers is 1 1/2 Bavarian pounds of the bread, this reckoned in money amounts to three creutzers a-day; and this added to his pay at five creutzers a-day, makes eight creutzers a-day, which is the whole of his allowance from the sovereign for his subsistence.

But it appears from the foregoing account, that he expends for Food no more than 5 17/48 creutzers a-day, there is therefore a surplus amounting to 2 31/48 creutzers a-day, or very near ONE-THIRD OF HIS WHOLE ALLOWANCE, which remains; and which he can dispose of just as he thinks proper.

This surplus is commonly employed in purchasing beer, brandy, tobacco, etc. Beer in Bavaria costs two creutzers a pint, brandy, or rather malt-spirits, from fifteen to eighteen creutzers; and tobacco is very cheap.

To enable the English reader to form, without the trouble of computation, a complete and satisfactory idea of the manner in which these Bavarian soldiers are fed, I have added the following a.n.a.lysis of their fare; in which the quant.i.ty of each article is expressed in Avoirdupois weight, and its cost in English money.

a.n.a.lysis.

Each person belonging to the mess received in the course of the day, Cost in English June 11th, 1795. money.

lb. oz. s. d.

Dry ammunition bread 1 8 76/100 0 0 10/11 Ammunition bread cooked in the soup ... ... ... 0 2 4/10 0 0 23/264 Fine wheaten (semel) bread in the dumplins ... 0 2 3/10 0 0 10/33 ---------- Total bread 1 13 46/100

Fine flour in the dumplins 0 1 65/100 0 0 18/33 Boiled beef ... ... ... 0 3 1/10 0 0 72/198 In seasoning; fine herbs, salt and pepper ... ... 0 0 13/100 0 0 2/33 ----------- Total solids 2 2 34/100

Water prepared by cooking.

In the soup ... ... ... 0 14 52/209 In the dumplins ... ... 0 4 32/100 ----------- Total prepared water 1 2 84/100 ----------- Total solids and fluids 3 5 18/100

Total expense for each person 5 17/48 creutzers, equal to TWO PENCE sterling, very nearly.

But as the Bavarian soldiers have not the same fare every day, the expences of their tables cannot be ascertained from one single experiment. I shall therefore return to Serjeant Wickenhof's report.

11th of June 1795.