A List of Supplies for French and Indian Forces 1747.

By John Buxton.

 Following is a list of supplies issued to a French and Indian raiding party in the winter of 1747, which was led by Commander Boucher de Niverville. This list has been, in part, re-translated by the author

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Supplies for the six militia men:

6 pounds of gunpowder in bags of one eighth of an ell

12 pounds of lead in bags

6 butcher knives

6 flint and steel with tinderbox and tinder

6 awls

36 musket flints 6 tumplines

6 bearskins

6 deerskins weighing 17 pounds

6 pair of ox hide shoes

6 tomahawks

4 ells of mazamet in 6 pairs of mittens and 6 pairs of socks

6 cotton shirts

6 pairs of snowshoes

6 toboggans

6 pairs of ice creepers

6 pounds of tobacco

Supplies for three cadets:

3 pounds of gunpowder

3 bearskins

6 pounds of lead and ball

3 deerskins weighing 8 pounds

3 butcher knives

3 folding knives

3 flint and steel and tinderbox with tinder

3 worms

3 awls

18 musket flints

3 tumplines

3 tomahawks

3 pounds of tobacco

2 ells of mazamet in 3 pairs of mittens and 3 pairs of ƒocks

3 ells of molten in 3 pairs of leggings

3 cotton shirts

3 pairs of snowshoes

3 toboggans

Supplies for commander Boucher de Niverville:

2 pounds of gunpowder

1 deerskin weighing three pounds

4 pounds of lead and ball

1 pair of ox hide shoes

2 butcher knives

1 tomahawk

1 folding knife

2 thirds of an ell of mazamet in one pair of mittens and one pair of socks

1 flint and steel and tinderbox with tinder

1 awl

1 ell of molton in one pair of leggings

1 worm

1 cotton shirt

6 musket flints

1 pair snowshoes

1 tumpline

1 pound of chocolate

1 bearskin

1 toboggan

2 pounds of tobacco

Supplies for the 45 Abenaki warriors

45 pounds of gunpowder in a keg

90 pounds of ball in two bags of one eighth of an ell

45 butcher knives

45 folding knives

45 flint and steel and tinderbox with tinder

45 worms

20 awls

200 gun flints

12 tumplines

10 untanned deerskins

20 tomahawks

200 arrow heads

45 deerskins weighing 121 pounds

10 pairs of snowshoes

15 ells of mazamet in 45 pairs of mittens

6 small crib blankets to make shoe liners

12 toboggans

50 pounds of tobacco

12 stone pipes

10 ells of molton in 10 pairs of leggings

22 ells of mazamet and 4 ounces of Rennes thread in 4 capotes

36 ells of Lyon linen in 12 shirts

6 - 2 and a half point blankets

12 crooked knives

4 pounds of vermilion

1 and a half ells of broadcloth in 6 breech cloths

4 uncovered kettles weighing 23 pounds

Supplies for 40 days for the whole party:

15 bushels of cornmeal in 55 bags of one quarter of an ell

400 pounds of salt pork and 400 pounds of hardtack in 14 sacks

1375 pounds of whole flour in 55 bags of one quarter of an ell

4 bushels of peas and 6 bushels of corn in 20 bags of half an ell

4 pots of brandy and 1 pot of wine in 3 casks

1 oilcloth

2 new muskets

6 small files

25 fish hooks

3 pots of cheap rum for Indians upon departure

6 pounds of rice in one bag of one quarter of an ell

Supplies for 24 Abenakis and Iroquois who have joined our party:

24 pounds of gunpowder in one bag of half an ell

48 pounds of lead and ball in one bag of one eighth of an ell

24 butcher knives

24 flint and steel and tinderbox with tinder

24 worms

24 awls

100 musket flints

15 pairs of snowshoes

10 tomahawks

5 large axes

24 deerskins weighing 65 pounds

6 toboggans

100 arrow heads

6 stone pipes

8 ells of mazamet in 24 pairs of mittens

3 crib blankets for shoe liners

24 pounds of tobacco

2 pounds of vermilion

2 muskets

1 kettle weighing nine and a half pounds

500 pounds of whole wheat flour in 24 bags of one quarter of an ell

4 small files

5 bushels of corn meal in 12 bags of one quarter of an ell

2 bushels of peas in 8 bags of one quarter of an ell

50 pounds of grease in 5 kegs

150 pounds of salt pork and 300 pounds of hardtack in 8 bags

48 pounds of beef

72 pounds of bread

1 pot of cheap rum

Reference (7).

The New World Woodsman. His clothing, tools and accoutrements. By Keith H. Burgess.

7)    France, Archives de Colonies series C11A, volume 117, folios 191v to 194, National Archives of Canada, microfilm f-118.

18th Century Chocolate Part 2.

"Scrape four ounces of chocolate and pour a quart of boiling water upon it; mix it well and sweeten it to your taste; give it a boil and let it stand all night; then mix it again very well; boil it in two minutes, then mix it till it will leave the froth upon the tops of your cups."
1769 in The Experienced English Housekeeper:

French & Indians 1745 carrying chocolate.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=zwVS5gsJMUcC&pg=RA2-PA39&lpg=RA2-PA39&dq=18th+century+military+chocolate+rations&source=bl&ots=DhsFbYDEXv&sig=Qy6zNmgDO8lPD19--MU-OYTP-iU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=APJGT7S9NamjiAf-2YijDg&sqi=2&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=18th%20century%20military%20chocolate%20rations&f=false


Benjamin Franklin secured six pounds of chocolate per officer as a special supply for soldiers marching with General Braddock’s army at the onset of the French & Indian War. Connecticut soldier Daniel Sizer supplemented his meager diet on the northern New York frontier with rations of chocolate in 1759. Chocolate was supplied to the British troops during construction of His Majesty’s Fort at Crown Point, New York, in 1768. During the American Revolution, commissaries accounted for a steady supply of chocolate at such northern defenses as Fort Ticonderoga, where Captain Moses Greenleaf regularly “breakfasted on chocolate”. In 1777 it was forbidden to export chocolate from Massachusetts, as it was required “for the supply of the army”.

http://americanheritagechocolate.com/html/history/choco_colonilal_army.htm

And for your health:

Milk chocolate, or milk coffee, which is not made too strong of the coffee, or too thick with chocolate, may be taken in common, as breakfast or supper; milk porridge, leek porridge, etc. are very proper. Dry toasted bread, with honey, or some preserve, or marmalade of fruit, etc. may be eaten with the tea, chocolate, etc. where tea, or any of the above things do not agree, some of the aromatic herbs may be used as such.

Thomas Hayes, 1796. A Serious Address on the Dangerous Consequences of Neglecting Common Colds.

http://americanheritagechocolate.com/html/history/choco_health.htm

”Mr. Hill, Mr. Lucas, & I went to Mr. Burland’s to see his and his wife’s Pictures, & Breakfasted on Chocolate.”

Dr. C Morris 21 Feb 1721.

http://18thcenturydiary.org.uk/chocolate-and-tea/

I was amazed at how difficult it was to research chocolate. Though several companies claim to be using period wrapping, there is no documentation to back this up. Linen paper was available and this seems to be the most likely choice, but people would have wrapped their own to suit their purpose.

As to what chocolate looked like when produced for sale, the most likely shape is in bar form, but this too was hard to research. Chocolate was available in the 17th century:

 In Bishopsgate St is an excellent West India drink called chocolate to be sold, where you may have it ready at any time, and also unmade at reasonable rates.

Public Advertiser 1657.

”One penny was spent on chocolata”

The account book of Sarah Fell of Swarthmoor hall.

November 1675.

"April 24, 1661 - Waked in the morning with my head in a sad taking through the last night’s drink, which I am very sorry for; so rose and went with Mr Creede to drink our morning draught, which he did give me in jocolatte to settle my stomach"

"November 24, 1664. About noon out with Commissioner Pett, and he and I to a Coffee-house, to drink jocolatte, very good; and so by coach to Westminster, being the first day of the Parliament's meeting."

Samuel Pepys Diary.

Early 18th century Valencia Spain.

Here you can see the bars of chocolate ready for melting.
http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/chocolate%20-%20history.html

Luis Melendez 1715-1780. Here it appears that the chocolate has been made in biscuit form, and looks as though it was wrapped in linen paper.

As this chocolate was supplied in a solid form, there is nothing to say that the chocolate was not eaten as a food as well as being used for a drink. It would indeed make a reasonable trail food, though in its original form without added nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar or honey it would no doubt have tasted a little bitter.

I suggest that if you intend to produce your own chocolate sticks from melted dark chocolate, that you simply wrap it is paper and then place it in a linen or cotton bag.