Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life

Billings was a veteran of the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Artillery Battery during the Civil War, but he is best known for his 1888 book Hardtack and Coffee, a reference to the most common food and drink given to soldiers during the war. Billings’ book is not about battles but is instead about everyday life for the Union soldiers of the Civil War, who spent a huge majority of their time in camp and on the march. 

Hardtack and Coffee quickly became a best seller, and is now considered one of the most important books written by a Civil War veteran.