Sardines Under Fire

A tin of sardines, a storm of shells, and the strange courage of ordinary men

We were lying flat on our faces, shells bursting over us, and one fellow calmly opened a can of sardines. I told him he was either the bravest man alive or the hungriest. [1]

July 2nd, 1863 in the Wheatfield outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was no place for a picnic—but war doesn’t always follow the script. Haley’s company of the 17th Maine - pinned by relentless artillery - hugged the rocky ground as iron screamed overhead. And in that moment—equal parts absurd and profound—a comrade chose lunch over terror.

The scene burns itself into memory not for its horror, but for its humanity. Hunger and fear don’t take turns. Sometimes, a tin of sardines becomes a symbol of defiance.

There are millions of stories from the Irrepressible Conflict. This was just one of them.

Mac

Works Cited

[1] Haley, John W. (1985) The Rebel Yell and the Yankee Hurrah: The Civil War Journal of a Maine Volunteer. Edited by Ruth L. Silliker. Camden, ME: Down East Books.