How much grits does each man get for lunch? Why don’t they get more?

Every morning as he left the camp the cook drew an issue of grits from the main kitchen: about one-and-a-half ounces a head, probably. That made two pounds a squad, a little less than a pood *[* Thirty-six pounds.] for the whole column.

The men do not get more because the supplies are rationed and meant to last a specific amount of time.