In the time of serfdom the manor owners were charged with dues in kind - delivering of recruits to the government. The catering of recruits till they arrived at their troops was also a duty of their previous owners. Here the document (1809) is presented that set up the financial equivalent of the daily ration of the recruits and of the militaries that convoyed the recruits to their place of service.

The document was distributed by Vidzeme [Livland] province officials as a circular letter (Patent).

Befehl
Seiner Kaiserlichen Majestät,
des Selbstherrschers aller Reussen,
aus der livländischen Gouvernements-Regierung,
zur jedermänniglichen Wissenschaft.

Es ist bereits mittelst Publikation vom 8ten Novbr. 1808 durch die livländische Gouvernements-Regierung bekannt gemacht worden, daß den Rekruten und den sie begleitenden Kommandos auf dem Marsche, in Nachtlagern und an Rasttagen, gegen Bezahlung von 14 Kopeken für den Mann, der tägliche Unterhalt mit 3 Pfund Brod, 1/30 Garniz gekochter Grütze und dem erforderlichen Salze von den Einwohnern gereicht werden müsse.

Jetzt ist höhern Orts in Ansehung des für den vorerwähnten täglichen Unterhalt eines Rekruten oder eines Soldaten von der Konvoy bestimmten Preises von 14 Kopeken eine Abänderung dahin getroffen worden, daß der Preis auf 18 Kopeken erhöht und festgesetzt ist, und haben daher die Einwohner statt einer Bezahlung von 14 Kopeken künftighin von 18 Kopeken sich zu gewärtigen.

Nach dieser Erhöhung richtet sich aber auch der Preis, welcher für den einem Rekruten bei seiner Ablieferung mitzugebenden Proviant etc. zu entrichten ist, und beträgt derselbe nunmehr 16 Rubel 56 Kopeken. – Sämmtliche Güter, welche Rekruten zu stellen haben, werden demnach hierdurch von der livländischen Gouvernements-Regierung befehligt, in Stelle der von ihnen einverlangten 11 Rubel 55 Kopeken für Mehl, 96 Kopeken für Grütze und 6 Kopeken für Salz – für jeden abzuliefernden Rekruten nunmehr in Summa 16 Rubel 56 Kopeken in der rigaschen Kreis-Renterei ganz unfehlbar abzuliefern. Riga-Schloß, den 15. Novbr. 1809.

(L.S.)

J. v. Repjeff.
G. von Rickmann.

Secretaire Hehn.

The order
of His Imperial Majesty of the Sovereign of all the Russians etc. etc. via
the government of Livland's province
to
everyman's knowledge

The province government has already informed in the publication of November 8, 1808 that recruits and convoying commandos while in march, in night camps and during rest days should be supplied with daily ration consisting of 3 pounds bread, 1/30 Garnitz of cooked groats and appropriate salt that may be bought from the local people for 14 Kopecks.

Now the higher officials have decided that the price 14 Kopecks of the above mentioned daily catering of recruits and convoying soldiers should be increased to 18 Kopecks and the local people in future will be expecting the pay of 18 Kopecks instead of 14 Kopecks.

Because of this raising of the daily ration, the price of the provisions etc., that must be supplied with a delivered recruit, should be increased, and now is 16 Roubles 56 Kopecks. Hereby all of the manors that should deliver recruits are ordered by Livland‘s province government now to pay obligatory at the Treasury of Riga apriņķis for each delivered recruit 16 Roubles 56 Kopecks instead of 11 Roubles 55 Kopecks for flour, 96 Kopecks for groats and 6 Kopecks for salt.

(L.S.)

J. v. Repjeff.
G. von Rickmann.

Secretaire Hehn.

 Comments:

According to this document, the soldiers of that time consumed 3 pounds, or 1,23 kg, of bread daily. Additional food was 1/30 garnitz of cooked groats. A garnitz was 3.28 liter, so a soldier was supplied with 0.11 liters of groats daily which was cooked and eaten as porridge, I think. No other food products were offered to the militaries of that time, as it follows of the daily financial allocation described in this document.

It is not that easy to calculate the prices of the food products. If exactly 14 Kopecks were spent for a day, then the mentioned total sum 12.57 Roubles was enough for 89.8 days. For 90 days it was necessary to allocate 3 Kopecks more - 12.60 Roubles. By the way, it is not known which Roubles the document spoke about - silver Roubles or Roubles in assignations. When the daily allocation was increased to 18 Kopecks, the total sum mentioned in the document: 16.56 was enough for 92 days. Now I do not understand what was the term for which the manor owners were obliged to supply their recruits with food - 90 or 92 days.

Just for the estimation of the prices I assumed that the term was 90 days.

The 11.55 Roubles allocated for flour allowed to spend daily 12.8 Kopecks for this product. Evidently this flour was used for bread baking, and it follows that one kilogram of bread cost about 10.4 Kopecks. I assumed that for 96 Kopecks, that were allocated for groats, one could buy 3 garnitzs of groats i.e. one liter of groats cost about 9.75 Kopecks.

As far as I know, recruits at that time went by foot to the dislocation places of their troops, and it really could take a good time. I think, however, that this travel was normally less than 3 months, so the money  was allocated with some reserve.