Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-11-28
CAMP GUNPowDER, }
ARMY or THE PoToMAC, :
November, 1861.


CAMP GUNpOwDER, }
ARMY OF THE Potomac,
November, 1861
Dear Messrs. Editors BILLY Briggs and
still remain in the army. The other morning
! was standing by him in our tent. Hand me
them scabbards, Jimmy said he. 'Scabbards /
said /, looking around YES, boots | mean
Billy arranged himself in his scabbards--a di-
lapidated pair of fashionable boots-and stood
up in a very erect and digniGed manner. Those
boots of mine don't think were any relation
to that beef we had for dinner to-day, Jimmy
said he. No. said |. If they were only as
tough as that beef and rice Ueysd, it would have
been better
Il say. Cradle, where are you ? he called out.
Cradle was our contrabapd, genuine darkey,
with foot of extraordinary dimensions, and
extra heels to match, giving him queer look
about those extremities What do you call
him Cradle for, Billy p said !, that's a queer
name What would you call him, Jimmy; if
he amt a cradle what's he put on rockers for p
Cradle appeared with a pnir of perforated
stockings It's no USE said Billy, looking at
them Them stockings will do to put on
sore throat, but they won't do for feet. It's a
humiliation for a man like me to be without
stockings; man may be badheadcd and its
gentce., but TO be barefnoted is ruination. The
sleeves is good. too he added thoughtfnlly,
'hut the feet are gone. There is something
about the heels of stockings and the elbows of
stove-pipes, in this world that is all wrong,
Jimmy
A supply of stockings had come that day.
and had Just been given out. A pair of very
large ones fell to Billy's lot. Billy held them
up before him. Jimmy said he, these are
pretty bags to give little fellow like me. Them
I,,;t frr no,
gorilla, certain and he was about to bcstow
them upon Cradle, when a soldier in the oppo-
site predicament made an eXchan e. Them
stockings made me think of the Louisiana VOL
unteer | scared so the other day. SAID Billy
'How's that p said |. 'Ile was among our pri-
soners, and saw a pair of red leggings with
feet, hanging up before a tent. lie never said
a word till tie saw the leggings, and then he
asked me what they were for. Them is Gen.
Banks stockings, said |. He looked scared
He's big man, is Gen. Banks, said |. but then
he ort to be the way he lives. 'IIow?' said he
Why said |, his regular diet is bricks buttered
with mortar The next day Billy got a pre-
sent of pair of stockings from lady; nice
soft pair, with his initials in red silk upon
them. He was very happy. Jimmy said he,
Just look at them and he smoothed them
down with his marked with my initials,
w
then name. How kind. They came just in
the right time, too, I've got such a sore heel /;
for its fact, Jimmy, il there's anything in life
worse than unrequited love, t's sore heel.
Orders came to fall in. Billy was so overjoy-
cd with his new stockings that he did not keep
the line very well STEADY, there" growled
the sergeant, keep your place, and don't be
travelling around ike the Boston post Office
We were soon put upon the double-qnick Az
ter few moments Billy gave groan. what
is it, Billy said /. Its all up with them, said
he didn't know what he meant, but his face
showed something very bad had happened.-
When we broke ranks, Billy hurried to the
tent, and when got there. there he Stood the
very picture of despair, with his shoes of, and
his heels shining through his stockings, like two
crockery door knobs. Them new stockings,
of yours is breech-oading, amt they, Billy?
said an unieeing volunteer. Better get your
name on both ends, so you can keep them to-
gether' said another. Shoddy stockings, said
another Billy was silent. | saw his heart was
breaking and | said nothing. We held coun-
Gil on them and Billy not feeling srong-heart-
ed enough for the task, gave them to Cradl :
with directions to sew up the small hJles.
came into the tent soon after, and he was draw
lug portrait, with piece of charcoal on a
boardP That's good portrait of Fremont,
said l. 'he looks just like that that's the way
he parts his hair in the middle THAT isn't Il
portrait of Fremont said Billy, its map of
the United States. That line in the middle
you thought was the part in his hair, is the
Mississippi river
80 said |. l saw him again before supper
! lie came TO me looking worse than ever, the
stockings in his hand. Jimmy said he 'yol
know gave them to Cradle, and told him tc
/ loln MI ,bot Il ,irl
he's done? He's gone and sewed up the headsi
Its hard case, Billy said |, in such cast
tears are almost justifable.