Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-09-27
ST. Adams, VI. september sd, 1867.
HOW WOMEN LIVED IN RICHMOND DUR
ING THE REBELLION

woman who passed the last year of the rebel
lion in Richmond, writes follows to the Evening
Post, of the shifts she aud her confederate sisters
were put TO to get clothes to wear, food eat and
novels to read -
When four years Of wear and tear have ex-
hausted a ladys wardrobe with no goods in the
country except few, running at long intervals
the blockade and at prices too exhorbitant, what
can a woman do who has the wish the laudable
wish to look well through everything, without the
material for its ful6lmeut2 Well, take two dres-
SEES OF different material and color--one minus
skirt, the other body--insert quarter Of yard
OF one into the skirt of the other, make puihugs
OF the lighter color At the top Of the sleeve and
Of the darker form the tight-ftting part, and no.
tice the effect. This we did and though mingled
and notified it was still picturesque Womens
bonnets will wear OUT and as hats were more ca
silly got, hats became the style. Every woman
learned to plat straw. and TO make her own hat
which she decked with a rich plume from some old
stock, or with a guinea fowls bright wing. Shoes
we learned to manufacture, and every rsg-bag was
brought into requisition to furnish thick popin
pieces of lasting. Stockings knit, gloves we
made--in which art | myself become so expert
that could easily get thirty dollars for each pair
| could furnish the merchants. CrinolIne was
harder to substitute but got all right there
for the old steel bands could cover with strips
Of cotton cloth, and re-shape and hang together
with cord Nothing was lost The greatest tax
upon US was the clothing for the servants, which
was sometimes supplied by cutting up oounterpanes
and blankets. Shoes with wooden soes were
found to answer.
Invention was the order of the day, and confed-
crate buildings and pastries, with sorghum molas-
SEES personating white sugar, were pronounced de-
licious Coffee made from everything under the
sun, from acorns to rye, gave zest to trade and
emulation to speculators--who dealt in pure cof-
fee mixed with rye. Rye coffee is good sub
stitute when war and blockade shut out every avail
able resource have made and drank it on a
cold winter evening, clear aud strong, when | en-
joyed it with a relish, and thanked God for it,
IL was curious sight in those days to look in
to a drug store, and in place OF the usual para
phrenalla Of bottles, 10 secondhand bridal
dress of white SATIN stretched at full length in the
showcase, with label bearing For sale, $1,000
In the windows OF extensive auction-h houses whose
business had been brisk in other days dresses now
hung, mingled with all articles Of ladies second
hand wardrobe. | deposited a dress, white coun-
terpane, and one hundred aud fifty old novels in
one of these houses for sale Books we're in great
demand, and an interesting novel would sell from
Sl2 to $50. Servants perambulated the streets
with immense baskets holding ladies' and chill
dren's clothing, sold to buy bread for houseless
refagees--refugees from New Orleans, Memphis,
etc, who had handsome wardrobes, but no bread
far from home, with their husbands, fathers and
brothers fighting, disposed Of every superfuous
article of elegant wear, and learned to weave and
wear Virginia cloth This was almost put stop
to at last by the want of cotton but after certain
crisis it was more readily obtained and according
ly the looms which had been silent since the times
of grandparents, once more gave their cheer
ful bang-bangs about the household of many a
thrifty housewife and speedily clothed the fair
bellies, used to nothing coarser than silk and fine