Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-27
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RICHMOND In 1864.5.
HOW woim EN- Lived and Dressed
sid nj qFeFsOnaI Recollections.f yufsi

-.. Cd. Il. f o. m .f
During part of the war 1 lived imme-
diately on the Rapidan river. in that rural
and picturesque portion of Virginia 5esig-
mated Piedmont. Nowhere has nature
done more to ,beautify, and art less, than
there The river, though small stream
at some points, in winter swells to a blood
red rapidly rolling flood. to which all the
mountain torrents contribute. The Blue
Ridge overshadows the rolling landscape.
l determined to leave the farm in charge
Of the overseer, and thus rid myself of the
perpetual care, terror ana suspense incl
dental to that,section. So 1 gave him the
keys, and with one of the very best of.
good servants ''refugeed" to Richmond
that grand central point to which all ter
rified oriome- -bereft women and children
turned; a beehive, swarming and teeming
and overrun with workers and drones till
the honey was all exhausted, and nothing
left hut The bitter comb, and that, after a.
little, put to1the highest bidder. ~ aEH -lisi
Itwasl fashionable" for the sake of econ
omy, to, ,Sroom-keep''-Ihat is, for an indi-
vidual or party to rent room or more,and
to find marketing for themselves, to live
the best they 6coulil-and that meant on
halt rations. L knew q lady with. three
children in one room, who had always pre-
yiously moved at the head of society, who
assured me that she hadnot tasted meat for
eight weeks. Her fine house and grounds
in fredericksburg were destroyed, and she
fled in the night amid the shellan cannon
balls, for her life.
Twas fortunate enough to get two COM
Portable rooms.and with little irou fixture
before the CRATE, Judy cooked me many q
morsel of sweet food. was more fortu7
nate than most Of my neighbors, inasmucn
as / could get from home occasionally a
box of hams 70 wis, hominy, meal and po-
tatoes; and do not let me leave out the
sorghum molasses made on the farm, and
which still prefer to sugar-house syrup.
Surely God put iU into the hearts OF the
people toicultivate and make this very use
full article, just, before the war, as it be-
camethe staple.and as believe in hundreds
of cases but for it starvation would have
ensued. .fu5mnT9.oj : Igi rf..H d. roi &
Our house in Richmond was large one,
and the thirty occupants lived pretty much
by housekeeping, though there was board
in the central part for transient or perma-
uent dodgers. s-i
There had been such a change in Rich
mond, made by influx of strangers from
every section of the Confederaey, and the
exigencies of the times, that it was scarce
ly recognizable. Social equity was in a
to the wall. Women, delicate, sensitive
and refined, had to assume mems duties,
and in every public department held places
of high official Importance, with salaries
ranging from six TO twelve hundred dollars
and upwards per month, all struggling. not
for wealth to hoard, but for bread to keep
the body alive. Z ID 'fi Hu a-j-G t.tii0 S'''s
When four years of wear and tear have
exhausted a lady's wardrobe, with no goods
in the country except a 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'thron9h everything. without material
for its tulfillment? Well, take two dresses
of different material and colOr-one minus
a skirt, the other body-insertaq quarter
of q yard ofTOne into the skirt of the other
make pnffings of the lighter color at the
top oflthe sleeve, and of the darker form the
tight fitting part, and notice the effect
This edid, and though mingled and mot
tied. it was still picturesque 5f no a. g.,lr
Women's bonnets will wear out: and as
hats were more easily got hats became the
STYLE Every woman learned to plait straw
and to make her OWN hat, which she deckeo
with a, rich plume from some old stock, ol
with guinea fowls bright wing. ,r mi
Shoes we learn to manufacture, and ev.
cry old dsrag-bag was brought into requisi-
ton to olfurnish thick poplin pieces or last
ing. Stockings we knit, gloves we made
in which art0I myself became so expert
that L could easily get thirty dollars fol
each pair could furnish the merchants.
Crinoline was harder to substitute; but
weIgot all right there, for the steel band:
we could cover with strips of cotton cloth
and re-shape and hang together with cord
Nothing was lost. e. ,--r-s r-
The greatest tax upon us was the cloth
ing for the servants, which was sometimes
supplied by cutting up counterpanes and
blankets. Shoes with wooden soles were
found to answer. aAi s0 80. q
Invention was the order of the day, and
no,a faflnr 70 n cfrin xxyift
sorghum molasses personating white sugar
were pronounced delicious.
Coffee made from everything under the
sun. from acorns to rye, gave Zest to trade
aud emulation to speculators-who dealt il
''pure coffee mixed with rye"
Rye coffee is a good substitute when wal
and blockade shut out every available re-
source. l have made and drank it on &
cold winter evening, clear and strong
when / enjoyedit with relish, and thank.
ed God for it. -5' t-a .ii af --t7 5a h-"
1t was a curious sight in those days t.
4 look into drug store, and in place of thu
usual parphernalia of bottles, TO see sec
ond hand bridal dress of white satin
stretched at full length in the showcase
with liable bearing-.For sale, $1,000" Ii
the windows of extensive auction houses
whose business had been brisk in othe,
days, dresses now hung, mingled with al
articles of ladies' secondhand wardrobe
D l deposited a dress, white counterpane
and one hundred and fifty old novels, il
one of these houses for sale.
Books were in great demand, and an in
teresting novel would sell for from $l2 Il
$25. .-- .os. -sa ,f- --lsry-- n. -
Servants perambulatcd the streets witt
immense baskets holding ladies and chill
dren's clothing, sold to buy bread 70
houseless refugees. Refugees from New
: Orleans, Memphis, &C., who had handsom
rObn hahf NO, e., h
r. with their husbands, fathers and brother
! fighting, disposed of every superf1uous ar
ticle of elegant wear and learned to weav
, and wear Virginia CLOTH" This was al
4 most put a stop to at last by the want O
cotton, but after a certain crisis it wa
more readily obtained, and accordingl.
looms which had been silent since the time
r Of our grand parents, once more gave then
I cheerful rband-bangs. about the bouseholt
OF many OF a thrifty housewife, and speedi
: ly clothed the fair bellies, used to nothin.
Il coarser than silk and fine wool. n -
D knew q lovely Young woman, marrie
for six months only, who received lette
4. from her husband sin the trenches tellin,
her that he would be at home on a certafi
day to stay twenty four hours. She got u
a little gala, for him, and each neighbo
furnished from some boarded store u fey
grains of real coffee; one sent her a sugar
dish of reaisugar. She fixed the little par
b lor; had every thing arranged; the suga
ostentatiously displayedin the silver su9a
|. bowl. when low in her hand was placed
letter, saying: 'How grieved am, L can
not tell you, but Mr.. Moor's head was strucl
off yesterday as he raised himself from he
hind the trench to reconnoiter."
p Winter found me many time withou
coal the canal had been cut and the lock
destroyed; therefore itcould not be brought
as the Danyille railroad was also destroyed
the trains not having run for two weeks
Once l had lain in bed all day to kee
: warm. Judy had exhausted her ingenuit
in devising some mode of obtaining fuel
she had burned the last box and barrel, an
| was1airly hon nplussed. i got .up and dress