The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-11-28
DRESSING UNDER DIFFICULTIES
Scanty Toilets OF Confederate Bellies
The Cost of Fancy Goods.
Al. ID uo-l,, a., Db;la In

Inc SOst Oh r. Hhcy SOOuss
Mrs. NJ. P. Handy in Phila. Weekly
Times.
During General Sheridan's last raid
General Custer and his staff stopped over
night at the house of splanter in Flu
wanna county, Virginia. Haughtily,
vet courteously, alter the fashion OF we'll
bred people who cannot help themselves,
the best in the house was placed at their
disposal. Anon the first OF Custerss
requirements was q bath, and tubs and
water, with homemade towels were read
lily forthcoming. Not so; however, were
spOnges and Turkish towels. At this
the General showed some anger, sup
posing the neglect Intentional. When
MS servant WAS assured by the lady OF
the house, that her stock of such articles
was entirely exhausted and could not be
repienished within the confederate lines,
master and man were intensely disguised
and Custer expressed his establishment
that civilized people could exist without
them. Sponges were not to be had at
any price in Richmond during the win
ter OF lS64-5. the lew imported to Char
lesion and Wilmington being kept for
hospital use. The ladies knit bathing
gloves OF course cotton yarn In garter
stitch, making close.rlobed surface. which
gave the desired friction. The cargoes
brough bv the blockade runners consisted
chiefly OF munitions of war, medicines
and staple dry-good. Only occasionally
package Of fancy goods was included,
and these were soon xhausted-the de-
mand far exec ding the supply. Hair
pins, needles, scissors, pins, combs, etc"
brought fancy prices. In January, 1868
q common guttspercha comb bought 10
order in Wilmington, n. g., cost fifty
dollars-equsl TO one dollar and quar-
ter in gold-at which price the purchaser
was glad to obtain it-Richmond and
Charleston having been previously ran
sacked IN vain for one. A great al OF
smuggling was carried on across the Dor
der, principally by women, and the
stores bought by tho suffers IN the Fed
eral army were some small compensation
10 even the most rebelious women, for
the presence OF the army under whose
shadow they came. Quilted pettIcoats
were the fashion then, a. now, and many
of them were made to order for snug
cling purposes. In one the filing was
skeins OF sewing silk, in another, papers
of ouinine, and so on with everything
that could be crowded into small COM
pass. Ladies who came through the
lines, under fag-of truce, were vigorously
searched; nevertheless, great deal that
was contrabsnd OF war came through
with them. A school girl acquaintance
of the writer displayed much ingenuity
on such an occasion. 81 brought my
waterfall cushion tull OF morphine TO
Dr." she SAID. The morphine
was in tissue paper, over that l laid dark
cotton batting, and over that curled hair
ia an invisible net. They made me take
nv hair down and shake 1t out. Miss
Kerr carried dispatches to Bureaugard
in hers, you know. l tell you, though,
| ,0as scared when the women who
searched me ran hairpin through the
cushing. | had dispatches, too, on tnln
paper, folded and sewed into u pocket
pin cushion, but rs they were written
with invlsable ink, and | had taken care
to soil the cushion, didn't fee fright
ened about them 1t was n risk, though
for If they had found them, should have
been sent TO the q d Capitol Prison