Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-20
Dressing Under Difficulties.

During General Shcridan's last raid General
Custer and his staff stopped ever night at the
house of planter 10 FluvanDa county, Virginia.
Haughtily, yet ccurteousy after the fashion oil
we'll bred people who cannot help themselves,
the b,st in the house was placed at their dis:
posal. Among the first of Clusters require
mcnts was bath, and tubs and water, with
homemade towels were readily forthcoming.
Not so, however, were sp0nges aud Turkish
towels. At this the General showed some an
ger, supposing the neglect intentional When
his servant was assured by the lady OF the house
that her stock of such articles was exhausted
and could not be repleuished within the Con
federate lines, master and man were intensely
disguised, and Custer expressed his aston ish.
meut that civilized people could exist without
them. SpoDges were not to be had at any
price in Richmond during the winter Of 1864 5,
the few imported to Charleston and Whining
ton being kept for hospital use. The ladies
kDit bathing gloves of coarse cotton yarn IN
garter stitch, making close ribbed surface
which gave the desired friction. The cargoes
brought by the blockade runners consisted
pic dry goods. Only occasionally package OF
fancy goods was included, and these were soon
exhaustcd-the demand far exceeding the sup.
ply. HairpiDs, needles, pins, scissors, combs,
etc., brought fancy prices. In January, 1865, a
common gutta. percha tuck comb bought to order
10 Wilmington, NC, cost fifty dollars-equal to
one dollar and quarter in gold-at which price
the purchaser was glad to obtain it-Richmond
and Charleston having been previously ransacked
10 vain 10 search for one. A great deal OF SNUG
Cling was carried on across the border principal.
ly by women, and the stores brought by the
suffers 10 the Federal army were some small
compensation to even the most rebelious women
for the presence of tho army under whose
shadow they came Quilted petticoats were the
fashion then, as now, and many of them were
made TO order for smuggling purposes. ln one
the filing was skeins OF sewing silk, 10 another
papers of quinino and 30 on With everything
which could DO crowded into small compass
Ladies who came through the lines, under flag
Of truce, were vigorously searched; nevertheless,
great deal that was contraband of war came
through with them. A school girl acquaintance
of the writer displayed much ingenuity 90 such
an occasion. II brought my waterfall cushion
full Of morphine to Dr. -" she said. The.
morphine was in tissue paper; over that l laid
dark cotton batting, aud over that curled hair
10 an Invisible net. They made me take my
hair down and shake it out. Miss Kerr carried
dispatches to Beauregard 10 hers, you know. l
tell you, though, a0as scared when the NO.
man who searched me ran halr.pln through
the cushion. | had dispatches, too, on thin
paper, folded and sewed into pocket pin cush.
ion, but as they we're written with Invisible ink,
and | had taken care to soil the cushion, | didn't
feel frightened about them. 1t was a risk,
though, for if they had found them, | should
have been sent to the Old Capitol prison.
Mrs. " r. ILtndy IN Philadelphia Weekly
Times