The Osceola times., 1877-12-15
Dressing Undsr DImcultiss.

I0hsUk NIOMsO&oA AyAsOA h0nn ~ I0A>A
General Custer and his staff stopped ever
night at the house Of . planter In Flu.
wanna county, Virginia. Haughtily,
yet ceurteously, after the fashion Of we'll.
bred people who cannot help themselves,
the best In the house was placed at their
disposal. Among the ATst of Clusters
requirements was bath, and tub, and
water, with homemade towels were
readily forthcoming. Not 20, however,
were sponges and Turkish towels. At
this the general showed some anger,
supposing the neglect intentional. When
his servant was informed BY the lady Of
the house that her stock Of such articles
were exhausted and could not be re-
plenished within the confe1erates lines,
master and man were intensely diagusted,
and Custer expressed his astonisbmept
that civilized people could exist without
them. Spopges were not TO b had ut
any price In Richmond during the winter
of lS64-5, the few imported 70 Charles
ton and Wilmington being kept for
hospital use. The ladies knit bathing
gloves Of COARSE cotton yarn In garter
stitch, making Z Close ribbed surface
which gave the desired friction. The
cargoes brought BY the blockAds runners
consisted chiefly OF munitions Of war,
medicines and staple dry goods. Only
occasionally . package OF fancy goods
was included, and these were soon
exhausted demand far exceed
ing the supply. Hairpins, needles,
pins, scissor, combs, ETC., brought
lancy prices. In January, 1865, .
common gutta-percha tuck-comb bought
to .order in Wilmington, N. G., cost
Rfty dollars-equal to one dollar and .
quarter in gold-at which prios the pur-
chaser was glad to obtain Il, Richmond
and Charleston having bsen previously
ransacked in vain In search for one. A
great deal Of smuggling was carried on
acre. the border, principally BY women,
and the stvlaa brought BY the suffers in
the federal army ..ere some small COM
pensatiou to even the most rcbellious
women for the presence .af the army
under whose shadow they came. sailted.
petticoats were the fashion then, ~ now,
and many of them wero made to order
for smuggliug purposes. In one the 6ll-
ing was skeim of sewing silk, In another
papers of quinine, and 20 on with
everything that could Be crowded into
small compass. Ladies came through
the lises under the Gag of truce, were
vigorously searched; nevertheless, great
deal that was contraband of war came
through with them. A school girl &C.
quaintance Of the writer displayed much
ingenuity on such an occasion. II
brought my waterfall cushion full Of
morphine to DR.. -" she said.
The morphine was in tissue paper; over
that laid dark cotton batting, and over
that curled hair In an invisible net.
5nSy 1aAs me take down my hair and
~s..s - oat- n9in Ksrs carried dis-
patches 70 70 nsanssuasa 4 -. -,
know. l tell you, th0agh, Sss .oSSsse ~
when the woman who searched Ne raa :
hairpin through the cushion. ! had dis
patches, too, on thin paper, folded and
sewed into . pocket pin-cuahion. but 2.
thev. were written with invisible ink,
and had taken care TO soil the cushion.
l didn't feel frightened about them. 1!
was q risk, though, for II they had found
them, / should have been sent to the Old
Capital Prison"