The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-30
Substitutes and Make-shifts of the Late
War

sentative sent to the field by him who
preferred substituting discretion to
valor to the rye which people were
forced, with a very oCry face, to substi-
tute for coffee. Other substitutes for
coffee also came into use, such as chest
nut, wheat and sweet potato coffee,
which, by those who, like the Mar
chioneSS, could "make believe strong"
might have been supposed to represent
Laguayara, Java and Mocha. For mo-
lasses we had sorghum, made from the
African sugar cane, and toward the
close of the war, when we were cut off
from the far South, and, consequently,
from sugar in great measure, house
keepers were in many cases forced to
use sorghum in its place, and not only
did they use it to sweeten coffee, but the
more enterprising among them used it
in making preserves, cake, cheese cakes
and various.kinds of dessert, all of which
succeeded passably well except jelly,
which, in the language of Miss Alcott,
"refused to jell."
Housekeepers certainly had all their
inventive faculties called into play in
those days. | know some who were
sufficiently ingenious to make macaroni
out of strips of dried dough, while the
soap for the family wash was made of
shucks boiled in ley, with the addition
of little grease. Dried cherries took
the place of raisins in fruit cake, while
apple brandy, home distilled, became
1.-The national nectar" varied by cider
and homemade wine. Fortunately,
however, we did not have to resort to
any substitute for poultry, meat or grain,
or any of &" the kindly fruits of the EARTH
indigenous to our soil.
| Great eXertions were made in these
times of revolution to keep up agricult-
ure in the rural districts, for, indeed
never were its products more needed
than in this time of war and blockade.
If the gentleman of the house was in the
army, then his wife and young sons
would endeavor to carry on the farming
operations as we'll as they could, and,
considering all the difficulties country
people had to contend with, they kept
up agriculture wonderfully well. To
the credit of the negroes be it said that
they went about their work as peace
fully and respectfully as ever, seeming
to think and care very little about their
own destines at stake. Makeshifts and
substitutes had to be employed in farm
ing as well as in other departments.
Machinery and gear ran very low, eS-
pecially toward the close of the war, at
which time | remember to have seen
farm horses bridled with ropes, and
mules wearing shuck collars, which
they would MUNICH socially off each
others necks as they stood in the shade
resting at noon-day.
But, after all, clothes were :" the TUG
of war" Never were more curious
garments seen than those which before
the end of the war were worn (and
thankfully worn) by the first people in
the land. Before the struggle termi-
mated, many a country lady might have
been seen arrayed in homespun, while
a gentleman clothed in coat made of a
solid gray or brown shawl would have
been considered an absolute dandy. A
picture rises to my memory of a good
mother who cut up her piano cover Ga
bright purple) and made of it suit for
her little boy which made him the envy
of the neighborhood-a suit button
ing in front and baggy in the reverse
aspect"
The rare windfall of new ribbon OF
a new pair of kid gloves made young
lady the envy of her whole circle of fe-
male friends. Occasionally articles of
this kind ran the blockade and gladdened
the hearts of Southern maidens. Some
times Northerners would send parcels
of such things to their Southern friends
and relatives when an opportunity for
doing so occurred. | knew a young
lady in Richmond whose PHILADELPHIA
relatives sent her among other articles
plaid ribbon, which then and there
was almost as rare badge as that of the
Star and Garter. Before a week was
over almost every one of this fortunate
young lady's female friends had been
allowed the privilege of wearing this
ribbon. The writer herself wore it one
night to one of the handsomest enter
tainments of that season (winter OF
1864-O, and it served to brighten up a
fiimsy brown silk, checked with black,
for which the wearer had paid a hun
dred dollars yard.
To this day | recall the thrill with
which | received the presents of friend
who went North incOgnit0 the third
year of the war to attend to some I'M
portant business, and who, with some
stirring adventures and narrow escapes,
had made his way home. How eagerly
we gathered around the traveller, admir-
ing the trinkets he had brought for his
fancee and intimate friends, and listen
| INT SNi