The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-10-14
ExPEDIEHTs IN WAR TIME.
Means Cse6 In supplying Necessities Dur.
Ing nn Emergency.


Perhaps, taking everything into consid.
.ration. no portion of the Confederacy
during our late unpleasantness " was so
destitute of the necessaries of life MS that
portion lying on the southern seaboard and
forming part of the States of Mississippi
Alabama and Florida. The great indus
tries OF these States, that is, that portion
situated as explained above, was timber,
lumber, resin, tar, pitch and turpentine
The soil is not favorable, except in favored
spots, for cultivation. Consisting of vast
level flats, the top soil of loan is very thin.
while Immediately beneath it is q heavy
pipe clay, while the only vegetation that
seems to thrive are the great forests of pine.
These, skirtmg the Gulf of Mexico, follow
ing the coast line for several hundred miles,
and with breadth ranging from 100 to 200
miles, form the well-knnown pine meadows,
destined IL years to come 10 be n prolific
source of wealth to the South. Perhaps
with us who resided in this portion of the
Confederacy, the first necessity, after the
small supply on hand was exhausted was
salt. This was a need soon felt, and it is
unnecessary to add that pound of salt
soon became very precious. Old brine that
had done duty unit! it could be used no
longer was boiled down until every particle
Of saline matter was extracted from it, and
The salt thus obtained was again in its turn
used in the same manner. As the supply
became scarcer and scarcer, the next meth
cd, or rather recourse, was to dig up the
smokehouses and filter water through the
earth thus obtained, this in turn being SUBJ
jected to the usual process of boiling in Or
der to obtain the precious condiment. So
scarce did it become as the war wore on,
that when beeye was killed, instead of
salting down in barrels as ut first, it became
more economical to cut the fosh into thin
strips and dry it in tho sum- 1t must be
confessed that beef treated IN this manner
IS more palatable than most persons would
imagine. They who lived near the coast
fared somewhat better, for taking the boil
ers from the various sawmills, they separat-
ed the shells from the fues, and splitting
them into equal halves strong head of
wood was fitted into the ends, aud thus
ehNtttta thoJ WcAc Diticcu ONtF " lurinte anu
filled with the salt water from the Gull. OF
course the business had its reverses, for
sometimes the blocka,ling squadron, at
tracted by the smoke, would move up, and,
with fow shells, completely demolsh the
salt works. The salt kettles, being made
of old boilers, were too heavy forthe enemy
to carry OF, and ms no damage beyond
knocking out the wooden heads could
be inflicted, the salt manufacturers would.
with interchangeable energy when the hostile
fleet removed to n safe distance, gather up
the debris, make few repairs and recon-
mence boiling. The ingenuity of the PEG.
pie was to replace the various articles Of
clothing and the different domestic luxnries.
Old dresses old coats were turned and
made over, remodelled aud cut down. The
writer remembers well what pang of envy
was awakened within his bosom going TO
ball one night to find that the attentions OF
the fair ones were all bestowed on an nc.
quaintance who made his advent that even
ing in bright, spicx, span new pair Of
pantaloons, made Of new ticking, with
broad, blue stripes, cut bins.