Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-01
WARTIME MEMORIES.
Making Birdshot Under DIFFICULTIES
Lights and Matches Of the Confsdoraey'
fWrittan for tho Dispatch.

Lights and Matches OF the Confsdoraey'
written for tho Dispatch.l
The articles published in the splendid ed
ton OF the Christmas DISPATCH have viviuIy
refreshed many memories as to the hard
times and worse a-coming" in those dark
DAYS of the war, Our children can never
know what all endured in the armysand
out in that desperate struggle: l met one
of Polk Miller's old-timo darkies on our
VILLAGE street few days ago. He touched
his hat and said: "Sarvant. Marster. Is dls
here de tavern 2" / pointed to 1.-The no.
tel and felt nv hand reaching for quar-
ter 10 pay the old man for asking me the
question. They could always ask cues
fions Int never could answer them,
especially as TO distances. During the war
/ rode horseback from Richmond to LAD
ertv. asked the way of every negro met.
and never got an answer that was worth
a cent. They always commenced Win
"'Tain't fur,h and when, on closer ques,,
tioning one would say "'Bout ten mile,"
I would ask another. after riding hye or
slx miles, how for the same place was ne
would soy "'Bout elebsn mile" On up;
the night with some old friends at Scott
Green" and negro told me with great
emphasis, Yes, sar, jes' one mile DIS sac
of fombuilie you turns of TO your let nan
"But," said !, "how am ] to know when
am ut a point one mile this SIDE OF
Fsrmyille?" Oats So he said, as ne
took in the situation, with a scratch OK
the head, q ouizZical look, and humor-
Gus grin at his involuntary joke.
SCARCITY OF SHOT.
In those DAYS l had n perIchdnt for hunt
int bnt sbo were not to be had. After
the battles around Richmond we could
collect or buy from the negroes lots OF olo
bullets. melt them down, and exchange
the lead for imported powder at the ORD
nance Department" in Richmond, but
thov kept no birdshot there. DR.. Games,
M whose splendid homo l lived, had q
+" blacksmith-shop" at his famous mill.
II was here my inventive genius came INTO
play. Hammering out my lead into long
small bars, would hold this into conlcai-
shaped hole in one end OF an IRON roo:
heated red-hot, and held over pan OF
water. The shot would vary in size and
shape, but many bird. squirrel, and ola
hyar 4" bit the dust under such murderous
slugs.
Iiaars AND MATCHES.
While disc, ing the merits OF water-gas
and coal-res and electricity, how about
those Confederate lights. which some OF
ne shall neyor forget? The dimmest, most
irving, and yet most unique, whose glow
worm faiutuess still twinkles IN my
memory. was made of beeswax. COM
mon cotton thread was used as WICK.
With ona end tied TO a chair the house,
wife. with dainty fingers. would mGnlpu-
lote .Le melted wax iatO small, continu-
IN. taper the size of her little finger and
yDl zen TO twelve feat lon, his was
cooled around , ,F-,s9i uprg ht staf OF
wood. fastetel N NHg den dish. The wax
candle was Gun through tin holder
movably Gxes TO the top of the standard,
and this va turned 10y the hand, or the
candle burned rapidly away. 1t was q
regular eye-opener for If you read too
closely and forg II TO keep one eye on your
candls YOU would soon answer that ola Co
auudrum. "Where was Moseh WREN the
candle went out 7"
Mrs. Gaines was woman OF i1hnlte re-
sources. Of which all inmates OF the family
were constantly reminded. Atter O sum
Gent time bad ELAPSED to Distinguish the
InultltudInous smells from the battlefield
she struck O bonanza in the shape OF " tai
| low buried near the slaughter pens OF the
Federal army. She had some of IL dug up
and made it inc Confederate candles. But
was il Coleridge, who wanted to know
what would wnsh out the numberlesa
| smells of the city OF Cologne2 The waters
| of the Chickahomlny were not very pure
after those battles, but ALBANIA and Phar;
par combined could not havo cleansed
that dou ble-action, combination smell from
those Yankee camps and candles. she
then traded tho tsllow TO soap-makers.
HANOVER POET.
Doany of your old readers remember oul
| Hanover DO ct, Captain Richard johnson,
who had such beautiful terraces and
| flowers IN his bach elor home. where the
old Meadow Bridge road turned to the
| left and led on to Hanover Courthouse
A certain "nabob," who shall be name
| less, spent the night at the poets
/ and to the horror and detestatior
| of his aristocratic host, he allowed hi'
| colored body-servant 10 sleep in another
/ bed. but in the same guest-cham
Der. The offence was never con
doned. and several months afterward!
| the venerable poet had the feather bee
| hauled to a neIghborhood sale. Putting
! il up at auction. he made flaming speech,
| in which he gave graphic description OF
! his outraged honor and told of how thai
lnoffensive darkey, or the ghost OF Banquo
| confronted him whenever he looked at tn
bed. And when he had wrought himsel
and his shouting audience up to the high
est pitch he closed with a poem, OK wnlcf
| / remember these lines:
ave scrubbed, anu scrubbed, and scrubbed II
| vain,
For the accursed stencil will still remain,
| Not in the bed, but in my BRAIN"
It Is useless to say the bed brought
! double its worth, ss the stencil was not II
I the bed, and its fame was immortal.
wanted 70 tell how we used the hin
and steel with "spunk" to catch the hy
/ ing spark, lit our Powhatan pipes, AND
smoked KillikInick tobacco. But suci
lights would scorn, as do, cigarettes;
Il. w. II.