The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-22
CONFEDERATE UNIFORMS.
Good I'm the Beginning, But "A Tribe
DiIapidated Later in the Fray.

| From the Hartford Courant.
The statement from the Richmond Dis
patch in yesterdays Courant concerning
the uniforms Of the confederates recalled
to Capt. Gretter. a Waterbury insurance
| agent, a bit Of his own experience in the
southern army.
4 went out from Richmond" said he,
"as a member of as swell an artillery
company as that rich city could raise.
We had uniforms of the finest cloth and
workmanship, beautiful gold lace and sll
that, and we took along our boiled shirts
and collars and cuffs, much as some Of
you yanks did before Bull Run. We
| lived on the fat of the land. No turkey
/ was too good for us, no pastry too rich.
| We cut fine figure, and our women
/ folks gave substantial expression in the
| way of dainties and knick-knacks to
| their pride in us.
| ing our campaign much as the northern
| ers did; but this item in the Richmond
paper recalls the sequel, which was dir
| ferent Take my own case as an exam
| pie. i patched and patched my uniform
| till there wasn't much left but patches.
| For food We finally got down to hoe
cake, and there were many times when
we contemplated eating our cannon balls.
| They'd have been delicacies. Not biz
| of wholesome food passed our lips for
| days. Still, there was no grumbling.
You see, our fellows as well as your fell
lows were descendants of the men OF
| Valley Forge.
AT last my trousers were beyond mend
| ing. L remem berWel taking one of the old,
worn horse blankets and under the guild
ance of an experienced cOmrade cutting
out of it and making new pair of trou-
! sers My vest had long since gone, there
was mighty little left of my coat, and be-
| tween ii and my skin there was what you
| might call lot Of choice raVellings. Most
/ of the tops of my boots were left, but my
! feet themselves had to imagine that they
/ were protected by whatever l could tie
/ or sew around them.
| "Ah, but / tell you 1 was proud as
| peacock the day came out in those horse
| blanket trousers and 1t didn't detraCt any
| from my pride that the blanket had borne
| the letters ~. s. at the time II came into
| my possession l was the envy of my less
| fortunate comrades. For once in my life
| 1 set the fashion, regular Berry Wall,
| and after that Yankee blankets were prizes
| much sought after.
about that time, however, Lee surren-
| dered. We had just been sent of across the
| mountains to see II we couldn't join john
/ ston and so were not included In the sur
| render. Indeed, l may say We fellows new
| er yet have surrendered. When the news
| of the genral dissolution rachel us, how
| ever, we struggled back toward Richmond
! hoping as much as anything for square
meal. When we were not far from Rich
mond my father came out TO meet u.s. l
| heard him inquire for me- and going up to
| him saw that he did not recognize me.
| That was hardly surprising, SAID 10 him;
| by the name of Gretter, and / guess I
| might tell you where he went. But first,
I'll have to have something to eat and
something to wear.
with that he invited me right up to his
house But can't 60, said, unless
have pair of boots. We've heard of some
| in the city, but they cost $500 pair, and
we can't raise even that
" Come with me- he said. And I went.
He rolled out several wads of confederate
paper and paid for the boots, after which
/ I n he I a % re
before in such splendid raiment. The sto-
ry of my identification is not part of this
story about the uniforms"
There is no more loyal citizens in the
land to-day thar, Capt Gretter, late of the
Baltimore Artillery.
After the narration one of his listeners
said: II have at home the remnants of a
Virginia captains coat. The officer was
mortally wounded at the second Manas-
sas. When our hospital corps found him
his clothes had been rthed and the cloth
| ing itself would have been taken had not
the rapid advance of our forces at that
point prevented. The confederates then
were in such straits that they could hard
~ be held responsible for what some of
the almost half-naked men in the ranks
might do.
est gray imported goods, and the work.
manship on ii had been of the best. But
it had seen long and hard service. There
was barely enough left of the coat to COW
er the man and show his insignia. Orig
inally there had been the regulation knots
of heavy gold cord on the sleeves, reach
ing to the elbow. These sleeves had fray
ed away till only the top loopings of that
cord were left, and the whole garment
was so threadbare that you could almost
put your finger through II. There were
only two buttons on it,
He died in the field hospital without re-
gaining consciousness, and there was
nothing about him by which he could be
identified. The course of the bullet
through his arm and into his breast show
ed that he must have been standing with
his sword arm lifted when hit.
Now strange thing about 1t was this
In the lining of his coat where it had
escaped the searchers on the field, the
attendants found a gold watch, which
evidently had been presented to him by
his admirers when he left home. On the
case was engraved the picture of an Of
ficer standing with arm lifted, in heroic
attitude as the surgeon had already de-
clared he must have stood when the fatal
missile came"
1.-THE difference between the two armies
appears to have BEEN" said another lis
tener that the southerners started out
with good clothing, while the northerners
started out with shoddy uniforms that
disappeared with the first rain or heavy
dew That contrast is too general, of
course. but the early frauds perpetrated
have lived in elegant mansions ever since,
can't be condemned in roo strong terms
1t was at the beginning Of the war;
rather than at the close that the union
soldiers suffered in the matter of RAJ
ment."
For turning out engaged couples you
can't beat it," what do you mean? A
summer resort?" No; a hammock. -