Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-21

was caused by the miserable roads he
had TO go through I'm n drenching rain.
In fact. our subsistence during our
whole campaign was not very delectable,
but such as it was, however, 1t was rel
ished when We got II. Ii consisted main
ly OF bacon. cornmeal, and bareback. occa-
sionally some fresh meat. beans. and cab
hage. our culinary apparatus was not
varied. There was a skillet for each
company. and each man had a tin cup.
What we missed, above all things, was
coffee. AS substitute, the boys
would contrive various methods to fool
our palates and. added ones Imagination.
we believed We drank coffee-we used
roasted corn and sweet potatoes cut In
fine pieces. We had little sugar given
ms now and then. We priced what little
we got as dearly as If il was gold.
came across the best substitute. by gath
ering the smallest acorns and toasting
them. then grinding them on road rocks.
we put the acorns in our cup with a little
water and boiled It. 1t made good
beverage; not as good. however. as Mo-
ret's coffee at the French market. Some
times we would get wheat flour, and
mixing IL with little cOrnmeal. We would
make tolerable good biscuits.
Those of the men who had a little
money would sometimes buy few vege-
tables from q neighboring farmer and
We would have soup. and boiled corn.
Our cornbread was made very adroitly-
simply mixing a little meal with water,
and after getting it to a good substance,
we would wrap it in wide leaves, put II
between the ashes, and place fire over
II. When cooked IT made good ash
cake. We put a piece of bacon on the
end OF our ramrod and cooked it. We
did the same with fresh meat.
THEY HAD MUCH GOLD.
On my arrival here, after leaving New
Orleans on the pass given me by General
Banks, not being able to do active SER
vice, l was assigned to the ordnance
department here with General Gorgas,
chief Of ordnance whore l remained till
the evacuation Of Richmond. We all start
ed for Danville. Va. After few days I'm
Danville we had TO vacate that city. our
department had $4,000 in gold, which
was packed IN ammunition-boXes, which
were carried to Winnsboro'. S. c., and
the gold was delivered 10 General Cor
gas. who was stopping with Governor
Aiken. The escort consisted of General
Gorgas, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas j..
Bayne. Of New Orleans; Major 6. Il.
Smith. Captain Denegre, son of James ID.
DeneSfe, preSlucHl OF lHe NlliHcho 'Ailn
of New Orleans. and myself. General
Gorgas paid me three months salary due
me as captain Of ordnance. and instead
Of keeping on TO my native city-New
Orleans-as / should have done. l re-
turned TO Richmond which city | found
almost i'm ruins. In n day or two | came
across you and George Wedderburn. who
We're editing the Bulletin, which paper
afterwards merged with the Sentinel.
After awhile l got a position with the
Enquirer, edited by Patrick Henry Ay-
lett, also with au afternoon paper named
the State Journal.
While with the Enquirer I would go 10
the Greenbrier White sulphur Springs and
play the jenkins" writing mp the balls
and describing the ladies' dresses and
noting political events at that popular
summer resort, which I styled the Sara
toga of the South. ERNEST Witt.