The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-24
STARVATION PARTIES.
A Glance Backward at the Most Unique
and: Most Enjoyed Entertainments
Ever Given In the World.
Ne,cs and Courier.

: Gu6zu1Vt UUy . !" LIZ sAOA6---
either side, whether there have ever
been since such lovely, brilliant and
loving girls as those with whom they
rode and airted and danced, for loving
whom they, perhaps, fought all the
better, away back in the COS.
Probably these old boys, still feel
5 ing spry and hale, forget the swift
cadence of Time s march as they sit
@.at camp frc, Or Reunion. : Per
haps few Of them have ever heard, and
! those few have forgotten, the old
ssong-verse
ssI never shall see such flowers again,
Nor smell such q sweet perfume;
But il there be now no such flowers az
those,
'Tis who have lost my bloom y
But! this reminiscence is not to risk
the dread artillery Of bright eyes OF
to-day to- Az only to, recall, without com
Spariison, those merry, delightful and
wholly unparalleled entertainments OF
\ the later days Of the war, which sol.
der. beau and Richmond belle knew as
starvation parties. : Many q white
haired grandsire, manyia stately and
!: venerable grand dame Of to-day re
count 10 generate ions then unborn the
frolic and real brilliance OF those
ssocial gatherings in the sorely Lacquer.
sed Capital in the winters Of 1863 and
&, 81.
Richmond had ever been famous fol
her hospitality, and for the generous
elegance Of her entertainment to all
accredited strangers. When she be
zane the Capital Of the Southern Con
federacys ia great and new population
WAS emptied into her gates, coming
from every distant sister State, and
embraces NEST Of the distinction,
81 social renown, ntelleotuality and
wealth of the entire Southland. And
for time, ind Iced until the strain o.
Swar ,: and mourning Of actual want bore
100 heavy. upon her, this new popnla'
/ & aFttiionswas treated as though each and
5s,lge Everyone was an honored and invited
B guest The gray and personal bearing
Swere the only open sesame needed
{ & toSsWing lI wide Richmond's doors.
But the; Capital was. the spot Of al
I the South coveted BY the powerful
I and active enemy. Untold masses O
men were hurled against her; com
sm,1lulnications ,1ll were cut Of and supplies
became d restricted in inverse ratio t
4 4, demand for them. Money, too, de
G eip,rreciated in value in q tumble that
! looked back:upo . today, seems almos
comic, until there came to be truth il
D the epigram that the housewife goinl
+ to market carried her money in thu
basket and brought back her supplies
s.inher pocket.
The early constant round OF din
ners, lunches, balls and receptions
4 grew gradually less; at first BY almost
imperceptible degrees, then with
strides as rapid as the financial de
preston or the engrossment Of al
thoughtful people BY more sad ane
serious duties. For the once merry
Capital became one vast hospital o.
I the great camps, and almost every
6reside had its s'svacant chair. "
So, BY the trying winter Of 1868
formal entertaining in Richmond wa'
almost a. thing Of 1.-The past. Every
house was OPEN ss& Its doors fell bacl
of themselves TO the open sesame o.
S. our boys, but the strain to provide
;shome necessities, with the added ON
! nipresent one Of feeding the sick, pu'
an automatic negative on every sug
gestion Of entertainment. Still the
people were far from hopeless ; were
bnoyant indeed to near the very end
j and the younger element, both in the
i army and in society, were ever fun
hungry, and ready for every plan anc
project Of amusement.
Out Of this demand, met by necessi
tvs negative, sprang what were known
as starvation parties. . At these
beautiful and accomplished women
and not always only the giddy girls
met and danced and firted to theil
7hearts content with "those poor boys
who deserved to be amused" In the
winter asiesta,' : when tired nature
stopped nine months of killing BY
making roads impossible with muc
and snow, this elastic descriptive lis
j covered all grades. The beardles'
!. private, longing for his first mustache
!. was as much hero to young woman
hood as was the corps commander
r;+b wrooth- -c;rcled stars upon hi