Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-10

about to face the stern reality of an angry
1nternecine war. But many of the com
panies fought to the end in the fantastic
garb.
Colonel John McElroy, author of "Anier-
sonville,' a story of southern prisons, give
a graphic description of the uniforms worn
by some of the men captured in 1863.
But few new prisoners We're coming in,
and none of these were from Sherman" he
says. However, toward the last of Sep
TENDER, a handful of fresh fish were
turned inside, whom our experienced eyes
instantly told us were western boys.
Easily Distinguished.
There was never any difficulty in telling,
as far as he could be seen, whether boy
belonged to the east or the west. First no
one from the Army of the Potomac was
ever without his corps badge worn con-
spicuousy; it was rare to see such a thing
on one of Shermans men. Then there was
a dressy air about the Army of the Poto
mac that was wholly wanting in the soldiers
serving west of the Alleghanies. The Army
of the Potomac was always near to it's base
of supplies, always had its stores accossi-
bic, and the care of the clothing and equip
ments of the men was an essential part OF
Its discipline. A ragged ability dressed
man was a rarity. Dress coats paper col
lars. fresh wooden Shirts neat-titting PAN
falcons, good comfortable shoes, and trim
caps or hats, with all the blazing brass of
company letters an inch long, regimental
number, bugle and eagle according to the
regulations, We're as common to eastern
boys as they were rare among the western
ers
The latter usually wore blouses instead
of dress coats. and as a rule their clothing
had not been renewed since the opening of
the campaign-and it showed this. Those
who wore good boots or shoes generally had
to submit to forcible exchanges by their
firm of hnn1 d
gear The rebels were badly off in regard
to hats. They did not have skill and inge-
nuity enough to make these out of felt or
straw, and the makeshfts they contrived
of quilted calico and long-leaved pine were
ugly enough to brighten horned cattle.
Il never blamed them much for wanting
to get rid of these, even if they did have to
commit a sort of highway robbery upon de-
fenseless prisoners to do so. To be a traitor
in arms was bad certainly, but one never
appreciated the entire magnitude of the
crime until he saw rebel wearing a calico
a pine-leaf hat. Then one felt if 1t
would be great mistake to ever show such
man mercy.
Of Yankee Manufacture
1.-The Army of Northern Virginia seemed
to have supplied themselves with headgear
of Yankee manufacture of previous years,
and they then quit taking the hats of their
prisoners. Johnston's army did not have
to the end of the war.
Another thing about the Army of the
Potomac was the variety of the uniforms
There were members of zouave regiments
wearing baggy breeches of various hues
CATERS, crimson feZes and profusely braided
jackets.
THE 4Sth New Workers who came
in were a set of chaps so odd in every
way as to be source of r-failing in
terest. The name of their regiment was
L'Enfants Perdu (the Lost Children, which
we AngliciZed into THE Lost Ducks" It
was believed that every nation in Europe
was represented in their ranks, and it used
to be said jocularly that no two of them
spoke the same language. AS near as
could find out they were ALL or nearly all,
south Europeans Italians, Spaniards, Por-
tuguese, Levantines, with a predominance
of the French element. They wore little
cap with upturned brim. and a strap
resting on the chin, a coat with funny little
tails about two inches long and brass
chain across the breast, and for pantaloons
they had a sort of petticoat reaching to the
knees and sewed together down the middle.
They were just as singular otherwise as in
their looks, speech and uniform. On one
occasion the whole mob of US went over in
a mass to their squad to see them cook and
eat large water snake which two OF them
had succeeded in capturing in the swamps
and carried off to their mess, jabbering In
high glee over their treasure trove. Any of
us were ready to eat a piece of dog. cat.
horse mule, If could get it, but, it
was generally agreed, as Dawson Of my
company expressed it, that Nobody but one