The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-25
SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF
 CONFEDERATE CAMP LIFE
BY W. R. H oUeHToN.


 fire next morning, they were soon live ly as ever. Nothing but fire and boiling water could kill them. The boys declared that they had T. F. "" which meant Tin for the war" inscribed on their backs which did bear some marks. The amount of fine underwear infested by these pests given to the flames at Yorktown, would stock a gents furnishing store, but 1t was of no avail, for like the poor, they were always with the soldiers in camp.
 For the first year each company wore It's own uniform, and some were of fine material, but now the factory jeans, the famous confederate grey, became neces- sity, and our fine jackets were exchanged l for long tailed frocks. We forgot these l long tails when standing near the fire and most of them got scorched, so that 1 we had forked-tail coats, and learning wisdom by this experience mostly wore 1 jackets afterwards. Sometimes the gov ernment would get a supply by blockade runners of fine English cloth and we would get good uniforms, almost too blue. l remember Jenkins, S. C., brigade clad in these new uniforms, created a sersa- tfon when 1t appeared in Bragg's army in 1863, so blue did they appear in the dis lance and some of our scouts lost their lives by mistaken pickets. The writer was fired upon by his own friends more than once whilst trying to enter the picket line.
 Salt was always scarce after the first year. Each man treasured a little in n box tied up in rag in his haVersacb. but in damp weather, 1t frequently lost It's savor, as well as its substances I have tried gun powder as substitute, but do not approve of it.
 Cooking utensils were plentiful at first. After time we were reduced to an oven and frying pan for each mess, and later to skillet for each company. When the wagon dove up. each company had man to claim it's skillet some being mark ed with file, and frequently disputes as to ownership occurred. Some men would tie frying pan or skillet to his knapp sack, hence the famous expression, tote his own skillet so well known in one Alabama district. Halted for the night in a rain in the wet woocs, one would won- der how he could light fire. Soon a little glimmer appeared. when some man had obtained little dried inner bark ef O dead tree, cedar twigs or dry leaves or piece of newspaper, the little flame was carefully fed with pieces of dead twigs until it became fire, then hun dred hands bore away little torches of ''6" eO HNNpili1 tbc JiItlll Ol Ol1eT camp fires. Some would gather wood for the night, some take the canteens and get water, and with the cheerful blaze, would arise the shouts of laughter and the hum or conversation The meal, if we had any, being over, the old campalgner would bathe his feet in cold water rub the bot toms with talow if he could get it, and toast them before the fire in order to harden them for the next days tramp. Then if 1t still rained, blankets oil cloths, or little tent flies captured from the foe were stretched over poles, and the mes would crawl under them and sleep bet ter than the inmates of palaces. l have seen men who had lost their blankets sleeping on logs or fence rails by the lire, whilst snow was falling Two men usually slept together, thus having Il blanket under. and one over them. When ones comrade was Skilled or vert cn picket, the other had to fare as best he could. The night before we charged Fort sanders at Knoxville, was bitterly cold, and snow driven by Q fierce wind fell at intervals. As we lay on the side of the rocky hill facing the fort, the shells fell among the rocks and made ,als ,wak eful Just before day, l saw the ca ptafn and first lieutenatn of the next company fight ing. l ran down, and assisted by main force in separating them, but could not learn the cause of the quarrel until we formed the line about day break. when l was informed it was for pulling cover'' that is. the fellow on the winward side was angry because the other fellow got too much cover. Both these men were. and are yet, excellent gentlemen, and one lost leg in battle. In an hour after this little fracas. we had charged Fort San- ders and Longstreet lost 21S dead in the unavailng assault
 Whilst on the sea coast or camped near large streams our facilities for bath ing were good, but often the men had no means of getting a good bath 1 have cut through lee four inches thick with an axe and bathed in Cub Run, and while in the trenches at Petersburg under in- cessant fire night and day, the only water we used came at night in canteens from a spring reached by a deep ditch The spring still gushes forth its pure water. remembered only because 1t quenched our thirst and laved our faces and hands for It was used for no other purpose On our last retreat, for five days, many of HIS never bathed our faces. We waded streams, but like Gideon's band, we never stopped and after the surrender, I gave the last money l had in the world, to a federal for some soft soap he had taken from some farm house.
 Our laundry work was of the rudest. We had sixteen negro cooks in our com pany until rations got too scarce to divide With so many, and they were reduced to three. On forced marches these were sometimes captured, but always escaped and returned to us We paid them to wash our clothes, but when they were ab- sent. we had to do 1t ourselves Only twice did l attempt the job. l waded out to the middle of Q swift creek rubbed and dipped and finally beat the clothing wit h rock. but was failure as a laundrv- man. In preference I wore wooden un- derclothirg even in summer as many laborers do. and am not. convinced that 1t Is not as cool and healthy as cotton or linen. Few men and officers had an entire change of clothing or anything but a change of underclothes. Knapsacks were abandoned by all but few and the extra clothes were wrapped In blanket this was rolled up, the ends tied together and worn over the shoulder. On forced march, es and desperate charges these were laid aside and often lost. have seen thous- and Of federal knapsacks in line as their owners fled. The federal government fur nished them with a rev supply. ours could not.
 Gro Be Continued)
 
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