They had a quarter of a pound of rancid "Nassau bacon"--from New
England--for daily rations of meat. The handful of flour, or corn-meal,
which they received, was musty. Coffee and sugar were doled out as a
luxury, now and then only; and the microscopic ration became a jest to
those who looked at it. A little "grease" and cornbread--the grease
rancid, and the bread musty--these were the food of the army.
Their clothes, blankets, and shoes were no better--even worse. Only at
long intervals could the Government issue new ones to them. Thus the
army was in tatters. The old clothes hung on the men like scarecrows.
Their gray jackets were in rags, and did not keep out the chilly wind
sweeping over the frozen fields. Their old blankets were in shreds, and
gave them little warmth when they wrapped themselves up in them,
shivering in the long cold nights. The old shoes, patched and yawning,
had served in many a march and battle--and now allowed the naked sole
to touch the hard and frosty ground.
Happy the man with a new blanket! Proud the possessor of a whole
roundabout! What millionaire or favorite child of fortune passes
yonder--the owner of an unpatched pair of shoes?
Such were the rations and clothing of the army at that epoch;--rancid
grease, musty meal, tattered jackets, and worn-out shoes.
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