home-made
wine from grapes or blackberry might be set before the caller, but real
coffee or tea, or white sugar was hardly to be had, for love or money.
One night in company with a mess mate we got permission to go to the
city to call on friends. These friends were the family of a commission
merchant, who was a friend of our parents, and included an eldest
daughter who was quite a noted authoress, extremely well read and
learned, and two younger daughters. We found several high officers were
also callers, rigged out in their best uniforms, with their proper
insigma of rank in golden stars and lacing. We were in our new gray
jeans jackets and pants and linsey shirts, lately gotton from home at
Columbus. But that did not make any difference at all. We were
welcomed, introduced all around, entertained on an equality. In fact
one of the higher officers we found to be an old college mate. The
officers from Generals to Captains were of course older than we, who
were each only about twenty years of age, so that naturally they fell
to the older members of the family, while we were entertained by the
younger daughters, who were in their "teens." With back gammon checkers
and cards the evening passed pleasantly. When we boys, who had to foot
it two or three miles, made our adieux, the ladies accompanied us to
the door, asked us to call on them again and the authoress said, as we
were about to leave the door: "I hope you gentlemen will not form an
opinion about the meteorology of Mobile, by what you have seen since
your arrival." My friend said: "Yes, Madam," and we both bade them all
good night. As we walked up the street, my friend said: "Jim, what in
the mischief was that she said? Meteor-meteor, what? "Oh" I said: "She
meant she hoped we would not think they had this sort of weather here,
all the time." "Oh, shucks; I could not make it out."

A few days after, Gen. Maury held a review of his army on Government
Street. We were ordered in. We had in our company, several soldiers,
who had neither coat nor pants. They were down to shirts and drawers,
as nothing had come to them from Tuscaloosa, they being from another
section. Capt. Lumsden sent for them and told them he would not insist
on their going on parade, in that condition, but that if they would, he
did not doubt, that it would result in getting them some clothing. They
decided to go. So, when the parade was formed on Government Street, for
Gen. Maury's inspection, these