robe, before these soldiers, without getting off your
horse?" asked the colonel, looking at me.

I told him I could and he told me to proceed. I pulled the hat and hair
off first and appeared with my red hair clipped short. I then I threw
the dress over my head, and appeared in my cavalry pants, all dressed,
except my jacket and cap, which the colonel handed me, having brought it
from the house where I put on the dress. I put on the jacket, wiped the
powder off my face, and the corporal said:

"It's that condemned raw recruit."

All the boys took in the transformation scene, and then the colonel told
them that he wanted this to be a lesson to all of them, to let all women
who came to the picket posts, or anywhere, who had passes, alone, and
not think because one woman had been caught smuggling, that all
women were smugglers. In fact he wanted every soldier to mind his own
business. Then he dismissed us, and we went to our quarters. On the way,
the one-eyed corporal touched me on the arm, and he said:

"Old man, you played it fine on me, but I will get even with you yet."

CHAPTER XIV.

Military Attire--My Suit of Government Clothes--The Memory
of Them Saddens Me Still--The Dreadful March--The Adjutant
Appoints Me to Make Out a Monthly Report--The Report Is an
Astonishing One.

About this time I received the greatest shock of the whole war. I had
prided myself upon my uniform that I brought from home, which was made
by a tailor, and fit me first rate. It was of as good cloth and as well
made as the uniforms of any of the officers, and I was not ashamed to go
out with a party of officers on a little evening tear, because there was
nothing about my uniform to distinguish me from an officer, except the
shoulder-straps, and many officers did not wear shoulder-straps at all,
except on dress parade or inspection. I took great pleasure in riding
around town, wherever the regiment was located, looking wise, and posing
as an officer. But the time came when my uniform, which came with me as
a recruit, became seedy, and badly worn, and it was necessary to discard
it, and draw some clothing of the quartermaster. That is a trying time
for a recruit. One day it was announced that the quartermaster sergeant
had received a quantity of clothing, and the men were ordered to go and
draw coats, pants, hats, shoes, overcoats, and underclothing, as
winter was coming on, and the regiment was liable to move at a