which would
seem, to a European officer, for instance, ruinous. It was no uncommon
sight to see a brigade or division, which was but a moment before
marching in solid column along the road, scattered over an immense field
searching for the luscious blackberries. And it was wonderful to see how
promptly and cheerfully all returned to the ranks when the field was
gleaned. In the fall of the year a persimmon tree on the roadside would
halt a column and detain it till the last persimmon disappeared.

The sutler's wagon, loaded with luxuries, which was so common in the
Federal army, was unknown in the Army of Northern Virginia, for two
reasons: the men had no money to buy sutlers' stores, and the country no
men to spare for sutlers. The nearest approach to the sutler's wagon was
the "cider cart" of some old darkey, or a basket of pies and cakes
displayed on the roadside for sale.

The Confederate soldier relied greatly upon the abundant supplies of
eatables which the enemy was kind enough to bring him, and he cheerfully
risked his life for the accomplishment of the twofold purpose of
whipping the enemy and getting what he called "a square meal." After a
battle there was general feasting on the Confederate side. Good things,
scarcely ever seen at other times, filled the haversacks and the
stomachs of the "Boys in Gray." Imagine the feelings of men half
famished when they rush into a camp at one side, while the enemy flees
from the other, and find the coffee on the fire, sugar at hand ready to
be dropped into the coffee, bread in the oven, crackers by the box, fine
beef ready cooked, desiccated vegetables by the bushel, canned peaches,
lobsters, tomatoes, milk, barrels of ground and roasted coffee, soda,
salt, and in short everything a hungry soldier craves. Then add the
liquors, wines, cigars, and tobacco found in the tents of the officers
and the wagons of the sutlers, and, remembering the condition of the
victorious party, hungry, thirsty, and weary, say if it did not require
wonderful devotion to duty, and great self-denial to push on, trampling
under foot the plunder of the camp, and pursue the enemy till the sun
went down.

When it was allowable to halt, what a glorious time it was! Men, who a
moment before would have been delighted with a pone of cornbread and a
piece of fat meat, discuss the comparative merits of peaches and milk
and fresh tomatoes, lobster and roast beef, and, forgetting the
briar-root pipe, faith