Tuesday, November 2, 2010

A Loyal Lady’s Description Of Morgan’s Men

“Morgans Command came in about 11 AM Thurs. Sept. 4th. A nasty, dirty looking set they were; wore no uniform but were dressed in grey & butternut jeans or anything else they could pick up, but were not quite so dirty and mean looking as Kirby Smith’s.

They looked like the Tag rag & bobtail of the earth & as if they hadn’t been near water since Fort Sumter fell. They passed along the side street by Mrs. Morgan’s the officers dressed in grey or black and wearing different kind of flat hats & feathers with cockades or streamers, the men in clothes of various colors only being uniform in respect to dirt, none or very few having haversacks or blankets (indeed of both infantry and cavalry very few had knapsacks, blankets or overcoats) & armed with different kind of guns, but decorated like their officers with cockades, streamers, or little flags in their hats. The horses of both officers & men were very fine & were adorned like their riders. They camped in the court house yard (if we can say that of men who have no tents).”

From the diary of Miss Frances Dallam Peter of Lexington, Kentucky

Via Nancy

No comments:

Post a Comment