. Down in Dixie : life in a cavalry regiment in the war days, from the Wilderness to Appomattox . be sure,soldiers were not such curiosities at that time as theyhad been at the beginning of the war, but when ourboy came home, the entire family and all the commu-nity turned out to give him a hearty welcome. Thegirls, as was natural, took a shine to the boy in blue,and the village lads goodnaturedly accepted the situa- 43^ DOWN IN DIXIE. 439 tion, and smiled when jilted by their sweethearts,knowing very well that in a few days the soldier wouldreturn to his regiment, and the maidens to their fir
. Down in Dixie : life in a cavalry regiment in the war days, from the Wilderness to Appomattox . be sure,soldiers were not such curiosities at that time as theyhad been at the beginning of the war, but when ourboy came home, the entire family and all the commu-nity turned out to give him a hearty welcome. Thegirls, as was natural, took a shine to the boy in blue,and the village lads goodnaturedly accepted the situa- 43^ DOWN IN DIXIE. 439 tion, and smiled when jilted by their sweethearts,knowing very well that in a few days the soldier wouldreturn to his regiment, and the maidens to their firstlove. Boys, do youremember themake-up of thegirl of the periodduring the war ?Sh ort-waisteddresses withenormous hoop-skirts, anywherefro m ten tothirty feet in cir-cumference, ac-cording to thetaste of the fairdamsels, whoseheads, arms andshoulders pro-truded from this balloon-looking arrangement. A lady in full dress —the larger the hoops, the fuller the dress —could notgo through the door of any ordinary building withoutseizing her hoops in her hands, and skewing them upto one THE GIRL OF THE WAR PERIOD. 440 DOWN IN DIXIE. I have before me as I write pictures from theillustrated papers, showing costumes of the ladies whoattended the inauguration ball in honor of PresidentLincoln at Washington, March 4, 1861. Special picturesare given of Miss Carrie Bean, Miss White of Washing-ton, Miss Rose Cowan, Mrs. Col. Yates, Mrs. DrakeMills and others. Some of the dresses had from five to ten charming ladies represented were dressed to per-fection in those days. And such hoops ! The ladies all wore their hair combed down overtheir ears, and caught in a net or roll behind. Anotherfull-page picture of Miss Harriet Lane, presiding ladyof the White House in i860, gives a fair representationof the prevailing style of dress at that time. • But I only call up the subject to jog the memoriesof the boys, who will join me in a hearty laugh, I know,as they recall their
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