"The women are all stone-faced."

Tuesday, September 9, 1862, Frederick, Maryland

We have spent several days at this place and the reaction of everyone is a mixed one. We saw few faces when we marched into town. Most of those we saw had expressions of curiosity. There were few who looked at us approvingly. We have seen a few Confederate flags and all have been small ones. The women are all stone-faced. The young girls point at us and giggle. If we were expecting to be met as liberators, those who we thought we were liberating would rather we were on the Moon. 

Even so, our stay here has not been unplesant. Frederick is well-appointed with all types of shops and it will be some time before they forget their newest customers.  General Lee had issued strict, strict orders that the army was not to seize private property by impressment or any means other than payment. There are two types of payment, the first being Confederate paper money and the other being payment certificates, issued by our government which were like promises to pay after the war was over.

Some shopkeepers took our paper money either as a curiosity or out of fear that we would wreck the shop otherwise. Others flat refused to sell anything. We had to try to acquire something even though we had been well-supplied at Manassas Junction courtesy of Uncle Abe. We all suffered in various degrees for want of something. We "Dandy Eights" split ourselves into two parties for purposes of legal foraging. 

We entered one shop and before we could make our manners, a large elephant of a woman speaking something we took to be Dutch, chased us out with a broom. We fared a bit better in the second shop where Castles found a new pair of shoes and Hancock purchased a new hat and two tins of sardines. Duncan found six pair of socks and bought every one. I found nothing.

On our way to the third shop, we were approached by three young ladies not older that fifteen. They asked us for some of our buttons as momentos of our visit. We gave each one of them one from each one of us. They wished us well and went on leaving us short by a dozen buttons. At the third shop, the buttons were all replaced although the cost was a full five dollars. Each one of us were able to buy a new shirt. Castles and I bought two each. Hancock found a red vest with a black velvet collar. We tried to talk him out of buying such an impractical item of clothing but he had to have it. Duncan bought a top hat and looked the fop.

We should have gone looking for victuals first but we did not. As a consequense, other famished rebels had already cleaned out most of the foodstuffs. We were determined to get fed and well-so. On main street was a butcher and a bakery sitting aside one another. Castles and Duncan went to the butcher while Hancock and I visited the bakery. When we entered the bakery, I thought that surely this must be how it smells in Heaven. To smell that again would be worth a bayonet charge against a cannon. The bakery owner was a Southern sympathizer and gave us a warm welcome. We walked out with a dozen loaves of fresh bread and two small crocks of butter one of which was apple butter.

We met the other two on the sidewalk. They were empty of hand and hard of words for the butcher. He had told them that previous ragged rebels had bought everything he had and even if he had anything, he would not accept filthy rebel money. I thought how could he have sold anything if he would not accept Confederate money. It did not sound right so I told Castles and Duncan to mind the bread and butter while Hancock and I tried our luck. We emerged some few minutes later with three rabbits, a small turkey and four hams. Our money he would not accept but a Federal five dollar gold piece he would. It was some of my now diminishing savings from when I closed by bank account in Beaufort prior to leaving for Columbia to join the army. 

We met the other party from the Eights back in camp. The others had done rather well. Each now had a new blanket and one also for Duncan who had thrown his away on the march from Manassas. Crenshaw had two dozen eggs. All the victuals were cooked and entirely consumed in one sitting. We are now sick. It is a very good thing that none of us have to do guard duty tonight. I got too close to the campfire and singed my trousers. Tomorrow, if I am able to do so, I will shopping for trousers. And more victuals.