70 Ten Years of my Life. 



to be liberal. They always gave with pleasure and witn full 

 hands, and wherever there was' want it was not their fault, but 

 that of those persons who were too lazy or indifferent to ask. 

 Very often, when the provisions of the Government failed by 

 some accident, these commissions opened their stores for the 

 needy heaithy soldiers, and when we were in Alabama, cut off 

 by the enemy from all communications, we were literally sup- 

 ported by them. We had fine potted victuals of every kind 

 coming from thousands of miles. I still remember our aston- 

 ishment on opening in Alabama a tin box containing the most 

 delicious asparagus, preserved in Brunswick, in Germany. 



The agents of these commissions did not wear fine uniforms, 

 nor live in sumptuous quarters, nor drink claret and cham- 

 pagne ; they did not inspect the hospitals with glass in eye, 

 and perfumed handkerchief to nose ; though mostly gentlemen 

 used to all the luxuries of life, they had no other thought but 

 how best to fulfil their voluntary duty, and often I saw them 

 with their own hands, accustomed to the finest kid-gloves, car- 

 rying boxes and bales like common workmen. They did not 

 do so in hope of promotion or gain, or of a decoration ; their 

 names were scarcely known, and if known soon forgotton ; but 

 seeing all this, I learnt to love and respect the Americans. 



In mentioning this I will not infer that we had no good and 

 self-sacrificing men to assist us in our duty in the French war, 

 and I shall do justice to them at their proper place, but not 

 forget those gorgeous drones who were j^tigmatised by the 

 nickname of Battle Loafers. 



The American people were never satisfied of having done 

 enough, and all possible means were employed in collecting 

 money. Great sanitary fairs were held in all great cities ; mer- 

 chants and manufacturers sent in their gifts, some ladies their 

 work, and other ladies attended to the sale of these articles, 

 which were paid for extravagantly, and for weeks these fairs 

 were crowded to excess by visitors. One fair in New York, 

 lasting for about five weeks, brought about five millions of 

 dollars, and comparatively small Washington contributed one 

 million and a half 



The Government, in justice to this spirit, showed themselves 

 not less liberal and careful. Though bound by duty to save 

 as much money as was possible, it was never done at the ex- 

 pense of the soldiers, and especially not at that of those wl)o 



