The women and girls helped in every possible manner. Silk dresses
were made into banners, woolen dresses and shawls into soldiers'
shirts--carpets into blankets--curtains, sheets, and all linens, were
made into lint and bandages for the wounded. Soft white fingers knitted
socks, shirts and gloves, to keep the cold from the men in the trenches.
Calico was $10 per yard quite early in the strife. Homespun was made
upon the old colonial wheels and looms that had been kept as souvenirs
and curios. Buttons were obtained from persimmon seeds with holes
pierced for eyes. Women plaited their hats from straw or palmetto leaf,
and used feathers from barnyard fowls.

One mourning dress would be loaned from house to house as disaster came.
Shoes were made of wood, or carriage curtains, buggy tops, saddle tops
or any thing like leather. There were thin iron soles like horse shoes.
They were patched with bits of old silk dresses. For little children
shoes were made from old morocco pocket-books. Flour was $250 per
barrel; meal, $50 a bushel; corn, $40 a bushel; oats, $25; black-eyed
peas, $45; brown sugar, $10; coffee, $12; tea, $35 a pound; French
merino or mohair sold at $800 to $1,000 a yard; cloth cloak, $1000 and
$1500; Balmoral boots, $250 the pair; French gloves, $125 and $150.
The stores came to be opened only on occasions.

Salt was the most difficult of all the necessities. The earth from
old smoke houses was dug up and boiled for the drippings of ham and
bacon--these being crystallized by a primitive process.

Newspapers were printed on coarse half-sheets. Every scrap of blank
paper in old note books, letters or waste was utilized. Wall paper and
pictures were turned for envelopes. Glue from the peach tree gum served