Page 137 - Arkansas Confederate Women

118 Confederate Women of Arkansas

by and see a woman imposed on." They said, "Oh, we didn't

want to have anything to do with it."

My mother was originally Mary Scanlan and lived with

Col. J. A. Lindsay from childhood (as her parents died when
she was small), until 1858, when she married Clay Robinson.
In 1869 she married Dr. B. F. Austin, who was Captain of Co.
G. in Freeman's old regiment. She died April 8, 1902.

JOHN WISE AND HIS BIG CLOTHES.

The spectacle presented at the social gatherings, particu-
larly the starvation parties, was picturesque in the extreme.
The ladies often took down the damask and other curtains and

made dresses of them. My friend, Hon. John S. Wise, form-
erly of Virginia, now of New York, tells the following story of
himself : He was serving in front of Richmond and was invited

to come into the city to attend a starvation party. Having no
coat of his own fit to wear, he borrowed one from a brother offi-
cer nearly twice his height. The sleeves of his coat covered his
hands entirely, the skirt came below his knees several inches,
and the buttons in the back were down on his legs. So attired,
Captain Wise went to the party. His first partner in the dance
was a young lady of Eiehmond belonging to one of its best fam-
ilies. She was attired in the dress of her great-grandmother,
and a part of this dress was a stomacher very suggestive in its
proportions. Captain Wise relates with exquisite humor that
the sight presented by himself and his partner was so ridiculous
that he burst out laughng; and his partner turned and looked
at him angrily, left his side and never spoke to him again.