winter, but they grew
scarcer and scarcer; they were found to be a great inconvenience. The
men came to the conclusion that the trouble of carrying them on hot days
outweighed the comfort of having them when the cold day arrived. Besides
they found that life in the open air hardened them to such an extent
that changes in the temperature were not felt to any degree. Some clung
to their overcoats to the last, but the majority got tired lugging them
around, and either discarded them altogether, or trusted to capturing
one about the time it would be needed. Nearly every overcoat in the army
in the latter years was one of Uncle Sam's captured from his boys.

The knapsack vanished early in the struggle. It was inconvenient to
"change" the underwear too often, and the disposition not to change
grew, as the knapsack was found to gall the back and shoulders, and
weary the man before half the march was accomplished. The better way was
to dress out and out, and wear that outfit until the enemy's knapsacks,
or the folks at home supplied a change. Certainly it did not pay to
carry around clean clothes while waiting for the time to use them.

Very little washing was done, as a matter of course. Clothes once given
up were parted with forever. There were good reasons for this: cold
water would not cleanse them or destroy the vermin, and hot water was
not always to be had. One blanket to each man was found to be as much as
could be carried, and amply sufficient for the severest weather. This
was carried generally by rolling it lengthwise, with the rubber cloth
outside, tying the ends of the roll together, and throwing the loop thus
made over the left shoulder with the ends fastened together hanging
under the right arm.

The haversack held its own to the last, and was found practical and
useful. It very seldom, however, contained rations, but was used to
carry all the articles generally carried in the knapsack; of course the
stock was small. Somehow or other, many men managed to do without the
haversack, and carried absolutely nothing but what they wore and had in
their pockets.

The infantry threw away their heavy cap boxes and cartridge boxes, and
carried their caps and cartridges in their pockets. Canteens were very
useful at times, but they were as a general thing discarded. They were
not much used to carry water, but were found useful when the men were
driven to the necessity of foraging, for conveying buttermilk, cider,
sorghum