when this dashing young
officer was clad in his Confederate gray, he stood second to none in
the army in the way of "fine looking." New officers did not always
"throw off the old and on with the new" as soon as a new uniform
was bought, but kept the new one, for a while at least, for "State
occasions." These "occasions" consisted in visiting the towns and
cities near camp or in transit from one army to another. An officer
clad in a new uniform on ordinary occasions, when other soldiers were
only in their "fighting garments," looked as much out of place as the
stranger did at the wedding feast "without the wedding garments." But
the day of our departure from Richmond Captain Nance rigged himself
out in the pomp and regulations of war, his bright new buttons
flashing in the sunlight, his crimson sash tied naughtily around his
waist, his sword dangling at his side, he looked the "beheld of all
beholders" as the troops marched with a light and steady step along
the stone-paved streets of Richmond. He had married a year or so
before the beautiful and accomplished sister of our lamented Colonel,
and had telegraphed her to meet him at Columbia on our arrival. He
dared not trust these innoculate garments to the dirty and besmeared
walls of a box car so he discarded the new on our entrance to the
train and dressed in his old as a traveling suit. All the way during
our trip he teased his brother officers and twitted them with being so
"shabbily dressed," while he would be such a "beaw ideal" in his new
uniform when he met his wife. He had never met his wife since his
honeymoon a year before, and then only with a twenty-one days'
furlough, so it can be well imagined with what anticipations he
looked forward to the meeting of his wife. He was so happy in
his expectations that all seemed to take on some of his pleasant
surroundings, and shared with him his delight in the expected meeting
of his young wife. He would look out of the car door and hail a
comrade in the next car with, "Watch me when we reach Columbia, will
you," while the comrade would send back a lot of good-natured railery.
It was an undisputed fact, that Captain Nance was a great favorite
among officers and men, and while all were giving him a friendly
badgering, everyone was glad to see him in such a happy mood. He had
given his new suit in charge of his body servant, Jess, with special
injunction to guard it with his life. Now Jess was devoted to his
master, and wa