Ballard House,
Richmond.—We have taken Richmond, if the Yankees haven't! Yes, we are here; but
had some trouble to get settled. The fashionable mode of living is
room-keeping, and we are strictly in the fashion. And now how nicely comes in
that trunk of provisions my thoughtful papa made me bring, much against my own
wishes. On opening it, we found meal, hominy, flour, a side of bacon, some
coffee, tea, and a quantity of potatoes. They will help us along wonderfully,
as all food products bring a tremendous price in this beleaguered city.
Ernestine went to market this morning and paid $10 for a steak for our
breakfast. At that rate we can only afford to take a savory smell occasionally!
Ernie is simply angelic in spirit—she never loses patience, never gets cross,
never says anything she oughtn't to say, even against the Yankees ! The city is
crowded to suffocation, the streets thronged with soldiers in uniform, officers
gaily caparisoned, and beautiful women, beautifully dressed, though not in the
latest Parisian toilettes. I should say there is no more brilliant capital
among all the nations. Are there great and somber tragedies going on around us?
Is there a war? I thought so before I reached Richmond!
SOURCE: South
Carolina State Committee United Daughters of the Confederacy, South
Carolina Women in the Confederacy, Vol. 1, “A Confederate
Girl's Diary,” p. 277-8