A Camp Dance in the 4^th Texas

The following passage appears in The Confederate Capital and Hood's Texas Brigade, the memoirs of Mrs. A. V. Winkler, wartime wife of Lt. Col. C. M. Winkler of the 4th Texas. Perhaps this contains some possibilities for solving the age-old "ladies in camp" issue so vexing to reenactors.

One evening [in September, 1864] Major Burns, commissary of the [Texas] brigade, called with a request that I should act as chaperon for a dozen young ladies who were coming down to visit the camp of the Texas brigade. They would spend the day, have a dance, with music by the bands, and take dinner. As they were all strangers, mostly refugees from Washington, Maryland, and invaded districts of Virginia, I hesitated about accepting, but being assured they would not come unless some married lady was present, and knowing how few were the soldiers' chances for sociability, I consented to attend.

The 28th of September was one of those charming days in early autumn, when all nature seems in unison -- warm enough to be pleasant, yet not oppressed by the heat of summer.

About 9 o'clock an ambulance was waiting to convey us to headquarters. Everything was "swept and garnished" for the occasion; a large fly-tent was stretched over a sanded floor of plank laid down loosely; the table was set under another, while another was specially prepared to accommodate the ladies. The soldiers invited to be present were on hand, dressed in their best, looking as cheerful and bright as possible at this variation to the monotonous life of camp.

At 10 o'clock the boat reached the landing on the river, in sight, bringing the gay crowd of girls, accompanied by two escorts sent up to Richmond to attend them. When introduced to their chaperon, they were much amused to find I was not old enough to wear mob cap and spectacles, but were not adverse to finding the lady as young as themselves who was to give propriety to the occasion, and promised to be very obedient to every suggestion I might make. Thus mutually pleased, began a day they all seemed to enjoy very much, dancing under the large tent, with music by string and brass band, conversing, resting on seats made quite comfortable, and partaking of the dinner, where I sat, at the head of the table, and played hostess. The whole country had been scoured to provide the edibles of vegetables and chicken menu, without any kind of dessert, as sweets had long before been relegated to things of the past on the best tables in the land.

At 5 o'clock the boat arrived, and they returned to the city, expressing their pleasure and enjoyment of the occasion.