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old disused pirogue, or dugout, with the front end partly knocked out. It was almost useless, but by loading only in the rear end he found the front would ride high enough to clear the water. He accordingly waited until night, when, under the convenient cover of darkness, he carefully loaded his frail craft with the precious burden, and stripping off, he swam the river in safety to the opposite side, pushing the dugout in front, keeping it properly trimmed.1Supplies were brought into the Trans-Mississippi Department across the Rio Grande, from Mexico, close up to the time of General Richard Taylor's surrender to General Canby. Many petticoats were quilted in the shadow of the dome of the Capitol at Washington and in other Northern cities, worn through the lines by Southern ladies, and relieved of their valuable padding of quinine and morphia in Richmond. While ‘love laughs at locksmiths,’ love of country, inspiring brave hearts and stimulated by dire want, greatly aided in such important work. In addition, on more than one occasion, valuable and greatly needed medical and surgical supplies were captured from the more bountifully supplied Northerners. Dr. J. B. Cowan, medical director of Forrest's cavalry, stated to the writer, that on one of Forrest's raids into western Tennessee, they captured and brought out a large wagon train, in which were three four-mule army wagons loaded with medical supplies, the remainder of which, after supplying his command very bountifully, were forwarded to Atlanta, Georgia. The value of that was estimated by Dr. George S. Blackie, medical purveyor there, to be fully equivalent to what would have cost the department at least one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in gold. Finally, these means and measures were supplemented by a careful economy, and a resort to indigenous resources to be found in our hills and dales, fields and forests, mountains and
