Babes in the Woods

[PogueMahone]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Mrs. Peebles,

I can assure you that any ungracious comments made by you in our direction would have been met with the mocking sound of mules braying. We didn't care. These women possessed something other than hardtack and bacon and we wanted it.

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Babes in the Woods

You want to know what's really irritating about this? About five minutes before those jackanape blackguard poltroon federals arrived at our camp, we three ladies had just discovered that Col. Aufmuth had apparently penned precisely the same letter to each of us, only varying his compliments with the hair color of the lady in question. He enclosed a copy of his carte de visite for each lady and ended each letter with a verse from I Am Just A Ladies Man. We were talking over what we should do about this situation when the federals boiled up into the camp. So not only did he deceive us in his intentions, he managed to get us in trouble with you terrible fellows.

I'm just really curious about one thing -- why didn't you confiscate that long list of those 81st IL names that was right at the top of the document box? I was completely bewildered when I got back to our ransacked camp & discovered that that list was still there untouched, along with all our federal money and stamps.

BTW, if any of you has our candles, I wouldn't really mind getting a few of them back. Some of those were hand poured beeswax. Just a thought. No big deal either way, though.

[Rob Murray]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Miss Siddali, I did find the list of the 81st as well as I believe the CS and civilian participants. As they were a computer print out they did not see the light of day. There were other things I saw that I will not mention either. The federal money and stamps I found as well. I am an officer and a gentleman. I am not a thief.:D

[Cottoncarder]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Now, now Miss Silvanna had you been with the rest of us you would not have endoured this misfortune. Protection is afforded in groups. Had you come in when called, you would have been a part of the core and most important happenings at the hovel. I'm sure a it was a lesson hard learned. You would have had the benefit of the whole of us and protection from the Yanks and the wild life.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Babes in the Woods

I'm sure a it was a lesson hard learned. You would have had the benefit of the whole of us and protection from the Yanks and the wild life.

Why, yes, I can certainly attest to the "protection" offered by the civilians, for at no time were the stragglers from Co. C, 77th Illinois Infantry ever endangered by roving bands of yanks, rebs, ticks, Desoto's pigs, or mosquitoes. We felt fully protected the entire time, with the operative word being "full." At one point we were feeling outflanked by a swarm of sausage, soft bread, and cheese, but they were handled roughly and we retired back to our stand of arms in good order. Burp. :)

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Innocent folks did have their belongings taken by one side or another, and having lived through that experience, the "outpost" ladies have a very personal layer to add to future representations of that experience, just as those administering the soldier's rest have that layer.

[Campjacksonboy]

Re: Babes in the Woods

I've been out of town and am just getting back into the swing of things.
Perhaps to answer Mr. Hicks question (although a week late). My intentions were completely honorable and I have no need to pay anyone off.
Nor did any of these ladies do anything dishonorable.
As hard as these ladies worked to write letters before hand I felt it proper to reciprocate their efforts (How many letters did you write?). I got to listen to Missa Silvana talk about how she was writing those letters for months and she even kidnapped my wife and enlisted her help to write a few letters in French for the European lads.
Then she broke into my house and started throwing my furniture out and told me I had to move two miles away and said I needed to learn some manners. Miss Anna with her lovely BGR cheer kept throwing things at me and calling me names, killed all the chickens, drank all my cherry bounce, stole all my food, killed me, and danced over my grave.

So I found a period letter changed the location, date, and added a few things and figured I'd spice it up with a little drama. After all I knew those ladies would be in the Piney woods left to their own recognisance.

Yeah all the letters were the same but come on!- three ladies, 6 letters, something had to give.

Any detectible creepyness was borrowed from a notherner of the 8th Indiana Infantry. The letters were found in the archives of the Missouri Historical Society.
Hope you enjoyed the letters and now that you have my picture your welcome!
Frank Aufmuth

[Drygoods]

Re: Babes in the Woods

A man professing love to three women all at once??! Scandalous! This just proves it, those Yankees, scamps and rogues the whole lot of 'em!!

heehheheheheheheheh :D :D



I have to confess though that I used to write letters from people of interest to our old group of civilians. One 81 year old man received 3 letters from different soiled doves accepting his proposal of marriage and 1 letter from a house Madame requesting that he never visit the establishment because none of these fallen angels would 'entertain.' This 81 year old man also got letters/bills from dressmakers and lingerie/corsetry shops for amounts of money to pay for these brides' trousseaus. Needless to say, this 81 year old man was thrilled and delighted when he received these daily letters and didn't wait a second to share them with his fellow men with whom he participated his living history! Daily he was the very man at the front of the line waiting to see what the mails would bring. Belive me, you never saw a gentleman who loved all those ugly,dirty looks the good ladies of the town gave him.:D

[Michael Comer]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Actually, Mr. Aufmuth was commander of our Confederate forces. So I guess rogues aren't limited to the Federal side heh?

[DougCooper]

Re: Babes in the Woods

A man professing love to three women all at once??! Scandalous! This just proves it, those Yankees, scamps and rogues the whole lot of 'em!!

heehheheheheheheheh :D :D

We don't let just anybody be the commander of the 15th Texas...Col Aufmuth is an expert at all kinds of tactics

[Anna Allen]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Col. Frank is my hero. *swoon* :D

I did appreciate the letters, even though he wrote the same one to all three of us (changing it slightly for each lady, like the color of our hair etc.) It was pretty lonely out there in the middle of nowhere and those letters cheered me up considerably. Especially when he wrote about the three pounds of crawfish he ate.

And Frank, of course I'd never dance on your grave. Drink all your cherry bounce, yes, but dance on your grave? No, never. ;) And for those of you who don't know, Frank's got some mean dancing skillz. Especially the polka. Man that was fun.

Good times...

[Alamo Guard]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Just wondering if he ever seranaded you ladies with his bugle? I heard he had welded the mouthpiece to it after the Mansfiled March? :D

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Yes. He regaled us with some rousing bugle calls in the car on the way to Louisiana. With the windows closed.

[Ginger Lane]

Re: Babes in the Woods

I got to listen to Missa Silvana talk about how she was writing those letters for months and she even kidnapped my wife and enlisted her help to write a few letters in French for the European lads.
Then she broke into my house and started throwing my furniture out and told me I had to move two miles away and said I needed to learn some manners. Miss Anna with her lovely BGR cheer kept throwing things at me and calling me names, killed all the chickens, drank all my cherry bounce, stole all my food, killed me, and danced over my grave.

Bwahahaha! :D

[DougCooper]

Re: Babes in the Woods

Yes. He regaled us with some rousing bugle calls in the car on the way to Louisiana. With the windows closed.

Cruel and unusual punishment to be sure. Frank has actually greatly improved his bugling, and is quite good, but we were still happier with his whistle at BGR. At Mansfield in 2004 he lost his mouthpiece half way through...

...and there was great rejoicing...:D