Not a decent shoe in the whole community!

[jandksuttorp]

The following is from "Sarah Morgan; The Civil War Diary Of A Southern Woman"

May 21st (1862, Baton Rouge, LA.)
I have had such a search for shoes this week, that I am disgusted with shopping. I am triumphant now, for after traversing the town in every direction and finding nothing, I finally discovered a pair of boots just made for a little negro to go fishing with, and only an inch and a half too long for me, besides being unbendable; but seized them with avidity, and the little negro would have been outbid if I had not soon after discovered a pair more seemly, if not more serviceable, which I took without further difficulty. Behold my tender feet cased in crocodile skin, patent leather tipped, low quarter Boy's shoes, No. 2! "What a fall was there, my country!" from my pretty English glove kid to sabots made of some animal closely connedted with the hippopotamus! A dernier resort, vraiment, for my choice was that, or cooling my feet on the burning pavement au naturel; I who have such a terror of any one seeing my naked foot! And this is thanks to war and blockade! Not a decent shoe in the whole community! N'Importe! "Better days ar coming, we'll all'-have shoes-after a while- perhaps!

John Eric Suttorp
Laid-off Michigan Mess

[Homespun Ma]

Re: Not a decent shoe in the whole community!

Excerpt from " Marching Through Georgia" by Lee Kennett

A young Georgian confided to his diary : " I ride regularly on horseback to save shoe leather. " A New Orleans woman who spent part of the war years in Georgia recalled that while her shoe size was two and a half, she bought and wore anything she could find up to size five, packing the toes of the shoes with cotton.

Lauren Ehas

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

Re: Not a decent shoe in the whole community!

In "A Blockaded Family" by Parthenia Antoinette Hague she writes about making her own shoes. Although I imagine they were sort of lightweight.

Greg Starbuck

[john duffer]

Re: Not a decent shoe in the whole community!

I think it interesting that Ms Morgan has been educated enough to know French.

[Elaine Kessinger]

Re: Not a decent shoe in the whole community!

Sir- You'll notice she's from Louisiana. That state was settled by and occupied by French long before the Louisiana Purchase added her to the States. (Yes, Spanish first, but his remark was about the French) The local citizenry were very proud of their French heritage, and many were very reluctant to give up that ethinic identity. Also, French in our era was seen as a very fashionable language, most upper-class young ladies were taught French as a second language, and much business with Europeans was done in French. With that in mind, it is not at all suprising that she would switch between English and French easily.

[Collodian Artist Wife]

Re: Not a decent shoe in the whole community!

Even today French expressions are interspersed with English in Cajun country - in mid 19th Century even more so. And shoes are, of course, a moral imperative!
My heart sings at the concept of soft crocodile leather! Hmmmmm.

Vivian Harrington