March 24, 1863, Daily Southern Crisis (Jackson, Mississippi)
We learn from the Atlanta Intelligencer that, one day last week, a party of ladies some dozen in number, the wives and daughters of soldiers in the field, were seen parading the streets of that city who represented themselves and their families to have been deprived of anything to eat in the few days previous, save a small portion of corn bread. They proceeded to a store of a Provision Merchant and entered, led by a tall lady whose countenance betrayed care, and who was the spokeswoman of the crowd. She asked the price of bacon. The merchant told her one dollar and ten cents per pound. She remonstrated with him on the exhorbitance of the price and told him how impossible it was for ladies situated as they were to purchase food at such rates. Finding him inexorable, she drew from her bosom a navy revolver and ordered the other women to proceed to help themselves, which they did, carrying off about two hundred dollars’ worth of provisions.
Subsequently a fund was subscribed by the liberal citizens of Atlanta and placed at the disposal of these ladies, but they could not be found.
The Confederacy gives a different version to the story, and says that there were about fifteen or twenty of these hungry females, all decently and some even well-dressed–wearing golden ear-bobs and breast-pins–who went round to various houses in the city and pressed provisions–taking bacon at one place, meal at another, vegetables at another, &c., &c. They did not plead poverty, or pressing want, or solicit donations, or anything of the kind. They had money and were doing government service whereby they could make money. They were only determined not to pay the common prices for provisions.
The Confederacy says they were only following the example previously set them by Governor Brown, but the results were not the same. When the Governor seized provisions, the people submitted to it; but when the ladies aforesaid attempted it, the police was put upon their track and soon dispersed them.