Wednesday, 30th.—General Johnston to inspect us in camp. Been hard at work baking cakes since we bought our flour. Made them up with molasses and plenty of soda, with a little vinegar; they humped themselves, and baked very nice and brown; we made the cake-pans out of tin canteen sides, which we made notchy like pie pans, about four inches at the top and two at bottom; could set three in common-sized bake oven. We borrowed two other ovens, so we had three, and could bake nine cakes at one time, and we learned that they would bake in fifteen minutes; so we could bake thirty-six cakes in one hour, and we sold these as fast as we could bake them for $1.00 each. Molasses and vinegar cost us $10.00 per gallon, and soda, $1.00 per pound. But we more than doubled our money. Remember, this was Confederate money, and it was going down so rapidly, that to buy an article and then sell it for double, it was a question whether you made anything or not.
(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)