Journal: "Squirrel Girl"

—May 1, 1863 Camp Near Hamburg, Arkansas

We attend minstrel show and midnight ball, the girls and ladies everywhere— Pine Bluff, Fountain Hill—strew our path with roses, lilacs our bands respond we cheer all. But at Monticello—"Heavenly City"—marching column of fours streamlike, a figure working through crowd with angler's skill steps forth, hands petting a squirrel!—their black eyes baiting, she drops the rodent down blouse crinoline darting frantically bulging momentarily disappearing chattering ricocheting flipping tail no doubt conflummoxed as us, popping up between ample cleavage—she strokes its head, tweaks ears, delivers us marching barefoot in dust.