Towards evening, a soldier came for orders for beef, and I learned how to manage that.

I was told that we bought our meats direct from the contractor; I had to state how much and what cuts I wished.

Another soldier came to bring us milk, and I asked Jack who was the milkman, and he said, blessed if he knew; I learned, afterwards, that the soldiers roped some of the wild Texas cows that were kept in one of the Government corrals, and tied them securely to keep them from kicking; then milked them, and the milk was divided up among the officers' families, according to rank.

We received about a pint every night.

I declared it was not enough; but I soon discovered that however much education, position and money might count in civil life, rank seemed to be the one and only thing in the army, and Jack had not much of that just then.
The question of getting settled comfortably still worried me, and after a day of two, I went over to see what Mrs.Bailey had done.