The debris of the forest left a temporary abundance of fuel, and we had already a cheerful fire blazing for every little squad.
There were a number of tobacco presses in the rooms we occupied in Richmond, and to each of these was a quantity of sheets of tin, evidently used to put between the layers of tobacco.

The deft hands of the mechanics among us bent these up into square pans, which were real handy cooking utensils, holding about--a quart.

Water was carried in them from the creek; the meal mixed in them to a dough, or else boiled as mush in the same vessels; the potatoes were boiled; and their final service was to hold a little meal to be carefully browned, and then water boiled upon it, so as to form a feeble imitation of coffee.

I found my education at Jonesville in the art of baking a hoe-cake now came in good play, both for myself and companions.

Taking one of the pieces of tin which had not yet been made into a pan, we spread upon it a layer of dough about a half-inch thick.