Shortly after, I managed to subdue my aversion so far as to take a good shoe which a one-legged dead man had no farther use for, and a little later a comrade gave me for the other foot a boot bottom from which he had cut the top to make a bucket.
...........................
The day of the Presidential election of 1864 approached.

The Rebels were naturally very much interested in the result, as they believed that the election of McClellan meant compromise and cessation of hostilities, while the re-election of Lincoln meant prosecution of the War to the bitter end.

The toadying Raiders, who were perpetually hanging around the gate to get a chance to insinuate themselves into the favor of the Rebel officers, persuaded them that we were all so bitterly hostile to our Government for not exchanging us that if we were allowed to vote we would cast an overwhelming majority in favor of McClellan.
The Rebels thought that this might perhaps be used to advantage as political capital for their friends in the North.

They gave orders that we might, if we chose, hold an election on the same day of the Presidential election.

They sent in some ballot boxes, and we elected Judges of the Election.
About noon of that day Captain Bowes, and a crowd of tightbooted, broad-hatted Rebel officers, strutted in with the peculiar "Ef-yer-don't- b'lieve--I'm-a-butcher-jest-smell-o'-mebutes" swagger characteristic of the class.