I thought you would find this a hoot. Visiting my father I found a hard cover of Ballou's Monthly. Interesting reading.

The work published at the South, entitled The Land we Love, has this anecdote: While A.P. Hill's division was tearing up the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in the fall of 1862 Lane's brigade of that division was ordered further north than the other brigades, where a live 'reb' was a curiosity. A this time the quartermaster had not procured new clothing to take the place of the worn, tattered and ragged relics of the campaign in the 'My Maryland,' and we were rather ragamuffins, that's a fact. Tearing up railroads is not a very pleasant business, and we had enjoyed about twenty-four hours, when Captain K went to a house to get something cooked, and got into quite an interesting conversation with the good lady of the house:

Old Lady - You is an officer, isn't you?

Captain K - Yes madam, I am a captain in the Seventh North Carolina infantry.

Old Lady - Thar, now Betsy Ann, I told you he was an officer. I kin tell an officer whenever I lays my two eyes on 'em. The officers they have the seate of their breeches patched, and the common soldiers doesn't.

Ballou's Monthly Magazine Volumne XXVIII, July to December, 1868. Pg. 99