A better question might be “What did the Yankees at Shiloh think of chiggers?”.
LOL!!
A relative has a letter from southern Missouri state militia ancestors during the guerilla warfare that plagued the state - it recounts them sneaking back to the woods near home from time to time to see their wives and get a meal and clean clothes. The women would not let them come to the house, not just because of the risk people might observe them, but because after living in the field they and their clothing were full of lice and vermin. The women would meet them in the woods as if they had gone to gather herbs, etc., or would leave bags or baskets of supplies.