Richland beacon., 1875-07-10
EIcksburg Herald.
A LOOK BACKWARD.
WALLPAPER Journalism Before
the Surrender-Mule and
Cat Meat.

-"iuHcapollS \Mlin.) News, OF the
10Th inst, which contains the follow
ing remniscence of the days of shot
and shell and believing of the
mortars:
Through the kindness of Mr.. J. Z.
Ray, of this city, we have examined
quite newspaper curiosity. 1t bears
the title of the "Daily Citizen" and
was published in Vicksburg, Thurs
day, July End, 1868. 1t is printed
on the blank side of a small strip of
wall paper, there being four columns
OF reading matter on the sheet. 1t
contains many interesting items, of
which we make extracts.
The editor, Mr.. Swords, acknowl-
edges the receipt Of a mule steak -
as follows:
I'VE are indebted to Major Gill
lespie for steak of Confederate beef,
alias mule meat. We have tried it.,
and can assure our friends that they
need have no scruples at eating the
meat. 1t is sweet, savory and tender,
and so long as we have a mule left,
we are satisfied our soldiers will be
content to- subsist upon it,"
Speaking OF the scarcity Of pro-
visions in the city, of their secretion
and sale to the half-starved citizens,
at exhorbitant prices, the Citizen"
says:
"a rumor has reached us that
parties in our city have been, and
now are, selling flour at five dollars
per pound, molasses at ten dollars a
gallon, and corn at ten dollars per
bushel. We hope this allusion to the
subject will induce some enc to ascer-
tain upon whom rests this eytortion,'
and if so, let brand not only be
placed upon his brow, but let it be
scared into the very brain, that
humanity may scorn and shun them
as they would the portals Of hell it.
self"
The following shows one dinner bill
of fare:
"Poor defunct Thomas was then
prepared, not for the grave, but for
the pot, and several friends invited to
partake of nice rabbit AS
matter Of course, no one would wound
the feelings of another, especially in
these tines, by refusing a cordial
invitation to dinner, and the guests
assisted in consuming the poor animal
with a relish that did honor to their
epicurian taste. The "sold" assure
us that the meat was delicious, and
that henceforth pussy" must look out
far her own safety"
OF Grants boast of occupying the
city on the Fourth of July, the paper
says:
"Grant has expressed his intention
of dining in Vicksburg on Saturday
next, and celebrating the Fourth of
July by grand dinner, and so forth
Ulysses must get into the city before
he dimes in it. The way to cook a
rabbit is first to catch the rabbit
ETC."
But on the morning Of the Fourth
of July the city fell, and the Union
troops were in the city. The "form'
of Thursdays Citizen was still stand
ing, and some Union comp" at the
lower right hand corner inserted the
following and reprinted the edition:
NOTE.
July 4, 1868.
"Two days bring about great
changes. The banner of the Union
floats over Vicksburg. Gen. Grant
has caught the rabbit he has dined
in Vicksburg, and he did bring his
dinner with him. The Citizen lives
to see it. For the last time it ap-
pears on wall paper No more will
it imagine the luxuries of mule meat
and fricassed kitten-urge Southern
warriors to such diet no more. This
is the last wall paper edition, and is,
excepting this note, from the types as
we found them. 1t will be valuable
hereafter as a curiosity"
The extracts above are substantial
ly correct. Maj Gillespie had the
mule mea; 'jerked" by Mexican
experts" belonging to Waul's Texas
Legion, and it was an experiment of
Gen. Carter l.. Stevenson, like that
of the pea bread, and became a lead
ing article of food during the latter
part of the siege. The rumor men,
toned about "extortion" is true,
though some of the ties marked"
then would grow belicose if such a
thing va, in;imat, d now, vet the
proof might be found no farther off
than Monroe. Louisiana. The ex-
tract about the killing of cat is true.
The cat was killed in the yard of MIR.
n. Shannon, one morning about five
o'clock, and the parties to the "de-
iniss" were Marmaduke Shannon, Jr.,
al(eriords killed IN charge At
Sps Fort, near Mobile, and the
Pr&l The venerable Thomas was
frepatsl fcs .able use by a cook be-
lofsiae to one Of the boats sent up
Ya;oo river for safety and Gus Lewis,
servans Of Mr.. Shannon, yet in the
-esty. The rabbit" was made attrac-
uvs ~ rex,ry. and in addition. there
was a'lt's ed1M pea bread, liz leaf
Grsene - N hc,r. Invitations
Srre )knRS6t. Richardson,
xpn. Maj. NJ. 5.