The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-07-24
A Look Backward.
WALL PAEER JOURNALISM BEFORE THE
SURRENDER-MCLEA AND CAT MEAT.
fVicksburg Herald


Some ono sends us 3 copy Of the
Minneapolis (llnn.) News, Of the
25th inst, which contains the follow
ing "reminiscences of the day of shot
and shell and believing of the NOR
tars: & ii;
Through the kindness of Mr.. j. P.
Ray, Of this city,. we have examined
quite a'newspaper curiosity. 1t bears
the title of the "Daily Citizen" and
was published in Vicksburg, Thurs
day, July 2ud, 1863. 1t is printed on
the blank side of IA small strip of wall
panar there being four columns of
reading matter on the sheet. 1t con-
tains many interesting items, OF which
We make extracts: r,e..,
The editor, Mr.. Swords, acknowl-
edges the receipt Of a ''mule steak"
as follows: 80 '..'' 3a
"We are indebted to Major Giles
pie 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 mule left,
we are satisfied our soldiers will be
content to subsist upon it," de-"
Speaking of the scarcity of provi-
sions 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 par
ties in our city have been, and nov
are, selling flour at five dollars per
pound, molasses at ten dollars a gall
Ion, and corn at ten dollars per bushel.
We hope this allusion to the subject
will induce some one to ascertain
upon whom rests this cxtortion and
if so, let a brand not only he 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 itself" .,..
The following shows one dinner
bill of fare :: .'f''' '''s+ .'. . ..''
"Poor defunct Thomas was then
prepared, not for the grave, but for
the pot, and several friends invited to
partake Of a nice rabbit" As a
matter Of course, no. one would wound
the feelings iof another, especially in
! these times, by refusing a cordial in
vitation to dinner, and the guests as
sisted in consuming the poor animal
1 with d relish that did honor to their
epicurian taste. The ''sold" assure
us that the meat was delicious, aud
1 that henceforth "pussy" must look
out for her own safety" VIZ
4 ofGrants boast Of occupying the
city on the Fourth of July, the pape,
says:t 5o 2s.' III t',,.
"Grant has expressed his intention
of dining in vicksburg on saturda,
next, and celebrating the Fourth q
July by a grand dinner, and SO forth
Ulysses mast get into the. city befor,
be dimes in it. The way to cook :
rabbit is first to catch the rabbit,
etc." 49, So 81
But on the morning Of the Fourth
Of July, the city fell, and the Unio,
troops were in the city. The "form'
of Thursdays Citizen was still stand
ing, and some Union ''comp.," at til,
lower right hand corner inserted tn
following and reprinted the edition
eEf saa o.. NOTE.
d s., July 4, 1863.
i "Two days bring about great chan
ges. The banner Of the Union float
over Vicksburg. Gen. Grant ha
caught the rabbit" he has dined il
Vicksburg, and he did bring his din
4 ner with; him. The, Citizen. lives tx
!, see it. For the last time it appear,
on wall paper No more viii
imagine the Injuries of mule mea
and fricassed kitten-urge Southern
warriors to such diet no more. Thi
. il the last wall paper edition, and is
, excepting this note, from the types q
J, we found them. It will be yaluabl,
! hereafter a. a curiosity" q +
The extracts above are substantial
II correct. Maj. Gillespie had tn
mule meat sjerked" by Mexican -'ex