The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-04-03
MEAGRE BILL OF FARE.
VICKsBURG DURING THE
SEIGE.

another wonder. The straits to
winch the garrison were reduced
are known in fact. "AfLer the tenth
lay of the SIEGE says the report OF
Gen. Stephen d. Lee, the men lived
IN about haf ratiOns, and less THAI
that toward the close" The ration
has been described to consist of one.
quarter pound of bacon. one-h half
pound of beef, five eighths quart Of
meal, besides an allowance of peas,
rice, sugar and moasses. OF this,
anon. The citizens must have had
less: aud where they got that from
was mystery. Business, of course,
was suspended. There were some
stores that had supplies, and at these
prices climbed steadily in manner
suggestive of the prophecy of Jrru-
salem's unioing. A barrel of -four
at last came to sell for SLOGAN i'm
mense figure then, but worse than the
Fl cure were the two latter facts that
nobody had the money, and then no
body had the -four. Some people
eked out their supplies by cooking
the tender sprouts of he common
cane, of which there was An immense
"brake" just below Vicksburg. l
have reason to believe that few alp
plications, and those only by the very
poorest people, were made to the
military powers tor help throughout
all this trial. Sympathy and patri-
otism must have improvised a prac
tiral communism. The cruise and
bar ell had title dust and JUNCTION
To the last.
How about the mule meat? every
body will inquire while rations are
being treated. Both horse and mule
meat were extensively sampled dur
ing the siege, though not in the way
that by many may he imagined. On
account of the want of provenher
nearly all thu horses Of the garrison
were turned out of the lines, and a.
the other side could not safely take
them unless they strayed within
reach, many of them were killed by
the cross fire. Early in the siege,
when some OF the men complained
of the scanty ration, General Smith,
I believe, who had seen the thing
done on the plains, issued circular
to his brigmles. recommending that
the experiment of horse meat TO he
tried to piece it out. | was on hand
that very evening when somehody,
waiting till dark, slid over the works
and cut steak out of a horse that
had been shot that day beneath
them. 1t was cooked at General
Vaughn's fire, and ever, body tasted
a Int Ie; hut the flesh was course and
nobody hungered for any more. -
Some of the soldiers did like il and
eat it; not to speak Of rats and other
small deer which the Louisianians,
being Frenchmen, were said to pre-
pare in many elegant styles for the
table. When Pemberton was think
ing about cutting his way out he had
half q dozen fellows,s men who h,ok-
ed like Mexicans or Indians, cutting
mule meat at the old depot of the
Southern Railroad and jerking it
over slow fires to make it handy and
lasting. One morning, for trial, |
bought a pound OF mule meat at this
market, and had it served at break
fast for the mess. There was no
..eei to try again. On the day OF
the surrender, and only then, a ra-
tlcn of mule meat was actually is
sued: but nobody need eat it, as
General Grant issaed abundant sup
plies of the hest that his army had.
: Edward 5. Gregory in Philadel-
phla Weekly Times.