Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-01
IN army Story About Meade.

did you ever hear about Meade's
goose?" asked a loiterer at Grand Army
headquarters the other day.
There was an encouraging curiosity to
hear the story, and the speaker continued:
During the winter of 1861 and 1862
was private in Pennsylvania regiment
in Meade's brigade OF the reserve corps"
"a private" exclaimed a dozen majors,
colonies and generals in one breath.
eyes, sir, q private; and what's more,
was private during the entire war, and
have never had chance of promotion
since. Well, as 1 was saying, when inter
rupted, was in Meade's brigade. Shortly
before the holidays the general decided to
entertain some of his friends at Christmas
dinner, and procured handsome goose
for the occasion. For month that goose
was stuffed and crammed with the choicest
goose-feed that would produce fat, and
when Christmas arrived presented most
tempting appearance-literally rolled in
fat, and scarcely able to waddle. The
night before Christmas the generals cook
killed the bird, and having dressed it, hung
itup to freeze in order to make it as tender
as possible. As the dinner was fixed for
four o'clock, the cook was IN no hurry to
commence preparing for it, and let the
goose hang. Anime o'clock Meade, having
given explicit directions about the dinner,
cot into his ambulance and drove to Wash
iugton for MS guests, among whom were
two ladies. q member Of congress and a
distinguished general officer.
About noon the cook, deeming it time
to commence cooking the goose, went to
the place where it had been hanging, and
to his CONSERVATION found that il had been
stolen. There was nothing to be done but
wait for the arrival Of the party, when the
situation was explained.
To say that Meade was furious would be
a mild expression. Orders were immedi
ately given and carried out for strict
search for the missing bird, and in an hour
every tent, kettle and mess pan in
the division was searched without disclos-
ing the goose. The cook suggested canned
meats from the suffer- but the suggestion
was sternly rejected; and bringing the
telegraph into reQuisition; an order was
sent to a celebrated Washington restaura-
teur, by whom about six o'clock frst-rate
dinner was brought over, smoking hot,
spirit-lamps having been used in transit.
THE dinner went off in good style, the
loss of the goose being treated as a good
Joke by the guests. But Meade could not
forget it easily. and for a month afterward
kept up an inquiry in the hope of finding
and making an example of the culprit.
But he was never found.
''In 1872, at the Grand Army encamp-
ment at Philadelphia, grand banquet
was given. Generals Meade, Cadwallader,
Sickles, Patterson and a number of other
distinguished officers being guests. dele
gate from Pittsburg, formerly of Meade's
brigade, was very anxious for an introduce
ton to Meade, and as had been intro
duced, gratifed him by presenting him
to the general. After few minutes con-
versation the delegate said: by the way,
general, did yon ever find out who stole
your goose?"
THE general laughed and said that he
had not.
"'Well, didn't of course dare to say
anything about it then, but am the man
that stole the goose, and very good goose
it was, too
"A queer twinkle came into the old
mans eye, and smiling quietly he said
1T would not have been very merry
Christmas for you if had known it at the
time; but he added, after pause, there
is something remarkable about that goose
Since the war I have met at least forty
men who have claimed TO be the men thai
stole my Christmas goose
"The last claimant beat hasty retreat
under storm of laughter. "-DeHuer Times