The bee., 1883-08-11
GENERAL MEADEs GOOSE.
How 1t Was Stolen-A Would BE THIEF
Discontinue.

blu yUu CfOL hCdl dUUul M6dQ6 5
goose?" asked a loiterer at grand army
headquarters.
There was an encouraging curiosity
to hear the story, and the speaker con-
tinued:
During the winter of 1861 and 1862,
Twas private in Pennsylvania regi-
ment in Meade's brigade of the reserve
corps"
ga private" exclaimed a dozen
majors, colonels and generals in one
breath.
eyes, sir, private; and what 8 more,
L was a private during the entire war,
and have never had a chance of pro-
motion since. Well, as l was saying
when interrupted, / was in Meade's
brigade. Shortly before the holidays
the general decided to entertain his
friends at Christmas dinner, and pro-
cured handsome goose for the occa-
sion. For month that goose was
stuffed and crammed with the choicest
OF 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 it up to freeze
in order to make it as tender as posi-
BILE. AS the dinner was fixed at 4
o'clock, the cook was in no hurry to
commence preparations for it, and let
the goose hang At 8 o'clock Meade,
having given explicit directions about
the dinner, got into his ambulance and
rode to Washington for his guests,
among whom were two ladies, a mem
Der 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 it had been stolen, There
was nothing to he 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 Immediately given and carried
out for a strict search for the missing
bird, and in an hour every tent, camp
kettle and mess pan in the division
was searchrd without disclosing the
goose. The cook suggested canned
meats from the suffers, hut the sug-
gestion was sternly rejected and,
bringing the telegraph into requisition,
an order was sent to celebrated Wash
tngton restaurateur, by whom, about 6
o'clock, a first-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 en-
campment at Philadelphia, grand
banquet was given, Generals Meade,
Sickles, Cadwallader, Patterson, and
number of other distinguished officers
being guests. A delegate from Pitts
burgh, formerly of MIeade's brigade.
was very anxious for an introduction
! to Meade, and as had been introduced
l gratified him by presenting him TO
the general. After few minutes
conversation the delegate said; BY
the way, general, dId you ever find out
who stole your gooseF
"The general laughed and said that
he had not.
"'Wen, | didn't of course, dare to
say anything about it then, but l am
the man that stole the goose, and a
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 1 had known it at
the time; but he added, after pause,
there is something remarkable about
that goose. Since the war l have met
at least forty men who have claimed
to be the men that stole my Christmas
goose
"The last claimant beat a hasty re-
treat under storm of laughter"
The Garfield Family.