The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-08-03
An Army Story About Meade.


An 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 con-
tinued:
During the winter of 1861 and 1862
I was q private in a Pennsylvania regi-
ment in Meade's brigade OF the reserve
corps"
"a private" exclaimed dozen Ma
jors, Colonies and Generals in one
breath.
Eyes, sir, private; andwhat's more,
l was private during the entire war,
and have never had a chance of pro-
motion since. Well, as l was saying.
when interrupted, 1 was in Meade's
brigade. Shortly before the holidays
the General decided to entertain some
of his friends at Christmas dinner, and
procured a handsome goose for the oc-
casion. For a month that goose was
stuffed and crammed with the choicest
goose-feed that would produce fat, and
when Christmas arrived presented q
most tempting appearance-literally
rolled in fat, and scarcely able to wad-
die. The night before Christmas the
Generals cook killed the bird, and hav.
ing dressed it, hung it up 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.
At nine o'clock Meade, having given
explicit directions about the dinner, got
into his ambulance and drove to Wash
ington for his guests, among whom
were two ladies, member of Congress
and 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 be done but wait for the ar
rival of the party, when the situation
was explained.
To say that Meade was furious would
be mild expression. Orders were i'm
mediately given and carried out for
strict search for the missing bird, and
in an hour every tent, camp-kettle and
mess-pan in the division was searched
without disclosing the goose. The cook
suggested canned meats from the suit
ler's, but the suggestion was sternly
rejected; and bringing the telegraph
into requisition, an order was sent to
celebrated Washington restaurateur, by
whom about six o'clock a first-rate
dinner was brought over, smoking hot,
spirit-lamps having been used in tran
sit.
1.-The dinner went off in good style,
the loss of the goose being treated as
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 ex-
ample of the culprit. But he was never
found.
sin 1872, at the Grand Army en-
campment at Philadelphia, grand BAN
quet was given, Generals Meade, Cad
wallader, Sickles, Patterson and a
number of other distinguished officers
being guests. A delegate from Pitts
burgh, formerly of Meade's brigade,
was very anxious for an introduction to
Meade, and as 1 had been introduced,
l gratified him by presenting him to the
General. After few minutes CONVEX
sation the delegate said: BY the way,
General, didyou ever find out who stole
your goose?"
The General laughed and said that
he had not.
"'Well, I didn't of course dare to
say anything about it then, but 1 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 have met
at least forty men who have claimed to
be the men that stole my Christmas
goose
1.-The last claimant beat hasty re-
treat, under a storm of laughter.
DenUer Times.