Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-23


| /E7hk,t9aY:- thing worked satisfac-
| GSSIftr-,1LS torily as the most crit
| ical could have desired.
The custom which prevailed yesterday was
sort Of haphazard arrangement which was not
success. Rations for $500 men did
not feed 1000, because the biggest hog
grabbed his own share and another's. As a
natural sequence there were good many men
who went hungry and there were more who
would have been hungry had they not gone
over to River View and bought dinner. This
arrangement, or disarrangement, was all
wrong and everybody realized it. Last night
| there was
| COUNCIL OF WAR
in the headquarters tent, and plan was for
mulated by which the multitude should be fed
satisfactorily and equitably. In accordance
with the conclusions arrived at last night this
mornings breakfast was served and it worked
| very smoothly, but little late. The long
tables looked very inviting at o'clock.
| big piece of bread was on each
plate, while alongside was cup,
| knife, fork and spoon. Down the center were
saucers and dishes of various shapes and sizes,
| filled with salt, mustard and pepper Sugar
was In large bowls about feet apart, and the
intervening spaces we're nearly filled with
| loaves of bread.
One Of the tables at which the colored Off
GERS messed was decorated with couple of
plates OF soda crackers, the only departure
from the regulation rations. Each company
had sent detail of two men to look after its
sixty very busy men swarming around
the outside of the kitchen. They clus-
tered around the doors and windows
and called loudly for whatever was wanted,
and although the man with the most spacious
lungs and the sharpest elbows got there first
! he wasn't much ahead of the others. After
awhile the officers got them to fall in line, and
In this way equal justice was done.
AN ORDERLY BREAKFAST TABLE.
The meat was put on dishes-about six good
pieces Of steak on each-and the potatoes were
served in the same way. Every mans ration
was in place when the soldiers marched into
the place prepared for them. There
was no crowding, no throwing down of
seats nor pulling off of table cloths,
no crashing of falling crockery, in a word, no
repetition of the scenes which made Yesterdays
| meals nothing but wasteful scramble for
| food, Each regiment had its appointed place,
| and 1t sat right down just where it belonged.
THE GENERAL SATISFIED.
Gen. Ordway, who had been supervising
matters for nearly an hour previous, smiled
sef-congratuatory smile and beamed in more
than ordinarily pleasant manner at the officers
who had so willingly assisted him. Capt.
Burr Ross winked knowingly at per-
spring Serge. Eugene Convoisier (who
had labored long and faithfully
and said: Il told you So 1t can be DONE" Stew
ard Ernest Vaissiere, who has wrestled unceas-
ingly with the appetites OF the guard, came
out of the kitchen and gazed approvingly at
the clockwork movement of the new arrange
ment He was hot, but happy, for at last the
right combination had been found.
1t was such a change from the doings of ves-
terday. Then the detail and servants came at
the same time as the rest of the troops and the
result was hubbub,in which thu patient man
| got left and went empty away. Now every
| body has a certainty; before he had only a
| chance.
ONLY ONE DIsAGREEABLE INCIDENT
marred the meal and for that corporal in the
Post Office company is responsible He be-
haved very badly indeed, and he will probably
be ashamed of himself when he thinks over
what he did. No one was allowed to sit at table
which belonged to another regiment and the
| orders requiring men to remain with their own
companies Is quite strong This corporal
seated himself at the wrong table. and before
his company or any portion of his regiment
had arrived. Commissary General Cranch Nc
Intyre requested him to get up and at first he
refused to do it, The major told him
he would have to obey orders,
but the mutinous corporal profanely
repeated his determination to remain lust
where he was. Then he ordered up, and
as the major called the corporal of the guard
to enforce the order he concluded he would
move. He did move in hurry, but before
he left he very audibly and with much
force consigned the major to place
where the worm is immortal and where the fire
refuses to be extinguished He escaped the
guard, but is known and will probably be sent
home tonight unless he forestalls his COM
mandcrs action by returning to the city volun-
tarily and without leave. That of course will
be desertion.
PROVIDING FOR THE FUTURE.
Breakfast was not over until every man had
had enough. The meat dishes had been re-
filled at least once, and in most cases were toll
erably empty when the regiments got up and
went out. A few of the men.who were either
afraid they would be hungry before II O'Clock
or else wanted ammunition with which to assault
somebody, tried to smuggle out big chunks of
bread, but the lieutenant, Jake" Moore and
the senty on the drawbridge caught them and
compelled them to disgorge. One man was
very anxious to get some bread through the
lines. but he was turned back with half loaf
inside his blouse and a piece equally as
large stuck in his tin cup He, too was sent
back but he got that bread, through ard more.
too. Instead OF going back to the table and
dropping what he had he picked up three or four
| additional pieces then went up on the parapet
and slyly dropped them down on to the grassy
slopes below. Then he passed the inspection
at the gate. went down below, gathered up his
bread and walked into camp with It,
Lunch was served just as breakfast was.
There was an ample supply of bean SOUP
corned beef, bologna sausage, and cold roast
beef.
THE SCOOP" TO THE RESCUE
THE STARS steam launch, 1.-The Scoop" (and
by the way, even the most ignorant know what
a scoop" isl, was a public benefactor to-day.
Late last night the commissary general dis
covered that when provision had been made
for lunch that the supplies would be all gone
More stuff had been ordered, but ii would
not. in the ordinary course OF events be de-
livered at the wharf until tonight That
meant that everybody would have to go with
| out dinner unless immediate communication
could be had with the city. Somebody must
go up to town and buy what was needed
before daylight, so that when the steamers
George Law and Corcoran started down river
they would have the supplies on board. There
was only one means OF communication with the
city that was practicable at that time-it was
by way Of the Potomac river and on board of
'The Scoop"
TEE STAR reporter was sent for by Gen. Ord
way and he was asked
TO SAVE THE CAMP FROM STARVATION
| by ordering his craft to Washington at the
| earliest possible moment. No paper in the
world has the interests of the District national
| guard so nearly at heart as has The STAR and
| the request of the men who would soon be
breadless and meatless was heard and granted,
The boat was short-handed, Engineer Wood
having gone back to Washington for the night
| 1t was nearly O'Clock. but Capt. R. NJ. Bell
| was wide awake in half a minute and Engineer