The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1892-02-25
vi.s no~ cs.s. or.a, and ssphssss.,

burg, called 81 Gen, Grants headqa"'
ters on business.
Gens. McPherscu snd Rsslps acre The
only officials present With bln. ! sss
received most cordially. aud irqniries we're
made BY Gen Grant st once, SO 10 wheth
or The house be had assigned TO me vas
com fortsble and satisfactory. | assured
him that II vas. and spoke with great IN
thusissm Of the colorcd servants left In
charge by the owners, who had fed from
yicksburg before the siege. ! vas espee
tally enthusiastic about the cook.
| Why don't you invite US up TO lee. her
cookery questioned Gen. Mcpherson.
Obi you would not come, you are oil too
bnsy psroling prisoners, l answered.
/ Oh yssl We will certainly coma, il you
invite us. Is not that 90, Gen. Grant2
| Ishall certainly come il invited. w.
Geo. Grsnt's reply.
Then most cordially invite you.
| When shall we come' questioned Gen
Mcpherson.
Tomorrow. II that will suit you.
That being satisfactory. they agreed to
come the next day u o'clock, Gen
Rswlins being included 10 the Invitation
which be lsneh,pgly said, We have given
ourselves.
| When / returned 10 my qnar'ers that
noon, and announced that Gen. Grspt and
two other generals we're to dine with me
the next day. there was the greatest con-
sternation and excitement,
| had tented with Mrs Gen. Stone dur
ing the siege. and she had come into
vicksburg and occupied the house with
me. Bhs was dismsyed At the news. She
declared that there was not one decen'
table cloth on the premises; that there
we're no two napkins alike. or two dishes
that matched.
The fact 10. she said, everything in this
house is mismsted. And how are you going
10 get them into the dining room with oil
the steps torn away, Are they to walk up
that inclined plane on the boards?
told her did not know Of any other
way; but % we had to perform that feat
three times q day, / had no doub' they
could get up from the hall to the dining
room, once.
Aunt Dnah, the cook, who vas ct the
head Of the colored memb bers Of the house
hold. was enthusiastic.
tell you, honey, I'll make cherry ting
shine, an I'll hab de table cloth so slick a
rats heel would fly up on it,
All the colored people we're jubilant i
would be impossible 10 describe their an
tics. The little children danced a jubilee,
jumping up and down, and keeping up .
chorus. Ginnel Grants a cummip Gin,
mel Grants de biggest ainnel Of dem ell
II vas not an hour till every col0red
man, woman and child 10 that part Of tie
town, knew that at certsin hour The mex
day Gen. Grant was TO be az that house
The colored men searched every cutters
shop for supplies. and Aunt Dinah did her
best 10 the cooking line
The next morning vent out among the
hospitals, ss usual, hut came home before
noon, 80 a. TO be there when my guests
arrived. / found ell the peighboripg
fences about the grounds lined with color
ed people.
Mrs. Stone said to me as soon as came
10: Now you must not lsugh, OF object
but Aunt Dinab has sent aud got two pro.
fessionsl walters; they are here now, dras
sed in broadcloth. with swallow tailed
coats and white vests aud white gloves.
OF couree did laugh, and she lsughed
quite as heartily as myself at the incongru
ity Of the arrangement. Here, In one Of
the deserted houses OF vicksburg, thai
shell had crashed through, making 1t Al
most impossible to get into the dinins
room, with nothing in the way Of table ont
it but the most ordinary camping utensils,
with two professional walters rigged ont 10
q style that could hardly be matched at
state dinner Vt the presidential mansion
We we're 10 receive great generals II was
indeed laughsble. Aunt Dinab felt she
ought TO explsin the matter 70 me.
Honey. want 10 spIain bout desc Tess
ionsl wstshs. Our common nipgshs
would neber do TO wsi. on fine gentlemen.
You zee deys swkwsrd an haint goi no
good close. 50 just bird desc isaEioba
BILE wstsbs, case wanted to hsb de tipe
done up right.
OF course made no objections. AT The
appointed hour Gn. Grant, dressed 10
military uniform. riding bis little black
horse that he'd carried him so often around
The 6ery lines Of yiessbure during the
siege, and Gen Mcpherson. dressed in ele
CANT military fashion, tall, stately, com
msnding and splendidly mounted, rode up
10 front OF our house.
| Gen. Stone, who bad commanded the
extreme right during the seise, and who
had come mp from his military camr to
dine with us that dsy, went ont and hi'chi
ed their horses. a. there were DO or3erlie,
with them. Gen. Rswhns. who was I'e
vented ii the last moment from coming,
sent his regrets.
BACKED faces we're peepiDg ont from
the near houses, and the iences we're black
with colored people Ii vas perhaps The
one cbsncs OF their iiyes TO seq ;heir eres
deliverer, the great csp'tia WHO bad ops
ed the prison bosue ~ Vicksoufg. %
given liberty 10 sli the people.
Everything passed ~ very pleasantly
When dinner was ennonlee1, taking the
arm OF Gen. Grant. led the way TO ,ht
dining room, Geo NJ pnrrson aud Mrs
Stone were slresdy in the dining rom