The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-01-11
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
Lee = iiumOr.

lives no mar whose love for the lost
cause is deeper than that cherished In
the heart of the ~well-known and popu-
lar old soldier and preacher, Rev. DR..
John William Jones of Atlanta, He
was intimately acquainted with General
Il. +. Lee and General Stonewsll Jack
son, and is, perhaps, better posted on
the characteristics Of those two great
soldiers than any other living man.
In speaking OF General Lee, he said:
" General John Pope, in an article that
appeared in the Century q few years
ago, said General Lee never got of
but one joke during the war, and that
was at his expense and founded on o
misrepresentation. General Pope, in
thus writing, showed himself as igno-
rant of : Marse Bob's' humor as he was
of bis strategy in battle. The truth Of
the matter is, Lee was one of the most
genial men in the world, and enjoyed y
good joke as heartily as anybody and
was often the author of them. Several
of his jokes will be remembered by the
boys who had the honor TO follow his
leadership.
"On one occasion, General Lee,
General Gordon and another gen.
eral, whom we will call Blank, were
riding down the lines inspecting the
breastworks. General Lee asked Gen.
eral Blank if a certain piece of work he
had ordered pushed to completion had
been finished. General Blank, in q
confused manner, replied that it had,
at which General Lee proposed a visit
there, to which General Bank was
forced to consent. On arriving there
the work was seen TO be just as Cen
eral Lee had left tit was untouched.
General Blank, very much confused,
excused himself by saying that the en-
gineer had reported it to him as having
been completed.
General Lee said nothing, but on
riding back toward the camp, compli-
mented a magnificent black stallion
upon which General Blank was riding.
General Blank acknowledged the COM
pliments with smiles of satisfaction,
saying that he priced the animal very
highly on account of his wife to whom
he belonged. General Lee, with a
smile of satisfaction, replied: He is too
spirited to be ridden by a lady. / would
advise you TO take some of the spirit out
of him, and | can think of no better
| way " IdlnC I'LL lndh II llulDS nun up
and down the rough paths along the
trenches in the discharge of your duty
General Blank in speaking of the
occurrence afterward told General Cor
don that he would rather face a battery
than to have the old man thrust him
in such an effective manner again"
One of the most gallant members OF
Lees staff was noted for his detesta-
ton of buttermilk, and his fondness for
something stronger. A lady friend of
the general, knowing his fondness for
blu termilk, on one occasion sent him a
ju full of his favorite drink. With a
! o ID deal of ceremony General Lee in
vited his staff inlo his tent to enjoy
with him the contents of the jug.
"Gentlemen," said be, 81 have a
treat in store for you. That jug, with
its palatable contents, has just been
presented to me, and knowing that it
would not be safe for me to drink it
all, / have invited you to help mt
drink it.
"Colonel,'' he continued, turning to
the officer who detested b%uttermilk, ~
know you will enjoy it," and at the
same time the general poured a tin
cupful of the white fluid and handed it
to the colonel, who saw that he was
taken in, shut his eyes and gulped it
down with a shudder amid the shouts of
his companions and the satisfied smiles
of his general.
One night at Petersburg General Lee
went into the tent of some of his Cfi-
GERS TO make inquiry about some posi-
ton of the works. He found the party
discussing a mathematical problem and
the contents of a stone jug flanked by
two tin cups. After receiving the de-
sired information the general left, and
one of the boys remarked, " l wonder
if the old man saw the jugl" "No,"
replied another; elf he had he would
have joked us about it," The next
morning one of the party, in the pres.
ence of General Lee, related a dream
that he had the night before, in which
he said, a certain mathematical problem
was mixed up with an important mill
tary movement. Lee, with a twinkle
in his eye, replied: II am not at all
surprised. When gentlemen discuss at
midnight a mathematical problem, the
unknown quantities of which are a
stone jug and two tin cups, they are apt
to dream almost anything. "-AtlGntd
Journal.