Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-12-26
Gen. Ices Christmas Dinner.

Gen. Lees Christmas Dinner.
Captain T. j. Muckey, who was in
the engineer corps of the Confederate
army, tells what a hard time the sol
diers of the army of Northern Virginia
had in the winter of 1864. He says
On Christmas day of that year the ra-
ton was a,half pound of tough beef
and Il pint of COW peas to each man.
The peas were quite digestible, if cook
ed for week or two, hut when undone,
and followed by drink of water, they
would convert the toughest soldier into
"howling swell" in Il very painful
sense OF the term.
The fare of the officers was but little,
if any, better than that of the soldiers.
What it was, as to quantity and quality,
NAV well be gauged by General Lees
dinner on Christmas Day, 1864. As the
fortune of war had favored his larder
through some skillful foraging of Eph-
rain, negro, who was his faithful
cook, body servant and waiter-three
gentlemen in one-the General invited
several officers to dine with him on
that day. The lucky recipients Of the
timely invitation were five in number,
all officers of distinction, among them
Generals Longstrcet, Gordon and Ker-
shaw. They were all on time when
the dinner was called. 1t was served
on a rough, pine table, without cover,
80, I,nnnr,,l I nn', h1C h1nfaD
1t consisted of boiled cabbage and
eight or ten boiled sweet potatoes and
dish of rice, cooked dry.
The piece dc resistance which, indeed,
the knightly guests found it hard to re-
sist, was a small bit of fat bacon, about
three inches square, that lay on top Of
the large cabbage. Now, bacon was as
rare in the Conf derate camp at that
time as are roses on the northern hill
tops in December. Even Ignatius Don
nelly, with all his genius for unfolding
the hidden, could not have discovered
a trace of it in the mess stores of that
army. You can imagine, therefore, the
vast amount of self-restraint exercised
by each guest, as they declined in turn
a slice of the dclectable meat profiered
by their host, who held the carving
knife and fork ready to cut and help.
1t was observed that when the Gen
eral, after helping to the cabbage, said
TO the guest, whose plate Ephraim
held out, "Allow me to help you to
slice of the bacon? 2" the devoted old
servitor's hand trembled greatly. In
fact, he seemed to be iu state of decid-
ed fright. The high military rank of
the guests would not account for his
trepidation, for he daily served near
master who outranked them all. There
was no splendor left in the tracery OF
faded gold lace on their battlestained
uniforms TO dazzle his eyes aud cause
them to roll about and glance from bacon
to guest, and from guest to bacon, as
each answered yhe half question with
the words, "No, thank you, general. "
The discomposure of the serving man
was all the more striking from its con-
trast with the serene, se!f-poised digni-
ty OF his benign master.
Dinner over, the general and his
guests retired from the tent, but, as
they passed out, General Lee turned
back and said in low tone: "Eph-
rain, we have another cabbage, have
we not?"
The answer was Eyes, sab, Mars
Bob. We's got anudder cabbage, sab"
"Then, Ephraim," said the General,
save the piece of bacon to cook with
the other cabbage"
The prompt and decisive reply was
"No, sab, Mars Bob, can't do dat ]
jis borrow dat piece Oh bacon for sea
scnin from friend ober dar in Rich
mon, and | done Glib up my parole OBJ
hon l dat I'll Glib him back dat same
bacon what | borrow"
The general, who could not be par
ty TO any mans violation Of his parole
of honor, consented at once TO the re-
turn Of the bacon that had so success
fully run the gauntlet Of six hungry
diners. He must have reflected, too, on
the extremity of his fortunes that
led to the borrowing of part Of his
Christmas dinner, on the hard condi-
ton that it should he returned un-
touched. His New Years dinner was
still more meagre, | should Judge from
what he indicated to General Grant on
the following day.
A flag of truce had been sent into the
Confederate lines with an inquiry re-
garding Union officer who had been
wounded and taken prisoner, and the
officer who bore it, after stating its OBJ
ject, said: General Lee, | am directed
by General Grant to give you his com
pliments, and to say that he is thor
oughly informed as TO all your move
ments, and he even knows what you
had for dinner yesterday"
General Lee took the pleasantly in
good part, and answered; please,
Captain, present my compliments to
General Grant, and say that | must
doubt the correctness of his informa-
ton, for | know him to be humane
mar, and if he had known what had
for my dinner yesterday, he would
have sent me part OF his own"