Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-24
LEES XMAS DINNER.
HOW GENERAL ROBERT E. ENTER
TANNED HIS GUESTS M 1864


10Y a. u. aiothrJs tatS L@Re@<'' -''o'-'~s~s
c. 8. Al
NEW YORK. December 2s-Thc confcd-
crate soldiers felt the grip Of hard times
tighten on them as the war went on, AMI
their lot seemed to be all the more en-
Uttered by the coming OF Christmas, the
day OF family reunions and grateful feast
ing. Especially was THIS the case In the
Army of Northern Virginia, for after the
fall Of 1868. nearly al OF It's lines OF CON-
munication southwark had been cut, and
Grants forces stood like a wall OF UNI
breakable steel between II and Its main
sources of food supply. As the war
neared its close there was n pailid set
of soldiers in that renowned army. Cheeks
were pale with hunger that had never
blanched with fear IN battle. There was
an awful break In the harmony OF things
with them In the winter OF 1864. for never
were the stomachs OF soldiers In more
marked dlsproportion to the size OF their
rations. On Christmas-Day Of that year
| IL was a half pound of tough beef. and
pint OF cow-peas TO each man. The
peas were quite digestible, II cooked for
a week or two, but when underdone, and
followed by a drink OF water. they would
convert the toughest soldier into a "hovi-
ing swell" in a very painful sense OF the
| term.
THE GUESTS AND MENU.
The fare OF the officers was but little,
| II anS. better than that of the soldiers.
/ What II was. as TO quantity and quality.
may as we'll be gagged by General Lees
dinner on Chrlstmas-Day, 1854. As the
fortunes OF war had favored his larder
through some skilful foraging Of Ephraim.
a 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 Longstreet. Gordon.
and .Sershaw. They were all on time
when, the dinner was called. IL was
served on a rough pine table, without a
/ cover, In General Lees weather-beaten
tent. 1t consisted OF boiled cabbage and
eight or ten boiled sweet potatoes and
q dish Of rice. cooked dry.
A RARE DISH.
| The piece de 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 or
| the lsrgs cabbage. Now. bacon was as
rare in the Confederate camp at that time
as arc roses on the northern hiltops In
| December Even Ignatius Donnelly, with
all his genius for unfolding the hidden.
| could not have discovered q 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 II slice or the
| delectable meat, proffered by their host,
who held the carving-knife and fork ready
to cut and help.
| HIS HAND TREMBLED.
| IT was observed that when the General.
| after helping to the cabbage, said to the
| guest whose plate Ephraim held out
ALLOW me 10 help you to a slice OF the
| bacon" the devoted old servitor's hand
trembled greatly. In fact, he seemed TO
be in n state of decided fright. The high
military rank of the guests would not ac-
count for his trepidation. for he daily
served near n master who outranked
them all. There was no splendor left In
the tracery Of faded gold lace on their
battle-stained uniforms to dazzle his
eyes and cause them to roll about and
glance from bacon to guest. and from
| guest 10 bacon. as each answered the
| half question with the words: mo. thank
YOU, General" The discomposure OF the
serving man was all the more striking
from its contrast with the serene. self
poised dignity Of his benign master.
1T WAS BORROWED.
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: "Ephraim, We have another
cabbage, have we not"'
The answer was: Eyes, sab. Mass Bob
Yves got anudder cabbage, sah.'
Then, Ephralm.' said the General
"save the piece Of bacon to cook with .the
other cabbage"
The prompt and decisive reply was
mo, sab. Mass Bob. l can't do dat.
lis borrow dat piece oh bacon for sea
sonin' from a friend ober dar in Rich
mon' and I done gib up my parole OF
honah dat I'll glib him back dat same
bacon what I borrow"
HARD CONDITIONS.
The General who could not be a party
70 any mans violation OF his parole Of
honor, consented at once to the return Of
the bacon that had 50 successfully run
the gauntlet Of six hungry diners. III
must have reflected, too. On the eN
tremity of his fortunes that led TO tn
borrowing of a part of his Christina;
dinner on the hard condition that 4
should be returned untouched. His New
Years dinner was stu more meagre,
could Judge, from what he indicated 4
General Grant on the following day.
GRANTS MISTAKE.
A flag OF truce had been sent into th'
Confederate lines, with an inquiry re-
garding a Union officer who had beer
wounded and taken prisoner, and th'
officer who bore it, after stating its ob
feet. said: General Lee. l am directeS
by General Grant TO give you his com
pliments, and to say that he is thoroughly
Informed as to all your movements, an
that he even knows what you had for din
ner yesterday"
General Lee took the pleasantly in GOO
part, and answered: please, Captain
present my compliments to General Grant
and aay that / must doubt the correct
; ness of his information, for l know hin
TO be a humane man, and II he ha'
known what / had for my dinner yes
terday he would have sent me part o