Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-12-28
VIRGINIA CONFEDERATE HOME.
Corresponding of Alexandria Gazette

Correspondence of Alexandria Gazette.
LEE CAMP SOLDIERS HOME, RICH
MoND, Va, Dec. 25.-This being Christ
mas night thought 1 write you line
and give you an idea OF how we old
Confederate veterans get along at tho
Soldiers Home. This has been q red
letter day with US, as far as feasting
goes. After good breakfast this morn
ing cigarettes were given to every in
mate, presented by Major Ginter. After
that the old fellows devoted their minds
as they chose until 4 p. m. when we
were again called from labor to re-
freshment. Remarks were made and
prayer offered by comrade Rev. DIR.
Moses D. Hoge. The signal for the
fray was then given by the firing of a
cannon, when we charged the following
menu:
Stewed oysters, roast turkey, CRAM
berry sauce, roast venison, currant jel-
ly, roast shoat, apple sauce, baked ham,
wheat bread, corn bread, stewed toma-
toes, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes,
mixed pickle, celery, cheese, crackers,
oranges, apples, bananas, nuts, raisins,
confectionery, mince pie, fruit cake,
pound cake, currant cake, chocolate
cake, sponge cake, tea, coffee and CT
CARS.
After the battle, and justice was well
done, every old vet took home with
him large bag of raisins, cake, candy,
nuts. &C., enough to last him week.
Cigars were passed around by
three beautiful young ladies'
Misses Rebecca, Maude and Bes1
sic, daughters of Colonel Bigger,
the commandant. During the festivi-'
ties we were pleasantly entertained by o
band of about 20 pieces that discoursed
sweet music, and kept time to that of
the knives and forks. This is a place
that any old soldier of the Confederacy
should be justly proud. We have every
thing that is necessary and far BETTER
than thousands of mechanics and work
ing men have. Fresh meats from the
city market in variety, and the best of
bread. Hot rolls every morning such
rs you can'tget everywhere, and plenty
ofgood hutter. We also have fruit two or
three times week. We have good
comfortable clothes, confederate gray,
and red flannel underwear of the best,
in fact any reasonable wish is gratifed
and often those that are not reasonable.
We have ample rations of chewing and
smoking tobacco, which is the circulat-
ing medium Of the camp. 1t is taken
in all cases as legal tender, especially
BY those who deal in wet goods. Oae
of the old fellows here does thriving
business in canes cut from Marye's
Heights, his old home. He strikes the
visitor with long history of the cane
and where it was cut, and usually
makes q sale. He has no fixed
price, but will take anything from 5
cents toss. We have some queer char
acters here, especially those from the
hack woods. Nearly all here are from
Richmond, Petersburg, Norfolk and
t lie Southsde, but few from northern
Virginia. TIE commandant is Col.
Chas. P. Bigger, brother of Col. ].
Bell Bigger, for many years clerk of
the House of Delegates. The colonel
is an urbane, courteous gentleman, and
it is mystery how he manages to get
along as we'll as he does with so many
freaks aud cracks, but he gets on his
ear sometimes. and then you are apt to
hear something drop, but it takes an
awful lot of torture to get his
dander IN, but when it is up
you are apt to get valentine, as the
boys call it, and that means 80, go, 90
or 120 days in the mines after the board
holds an inquest over your remains,
which they usually do once a week.
But we have an advocate in Col. John
Murphy, of Murphy's Hotel, who is
one of the best men that God ever
created. He has no equal and is q
friend indeed of the old soldier. Should
anything happen to him the old soldier
would lose his best friend, especially
those in the hospital. There are about
$50 inmates here at present and all
seem happy and contented. We have
about 100 cats. All have names and
come when you call them, as they
know their names. All of them to-
gether do not make as much noise as
two of your cats on back fence. They
are all the progeny of one old cat we
call NANNY" She is a great pet.
THE SToRM.-The storm which visit