Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-01-30
egNgaAL 90 canIsrMAs EAng.


There wern Cabbage and Bacon, hut The
Bacon Was Only borrowed.
As the fortune q war has favored his
larder, through come akillful foraging
of Ephraim, a negro, who was his faith
full cook, bodyscrvant and waiter-
three gentlemen in one-Henoral Leo
invited several officers TO dine with him
on Christmas day, 1854. The lucky
recipients Of the timely invitation were
Eve IN number. all officers Of distinc-
ton, among them Generals Longstreet,
Gordon and Kershaw. They were all
on time when tho dinner was called. 1t
was served OF a rough pine table, with
out a cover, in General Lees weather
beaten tenn. 10 consisted Of boiled cab
bage, and eight on ten boiled sweet po-
tatoes and a dish Of rice cooked dry.
Tho piece de resistance, which indeed
the knightly guests found it hard to
resist, was a small bit Of fat bacon,
about 3 inches square, that lay on top Of
the largo cabbage. Now, bacon was as
rare N the Confederate camp at that
time rs are roses on the northern hill
tops in December. You can imagine,
therefore, the self restraint exercised
by each guest a. they declined in turn q
elice Of the delectable meat proffered
by their host, who held the carving knife
and fork ready to cut and help.
It was observed that when the gem
eral, after helping to the cabbage, said
to the guest whose plate Ephraim held
out, ALLOW me to help you to a slice
of the bacon p the devoted old servi-
tors hand trembled greatly. In fact,
he seemed to be in a state Of decided
fright. The high military rank OF the
guests would not account for his trepi-
dalton, foT he daily served near a mas
ter who outranked them all. There
was no splendo- left in the tracery of
faded gold lace on their battle stained
uniforms to dazzle his eyes and
them to roll about and glance from ba-
con to guest, and from guest to bacon,
as each answered the 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, self poised dig
nifty Of his benign master.
Dinner over, the general and his
guests retired from the tent, but as they
passed out General Lee turned and said
in a low tone, "Ephraim, W. have an
other cabbage, have We notf'
The answer was, Yes, sab, Mass
Bob. Yves got anudder cabbage, sab. ="
"Then, Ephraim, - said the general,
"save tho piece Of bacon to cook With
that cabbage"
The prompt and decisive reply, "No,
sab, Mass Bob, 1 can't do datl l jis
borrow dat piece of bacon for seasonin
from a friend ober dar in Richmon, and
l done glib up my parole OBJ honor dat
III glib him back dat same bacon what
l borrow"
The general, who could not be a party
to any mans violation Of his parole OF
honor, consented at once to the return
of the bacon that had so successfully
run the gauntlet Of six hungry diners.
He must have reflected, too, on the ex-
tremity of his fortunes that led to the
borrowing of a part of his Christmas
dinner on the hard condition that il
should be returned untouched. His
New Years dinner was still more mea-
ger, l judge, from what he indicated tO
General Grant next day.
A flag o. truce had been sent into the
Confederate lines with an inquiry re-
garding a Union officer who had beer
wounded and taken prisoner, and thC
! officer who bore it, after stating its OBJ
/ ject, said, General Lee, l am directed
by General Grant to give you his com.
2 pliments and to say that he is thor
o1ghly informed as to all your move
ments, and even knows what you hai
, for dinner yesterday"
General Lee took the pleasantly II
good part and answered, please, cap
tain, present my compliments to Gen
7 eral Grant and say that l must doub
the correctness of his information, TO
. l know him to be a humane man, ant
if he had known what l had for m.
dinner he would have sent me a part o
his own "-Louisville Courier Journal