Morning journal and courier., 1894-01-04
GEN. LEES CHRISTMAS FARE.
There was Cabbage and Bacon, Hut
 the Bacon was only Borrowed.

There was Cabbage and Bacon, Hut
 the Bacon was Only Borrowed.
 From the Louisville Courier-Journall
 As the fortune of war had favored his larder, through some skilful forsging of Ephraim, negro, who was his faithful cook. body servant and waiter-three gen. tlemsn in one-Gsnersl Lee invited several officers to dine with him on Christmas day, 1864. The lucky recipients of the timely invitation were five in number, all officers of distinction, among them Generals Longatreet, Gordon and Kershaw. There were all on time when the dinner was called. It wss served on 6 rough pine table, without a cover, in General Lee's weather beaten tent. It consisted of boiled cabbage and eight or ten boiled sweet potatoes and & dish of rice cooked dry. The piece de resistance, which in deed the knightly guests found 1t hard to resist, was 6 small bit of fat bacon, about three inches square, that lay on top of the large cabbage. Now bacon was as rare in the Confederate camp st that time as are roses on the northern hiiltops in Decem- ber. Even Ignatius Donnelly, with sli his genius for unfolding the hidden, could not have discovered 8 tracs of it in the meas therefore, the self-restraint exercised by each guest ss they declined in turn a slice 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 general, after helping to the cabbage, said to the guest whose plate Ephrsim held out, Al low me to help you to 6 elice of the ha- conf" the devoted old servitor's hand trembled greatly. In fact he seemed to be in e state of decided 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 bat tls-stained uniforms to dazzle his eyes and cause them to roll about and glance from bacon 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 dignity of his benign master.
 Dinner over, the general and his guests retired from the tent, but as they passed ont General Lee turned and said in ( low tone, "Ephraim, we have another cabbage, have we noti"
 The answer was, .'Yes, ssh, Mass Bob We's got anudder cabbage, sah." "Then, Ephrsim," said the general "save the piece of bacon to cook will that cabbage"
 The prompt and decisive reply was "No, ssh, Mass Rob, can't do dsti jh | borrow dat piece of bacon for sessenin \ from . frisud over dsr in Richmon', ana
 done gib up my parole ob honah ds I'll gib him back dat same bacon what borrow"
 | The general, who eo1ld not be @ part, | to any mans violation of his parole 0 honor, consented st once to the returl | of the bacon that had 60 successfully rul
 the gauntlet of six hungry diners. H | must have reflected, too, on the extren ity of his fortunes that led to the bol rowing of c part of his Christmas dir
 nsr, on the hard condition that 1t shoul
 be returned untouched. His New Year
 dinner was still more mesgre, judg'
 from what he indicated to General GrAr
 next day.
 A asg of truce had been sent into th
 Confederate linss with an inquiry n
 garding a Union officer who hsd bee
 wounded and taken prisoner, and the o
 ficsr who bore it, after stating its ol
 jsct, said: "General Lse, I am directe
 by General Grant to give you his soupl
 ments, and to say that he is thoroughly Il formed as to all your movements, and eve
 knows what you had for dinner yesterday | General Lee took the pleasantly In goo
 part, and answered: "Pleass, Captain | present my compliments to General GraI
 and say that must doubt the correctne' | of his information, for l know him to be