The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-03-12
'c.NERAl. LEES CHRISTMAS FARE.
shrre Were Cabbage and Bacon, but the
Weoon Was Only borrowed.

Raoan Was Only borrowed.
A. -be fortane of war has favored his
harder. through some sE'llful foragins
of Ephraim, negro, who was his taith-
full cook, bodyservapt ans waiter
three gentlemen j. one-oeue1al ise
Invited several officers T. line with hlm
on Christmas day, 1864. Inc lucky
kcipients of the timely invitation were
1--we in number, all officers of distinc-
lion, among them Generals Longstreet,
lfordon and Kershaw. They were all
on time when the dinner wa called. 1t
was served ON a rough pine table. with
out a cover, in General Lees weather
beaten tent. 1t consisted of boiled cab
bage, and eight or ten boiled sweet po-
tatoes and a dish of rico cooked dry.
The piece de resistance, which indeed
the knightly guests found il hard to
resist, was a small bit of TAT bacon,
about 3 inches square, that iHF d. Top OF
the large cabbage. Nov. v : as
rare IN the Confede ate 0H aE nat
fine as are roses q Tho a1rth"ra hill
tops in December ION can imagine,
therefore, the self ~ r-alnt exercised
by each guest as they q" ir.d III turn a
slice of the deleC.Iois e protfered
by their host, who hold the carving knife
and forE adv tn Hat md help.
q. was Ca-eiyed Tat when the gen.
ersl - 10 the cabbage, said
~ the 9 .ast whose plate Ephraim held
out, Allow me to help you to a slice
of the bacon? - the devoted old servi-
tors hand tTembled greatly. In fact,
he s5emed to be III a state of decided
trigat. The high military rank of the
erests would not account for his trepi-
darion for he daily served near a mas
Ter Who 0utranked them all. There
wa e splenlor LETT in the tracery OF
ia a lace IN their battle stained
n lrIls dazzle IS ere and cause
them " roll al nd glance FROM "a
con to guest ald from gl Lost t. bacon,
as each answered. The half or &c" 18th
the words. No, thank you, seurls =
The discomposdre of the SCI ing nan
was all the more striking frt N 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, we AVE an
other cabbage. have we not:'
The answer was. Yes, sab, Mass
Bob. Yves got anudder cabbage, sab. .
"Then, EphraiLl. said tie general.
''save the piece Of bacon - cook with
that cabbage
The prompt and decisive reply, No,
sab, Mass Bob. / can dn Gat. | Ji'
borrow dat piece OF tace1l gr zo"sUUli
from a friend ober lar IN Rlel.agu. AID
i done glib up my parole Oh honor dG'
I'll glib him back dat same bacon wt:at
j borrow"
The general. who could uCs be a parsi
to any mans violation Of his parole o.
honor, consented q; once to the return
of the bacon that had 80 successfully
run the gauntlet of SIX hungry dine:s
He must have reflected, too, on the ex
tremity of his fortunes that led to th'
borrowing of a part Of his Christina;
dinner ON the hard condition that j
should be returned untouched. Hi,
New Years dinner was still more mea
ger. | judge, from what he indicated tt
General Grant next day.
A flag of truce had been sen into thu
Confederate lines with an inquiry re
garding a Union officer who had beer
wounded and taken prisoner, and thu
officer who bore it, after stating its oh
1ect, said, General Lee, | am directe'
by General Grant to give you his com
piiments and to say that he is thor
oughly informed as to all your move
ments, and even knows what you hat
for dinner yesterday
General Lee took the pleasantly il
good part and answered, Please, cap
tain, present my compliments to Gen
erai Grant and say that must doub
the correctness of his information, TO
/ know him to be a humane man, an'
If he had known what l had for m.
dinner he would have sent me a part o
his own. "-Louisville Courier-Journal