The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-03-17
GENERAL LEES CHRISTMAS FARE.


Bacon Was only Borrowed.
As th5 fortune Of war has favored III
larder, through some skillful toraglns
of Ephraim, negro, who was his talth
fu1 cook, bOdyservant and walter -
three gentlemen in One-General Lt>
invited several officers to dine with nm
on Christmas day, 1864. The lucky
recipients of the timely invitation were
FIVE in number, all officers Of dlstlnc
ton, among them Generals Longstreet
Gordon and Kershaw. They were al
on time when the dinner was called. II
was served on a rough pine table, with
out cover, IN General Lee weather
| beaten tent. It consisted Of boiled cab,
bage, and eight or ten boiled sweet po'
tatoes and dish of rice cooked dry.
The piece de resistance. which indeed
the knightly guests found it hard tC
resist. was small bit of fat bacon,
about inches square, that lay on top OF
the large cabbage. Now, bacon was as
rare in the Confederate camp at that
time as are roses on the northern hill
tops in DECEMBER. You can imagine,
therefore, the self restraint exercised
by each guest as they declined in turn a
slice of the delectable meat protfered
by their host, who held the carving knife
and fork ready to cut and help.
1t was observed that when the gen
eral, after helping to the cabbage, said
to the guest whose plate Ephraim held
out, "Allow ne to help yon to slice
of the bacon:' the devoted old servi-
tors hand trembled greatly. In fact,
he seemed to be in state Of decided
fright. The high military rank Of the
guests would not account for his trepi-
dation, for he daily served near mas
ter 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 ba
con to guest, and from guest to 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 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 low tone, "Ephraim, we have an
other cabbage, have we not?"
The answer was, Yes, sab, Mass
Bob. Yves got anudder cabbage, sab. "
Then, Ephraim, )" said the general,
save the piece of bacon to cook with
that cabbage"
The prompt and decisive reply, "No,
sab, Mass Bob, can't do dat! | lis
borrow dat piece of bacon for seasonin
from friend ober dar in Richmon, and
| done glib up my parole oh honor dat
I'll glib him back dat same bacon what
| 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 part of his Christmas
dinner on the hard condition that it
should be returned untouched. His
New Years dinner was still moro mea-
ger, | judge, from what he indicated to
General Grant next day.
A flag Of truce had been sent into the
Confederate lines with an inquiry re-
yarding Union officer who had been
wounded and taken prisoner, and the
officer who bore it, after stating its OBJ
Iect, said, General Lee, / am directed
BY General Grant to give you his CON-
oliments and to say that he is thor
'ughly Informed as to all your move
nents, and even knows what you had
.or dinner yesterday"
General Lee took the pleasantly in
rood part and answered, "Please. can
ain, present my compliments to Gen
raj Grant and say that | must doubt
he correctness of his information, for
know him to be a humane man, and
he had known what | had for nv
Inner he would have sent me a part of
is own. louisville Courier Journal.
Bridal Rounuet