Evening star., 1896-03-28
LOST HIS CORNED BEEF.
One of the Incidents of War Times in
Richmond.


Richmond Cores. Pbila. Times.
In Richmond during the last year Of the
late war. for months. there had been very
little fresh meat in the market, and what
little there was brought enormously high
prices. Provisions Of all kinds were bought
up by the confederate government to feed
the prisoners in Libby prison, of which so
much has been written. Several weeks be-
fore this incident occurred-which seems q
very amusing one, now that it is all over
my grandfather and friend bought of a
farmer from up in the country a consider
able distal ce from Richmond a beef 1t
was left where it was for several weeks to
fatten. The young people Of the south, who
have heard all their lives Of the struggle
people in the country. " ell as in the city,
had to get food for themselves, much less
their cattle, know what it meant to get that
beef fattened.
But in due time it was considered fat
enough, so in the middle of one night, dur
ing "de dark OBJ de n oon," reckon, a wag-
on might have been seen hastily moving up
from one Of the depots with its precious
burden, half of which was deposited very
stealthily at my grandfather's door. Early
In the morning my grandmother set two
negro men to work to cut it up for corning.
First, however. she made them cut off a
tremendous roast and had 1t put right in
the oven, which, fortunately, was a very
large one and held a big piece of beef. The
rest Of the beef was kept in the area on an
impromptu bench. which was set up under
the back porch, the intention being to pre-
serve the best part of it in brine. l can i'm
agine the delight with which my uncles and
aunts wandered from the kitchen to the
yard and back again to the kitchen, where
the preparations for such a good dinner
were being made; for, remember, this fam
lily, as well as many others, had not tasted
fresh meat for many weeks.
Suddenly the door bell rang, and what
tnry, 80 Ifofv
when it was announced that old Capt. War
rer wanted to see him. AS this old gentle
man was the commiSsary Of Libby prison
and Gid not visit the house. they very read
lily guessed his errand. However, my grand
father shut all of the doors between the
house and the kitchen and back porch, tell
ing the cook at the same time not to open
the kitchen or the oven door under any cir
cumstances until he returned. He then
went in to see Capt. Warner. The captain
was gruff, good-hearted man, and after
chatting. pleasantly for few minutes he
got up to go. When he stepped into the
hall and took his hat the spirits of the fam
lily rose-only to have a tremendous fall.
Noticing the back hall door. between which
and the visitor my grandfather stood, he
remarked:
"Mr. -. you have back building out
there SUPPOSED"
I'No" said the other; 'tonly a back
porch"
Before he could say anything further the
and stepped on to the porch, where, by
looking over the railing, he saw the doomed
beef. now entirely cut up, and the two men
rubbing salt into it as fast as they could
'Mr -, l. seize this beef in the name of
the confederate government This is what
I came for. have the papers authorizing
me to do 1t in my pocket. The government
will pay you anything you choose to ask
for it. I have had men shadowing it ever
sincs 1t arrived in the city,"
Naturally my grandfather was furious.
"You cannot take it." he said. "It has
been next to impossible to get It, paid an
exorbitant price for it, and my family are
suffering for beef"
'I am very sorry, sir; but my orders are
to seize every piece of fresh meat found in
the city. The prisoners are dying for lack
of it,
I am afraid at that time my grandfather
did not care whether they were dying or
not; IN fact, he said words to that effect.
but Of course. under the circumstances,
there was nothing to do but let him take 1t
away, which he did without more delay.
The savory smell of the roast in the oven
by some good fortune escaped the notice, of
the captain. have often heard my mother
tell of how much they all enjoyed that lucky
roast for dinner that day and Of how furi-
GUS they were over the loss Of the rest of
1t. This Is how my grandfather lost his
marketing,