The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-06-11
eRANT AZ rHE REss.rAaLE.
Eo Ate Ven little n',, su,w., fond Of

Fruit
General Horace Porter gives many
Intimate and familiar pictures o. Gen.
cral Grant M hls series or articles
Campaigning with Grant" now rum
ming On the Century" he says Of Gen.
oml Grant 81 The moaa-tables
About the only meat he enjoyed was
beef and this. be could not eat unless
20 was 30 thoroughly well done that no
appearance OF blood could be seen. II
blood appeared In any meat which came
on the table. the sight OF u seemed 20
entirely destroy his appetite. CrhH
was the man whose enemies delighted
in calling him a butchcr) lie enjoyed
oysters and fruit. but these could not
DO procured on an active campaign.
lie never ate mutton when he could OBJ
tain anything else. and fowl and game
he abhorred. As he used TO express
%. II never could eat anything that
goes on two legs" Evidently no could
never have been converted into canni-
balism. lie did not miss much by de-
clining 70 eat the chickens which we're
picked up on a campaign, for they we're
usually tough enough to create the sus-
picion that they had been Matched from
hard-boiled eggs. and we're 30 impene-
trable that an officer said OF one OF
them that he could not even stick his
fork through the gravy. The General
was more fond Of cucumbers than Of
! anything else, and often made his en-
tire meal upon a sliced cucumber and
a cup Of coffee He always enjoyed
corn, pork and beans, and buckwheat
cakes. In fact, he seemed to be par
ticu.arly fond Of only the most indl-
gestible dishes.
When any fruit could be procured
II was placed on the table by way Of
helping TO ornament It, and afterwards
used as dessert Between the courses
Of the dinner. the General would often
reach over to the dish OF fruit and pick
out berry or a cherry and eat II slow
| ly. He used 10 do this in a sly way,
like a child helping itself to some for
hidden dish at the table, and afraid Of
/ being caught in the act. He said one
day: Il suppose / ought not to eat a
course out Of its turn, but I take the
greatest delight in picking out bits OF
fruit and eating them during a meal
One Of the reasons / do not enjoy din
ing out as much as I do at home Is be-
cause / feel compelled to sit through a
long list Of courses, few OF which
eat, and to resist the constant temp
tation to taste little fruit in the mean.
while to help pass away the time
Napoleon was famous for eating out Of
the various dishes before him with his
fingers. General Grants use Of the fin
gers never went beyond picking ou
small fruits. He was always refined
in his manners at table, and no matteI
how great was the hurry, or what wer,
the circumstances Of the occasion, HI
never violated the requirements of tru
pollteness.
He ate less than any man in tn
army; sometimes the amount OF foo
taken did not seem enough to keep
bird alive, and his meals we're fruga
enough to satisfy the tastes Of the mos
avowed anchorite. It so happened tina
no one in the mess had any inclination
to drink wine or spirits at meals, an
none was carried among the mess
supplies. The only beverage ever use
at table besides tea and coffee wa
water, although on the march 1t was Of
ten taken from places which rendere
it not the most palatable or healthfJ
Of drinks If a staff officer wanted any
thing stronger, he would carry som
commissary whisky in a canteen. VI
on few occasions, after a hard day
ride in stormy weather, the Gener;
Joined the officers Of the staff in takin
a whisky toddy in the evening. i
never offered liquor Of any kind
visitors at headquarters. His hospital
ty consisted in inviting them to mea
and IN smoke cigars