The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-05-12
ARTICLE FIBsT-Continued.
"TOO BAD! TOO Bad! OH! TOO
BAD!!w

81 shall never forget, as long
as | live, his language and his
manner, his appearance and ex-
preston of mental suffering. AL
together it was a scene that
historical painter might well have
immOrtalized had one been so for
tunate as to witness it,"
THE SIMPLICITY OF HIS HABITS.
A POOR DINNER.
1t was the great simplicity of
his habits that gained General
Lee his great popularity. He
Jared no better than his troops.
Their rough, short rations were
his as we'll. There were times
when the Confederate army were
fed on nothing but bread and
meat, and many times not enough
of that. On one occasion some
mOlaSSeS was obtained and sent to
the field. One of Gen. Lees staff
happened to be caterer that week
that is. he drew he rations for
the headquarters mess. He sent
a pitcher of the molaSSeS to Gen.
Lee who was delighted to eat it
with his cOrnbread. Observing
his satisfaction. the catering
colonel Remarked: General, |
secured five gallons for head
quarters"
"WaS there so much for every
mess the size of OurS" asked Gen.
Lee.
"Oh, no the supply will not
last a week"
"Then ] direct, Colonel, that
you Immediately return every
drop you have and send an order
that no molaSSeS shall be issued
to officers or men except the sick
in the hospital"
The Colonel was nonpluSsed
and never afterward boaSted of
his superior skill in securing lux.
urieS for the mess.
When the two armies were on
the opposite banks Of the Rap
pahannocK, during the winter of
l663-6i, meat was very scare in
the Confederate camps. Even
the usual half pound per diem
ration could not regularly he is.
sued. During one of these per.
! iods OF scarcity, on cold. stormy
day. number of corps ana divis-
ion generals were at headquarters
and were waiting for an abate-
ment i'll the weather before return
ing to their camps, In the in.
term Gen. Lees negro cook an
nounced dinner. The General
invited his guests to dine with
him. On repairing to the table
a tray of hot cornbread, boiled
head of cabbage seasoned with a
very small piece of meat and a
bucket of water constituted the
bill Of fare. The piece of bacon
! was so small that the diners DO.
litely declined taking any, ex
pressing themselves as every fond
of cornbread and cabbage,n on
which they dined.
Certainly the General was toe
polite to eat meat in the presence
of guests who had declined it,
and so the diminutive portion OF
bacon served more of an Orna
mental than useful purpose
Later i'll the afternoon, however
when his brother officer had de
parted, the pangs of hunger com
PEELED Gen Lee to ask his servant
to bring him a piece of bread anC
meat. The poor old darkey look
ed perpleXed, and after scratch
ing his head some time, said in &
deprecating tone: "Lawd, Mas
Robert, dat meat what | sot be
fore you at dinner wasn't ours
| had ieS' borrowed dat piece Of
middlin' from one of de courier,
to season de cabbage in de pot
, and SEEM as you was guine t(
have company at dinner, | put
on de dish wild de cabbage fol
looks. But when l seed you and
} none of de genelmen tuck it.
} 'cluded you all knowed it was Dor
J rowed and Sc after dinner l saunt
f it back to de boy whar it belong
ed to. rs mighty sorry, Mas
, Robert, / didn't know You wanted
, some, for den l would a tuck a
, piece off'nt it any how fore
saunt it home"
The General got no meat that
day. Many such anecdotes found
d on actual fact would spread
through the army, and many
, times recOnciled a ragged and
hungry Confederate to his LOT
, when he knew that his beloved
, commander Jared no better than
he himself.