Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
CHRISTMAS IN CAMP
Soldiers "reminiscences OF
Holiday Seasons.
D AVS OF PRIVATION
STORY TOLD BY A CONFEDERATE
VETERAN.
Gen. Mahone's Anxiety Regarding the
Ammuniticn-Gen. Lee Declines
an Invitation.
D A Us OF PRIVATI0N

| Amlu x<CS SSC1AACS
an Invitation.
Christmas in camp in the civil war and
the war with Spain formed the principal
theme of the papers read at the meeting of
| the American History Club Wednesday
| night, at it's headquarters, 913 E street
northwest and interesting wartime remi-
| n,scences of past holiday seasons were re-
| cited. Maj J. II. Slime, president of the
club, who is the author of history of the
| Army of the Potomac, read a paper on
| Lincoln and Fredericksburg He stated
| that last Sunday was the fortieth anniver-
| shy of the fight at Fredericksburg between
the armies of Burnside and Lee.
/ christmas in the Trenches Before Peters
burg with the Army of Northern Virginia"
was presented by Col. Hamilton D. Goss.
late of the confederate army. I'm this joy
Gus holiday season., he said, Il cannot look
back on those cheerless days of 1854 with
out feelings of genuine sorrow. Through
the misty draperies of nearly forty years l
can again my comrades in their tat
tered uniforms of gray in the shot-swept
defenses of Petersburg and Richmond,
Christmas day, 1864, shivering with the
cold while munch!ng Their Christmas din
ner of cornbread and 'fat-back bacon-and
| mighty small allowance they had at
| that
Col. Goss said some of the confedera ties
| were more lucky than the others and had
| rabbits other game for their feast He
described a typical rabbit chase. In which
| nearly one thousand soldiers. Virginians
and CarOlinians participated. The luckleSS
! bunny was captured, but was torn to pieces
| by the men in their eagerness to possess
! the toothsome tid-bt. This was on Christ
mas eve, 1864. and several free fights re-
suited He also described the effect upon
| the soldiers when gaunt VHginan came
into camp carrying a fifteen pound turkey.
! which the speaker said the man had
| begged borrowed or stolen from some
! neighborfng farmer
inspires the Rebel Yell.
when the boys spied the big gobbler
they set up the old rebel yell and made a
dash for it. The gaunt Virginian took to
| his heels with a regiment of graybacks in
| full pursuit. The yelling in such volume
| attracted the attention of the Union troops
| in thar works. and no doubt believing we
| We're going to charge them they opened fire
! on us Our guns replied and the result
| was several Christmas tragedies on both
| sides.
The Virginia fellow got away safely
| with his bird. but not before it had caused
the loss of several valuable lives and the
| manning of a score of soldiers in blue and
| gray. ! learned afterward that the turkey
| found its way to the table of pompolls
/ Virginia colonel who invited Gems. Lee and
| Malone to dine with him. Gen. Lees reply
! to the invitation was characteristic: L Will
| rot dine roast turkey when my poor
| soldiers are on the verge of starvation
| Gen. Lees dinner Christmas day, 1864,
/ was most frugal, as were those of his OFF,
| GERS and men. Sheridan had swept through
! the Shenandoah valley like a devasta ting
| wave and Lees army was cut off from
| supplies from that source we'll as by the
| Weldon railroad. which had been further
| destroyed by Warren and his 5th Corps.
| Lucky indeed were those who could get
| a piece of unsalted corn pone and a bit of
! rancid bacon for their Christmas dinners.
| About the only thing in the way of
| Christmas cake saw in front of Peters,
: burg was what the boys called gee
| whiz-' 1t was sort of improvised pound
| cake made from cornmeal and sweetened
| with sorghum molasses.
| Il understand Gen Malone had a Christ
mas feast of blackbirds which one of his
| jealous soldiers procured for him. AS am
| muntion short the confederate side
! at that time the general asked the soldier
! how he killed the birds. adding
| az hope you did not waste any govern
| ment ammunition on them. we will need
! all we have for the Yankees over yonder-'
! No, general replied the man, didn't
waste no bullets on EN-, l dubbed EN- to
| death "
President Lincoln's Sagacity.
| Major Slime said: I'VE can call this ses-
I
of that noted battle at Fredericksburg, for
the Army of the Potomac did not retreat
| across the Rappahannock until the night
| of the 18th. No one can write that great
| battle without associating President Lin
| coin with it, for he urged Burnside to cross
| the RappahannOck and Rapidan above lneir
! junction. Where the cattle cross, was the
| laconic way he expressed it. If Napoleon
considered it unwise to cross river in the
face of the enemy, Lincoln thought it I'M
| safe, and we paid dearly for not needing
| his advice.
a match for the confederate army when
| they met with equal advantages. If Burn
| side had crossed where Lincoln suggested
| the two armies would have met on a plain
| where the Union army would not have
| suffered such a crushing defeat, and would
have had a chance for victory. But instead
Burnside kept on the left bank of the Rap
| pahannock until the head of his columns
arrived opposite Fredericksburg
| Then began the great battle. General
Hunt prepared the batteries to rake the
other shore to protect the boats as they
| started across. Sumner opened on the
| right. while Franklin, on the left, advanced
1 to scale the heights where Jackson waited
| to receive the shock of that great charge
| Then the fiery Hooker and the gallant Han
| cock charged up Marye's Heights, only to
have their columns melt under the de idly
| fire of the enemy. The great struggle had
| ended
| An Awful Night.
| 1T was an awful night for the Army of tho
| Potomac-the wounded and the dying lay
| on the frozen ground, while those WHO had
been fortunate enough to escape harm
| stood In groups. cold and hungry, without
| any fire. and wondering whether the battle
| would be renewed in the morning
| 1T can be said of Burnside that he pro-
| tested against his appointment, and stated
| TO Lincoln that he could command the 9th
Corps, but he dreaded the responsibility OF
1 the whole army The war had not progress
| ed far enough to develop the great leaders
| In speaking of the battle after the war
| General Stannard said to me such defe ats
| were necessary. to make the people appre-
| ciate peace when 1t came"
| Arrangements were made by the club at
| the meeting Wednesday night to hold a
| public historical recital on Lincoln's birth
| day, and Capt. j. Walter Mitchell the sec
rotary. was instructed to invite certain
| prominent men, including army and navy
| officers, to participate. Papers on the life
and character Of Lincoln will be the fea.
| ture
| No More Royal VetoeS