NY Times 1-6-1865
A Richmond editorial maintained that the South would always enjoy a “superabundance of bread and meat.” Apparently that superabundance wasn’t always making it to the front.
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch January 6, 1865:
The soldiers’ New-year’s dinner.
Camp first Virginia regiment.
To the Editor of the Richmond Dispatch:
The New-Year’s dinner has come and gone; or, rather, gone without coming.–Some of the troops from the South seem to apprehend the Virginia troops, being nearer home, may have gotten the best of them in the distribution. I think that, by stating the case of our regiment (the First Virginia, and enlisted in Richmond,) this misapprehension may be relieved.
setting his incisors?
I presume thousands of rebels, like myself, expected really a good treat to the inner man, and plenty of it, basing their expectations upon the colossal preparations in Richmond, the great number of Confederate dollars contributed by worthy and patriotic citizens, the glaring articles in the newspapers, and the names of the gentlemen who composed the committee, satisfied all of them that it would be a good thing; and, laboring under these impressions, we prepared accordingly, setting our incisors. The quartermaster and commissary were to have nothing to do with the sumptuous feast, nor were they invited to partake. Well, on Monday night notice was received at regiment headquarters to send a detail of men, with an officer, to brigade headquarters to receive our quota. [None of the committee have, as yet, made their appearance.] They soon returned with two barrels, holding the dinner. The contents were soon made visible by knocking in the heads. I will give you a list of the contents for the entire regiment, numbering two hundred and sixty men and officers. Thirty-two ordinary-size loaves of bread; two turkeys, one of them a very diminutive specimen of that species of fowl, (some swore that it was a chicken); a quarter of lamb and a horse-bucketful of apple butter. Well, of course this immense weight of provender had to be divided out to the various companies. After our company had received its due proportion, the whole lot was, by unanimous consent of the company, (numbering thirty men,) condensed into six parts, and by a species of lottery, all thirty participating, the six “piles” fell to six men; so twenty-four received nothing, and six all. I was on picket at the time, but found, upon my return to camp, that I was one of the successful six, and got the leg of a turkey and a half-pound of mutton, which I soon disposed of, with some fried bacon, red pepper, salt, water, and flour to thicken, making a French dish, which I leave for you to name. So ended our New-Year’s dinner. No blame is attached to any one. The undertaking was too great an one; so say all the troops.
A. B. C.
