Wednesday, April 18, 2018

General Lee's Chicken...!

For this episode of Western Wednesday, let's talk about battlefield pets.

General Lee had a pet chicken, believe it or not. How he came by the hen is an interesting story in and of itself. Apparently Lee was very fond of his chicken, though, and until the hen made the ultimate sacrifice Lee treated it well.

General Lee’s chicken.

In 1862, a Virginia farmer gave Robert E. Lee a flock of chickens. Confederate General John Bell Hood’s men ate all of them—except for one, who had survived by making her roost in a tree overhanging Lee’s tent. Lee took a liking to the chicken. He named her “Nellie” and raised the flap of his tent so she could come and go as she pleased. She began laying eggs nearly every day under the general’s cot. On the eve of the Battle of the Wilderness, Lee invited a group of generals to dine with him, but his slave cook, William Mack Lee, couldn’t find sufficient food to make a meal. Although he “hated to lose her,” the cook said he “picked her good, and stuffed her with bread stuffing, mixed with butter.” He said it was the only time in four years that Lee scolded him. “It made Marse Robert awful sad to think of anything being killed,” he said, “whether ’twas one of his soldiers or his little black hen.”

Sad that the pet chicken made it's way into the cook pot, but like they say...War is Hell!

Coffee out on the patio again this morning, where the temps are going back up into the 80s.

6 comments:

Mamahen said...

It would be hard to eat a critter you had made a pet of, but then, with my phobia of birds, I can't see me ever having a pet chicken:))

linda m said...

It would be hard to eat a "pet". But then I really don't think of edible food as a pet. I'll gladly take some of your warm weather. We are expecting rain/ snow mix later followed by one to three inches of that horrible white stuff. I am so tired of white stuff.

Momlady said...

My only pets are cats. One does not eat cats. Hoping warm weather is here to stay. This "Spring" is being very fickle indeed.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mamahen...
I can see that being hard with your fear of birds.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Linda...
I can see how you must certainly be tired of the white stuff. You sure need a good dose of sunshine and warm weather.
Thanks for coming over today!


Hey Momlady...
I do hope we never start eating cats, as I have a couple myself.
Weather this year so far has indeed been quite fickle.
Thanks for the visit this morning.

JO said...

Poor old thing guess you shouldn't invite people for dinner if you don't have anything for the pot.

See you on the patio pretty chilly here this morning but should warm up nicely later on

HermitJim said...

Hey Jo...
Right you are about having enough food for the guest. After all, don't want them eating the pets or maybe even the house plants. Bet the General missed the eggs as well!
Thanks for dropping by today, sweetie.