The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-11-17
rae REVOLVING MULE.
pheuix's Invention Still ON
'VNS s.,o in the War Department.

.rbe last time was in Washing
i n sa; IA veteran army officer to
ton, ,rsesnondent, ''those fellows up
che tbe Navy Department were in
al .n9 huff over an effort looking to
qu nhange in their uniforms, and
80 was as great a commo-
t su0a0 &C the one that existed
sion i,r President Pierce's ad
uu .,nS7 when they talked of
nLnncino the styles of uniforms in
the army. That event was aUtendeo
nv some very amusing Incidents,
mt the most Iaughabie was the part
lien in il by the late Captain
nsrhv. or John Phoenix, as he was
t-nown in journalistic and literary
rircles. He was lieutenant at the
time. and stationed IN California.
left Davis, who vas Secretary Of
War. issued a general invitation to
officers Of the army who were skill
ful draughtsmen 70 send in sugge5-
tons for the new uniform which it
had been decided to adopt. One
such invitation was sent to
each Office. Lieutenant Derby was
ready with his pen-a really
ingenious artist. In reply he sent
to the War Department., not exactly
a design for a new uniform, bat a
peculiar addition TO the old uniform,
the amendment consisting merely
Of a ring attached TO the seat OF the
trousers OF each private soldier.
Each officer was to carry, instead OF
sword, long pole with d hook in
the end, like shepard's crook. The
pole and the ring enabled officers to
keep privates from running away in
battle. Fugitives could be easily
caught by it and brought back;
stragglers could be kept in line.
Moreover, the ring would be very
useful in the cavalry service to
fasten soldiers to the saddle, to pre-
vent them from falling off, and
in the artillery service the
rings were to be used for
draugbt purposes, in the absence Of
mules. These specifications were
accompanied by the most grotesque
figures, representing officers hauling
back cowardly recruits by the ser
vjceable ring, cavalrymen securely
fastened to the tops of their stesas
by the same device and ar5illerymen
haTuessed TO cannon, drawing them
through narrow defles or up an ac-
clivity inaccessible to mUles On
another sheet OF Bristol boar. was
an illustration in gaudy col,rs Of
'Derby's Rotary Mule HowH19r,'
accompanied by written insc:ips
ton to this effect: Upon the back
of young and vigorous mule strap
8 mountain hoWitzer. the muzzle
pointing toward the tail. s similar
piece Of ordnance is fastened with
IRON bands under the animals alb
domen, the muZZle aimed between
his fore legs in the front. There
are four gunners-two to each piece
and spersuader, as he is called,
whose business it is to persuade the
mule to stand firm and not retreat
by stuf1ng him with oats after each
discharge with a tin sausage suffer.
When Indians or other legitimate
game appear in view the mule is,
by a crank movement on the tail,
brought to the front. 1t don't make
any difference which way the mule
faces and here Is where my patent
comes in-one gun is. always
pointing to the front. At the COM
mand Fire. the top howitzsr is dis
charged. The recoil throws the
mule on his back, bringing the Sec
ond gun into position. This dis
charge suddenly throws the mule
on his feet again, when the gunners
Swab out the mules throat with hay
and reload"
eThe illustrations which accom-
panied these directions-in brown,
red, blue and god, and still on file
in the War ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
the rotary mule in seven differ
ent attitudes, looking contented and
happy all the time. This was felt
to be outrageous on the part of
s1baltern. The clerks in the War
Department laughed at the funny
letter immoderately but the superior
looked serious. Jefferson Davis,
the secretary. was terribly in
digRant, and had resolved to
defend his wounded dignity.
Charges and specifications were
drawn upagainst Lieutenant Derby,
800 VIZ OL2OC1o w ClC sfCGudl1y udLACO
Tor his court martial when William
l.. Marcy, Secretary of State-a
man OF considerable sense and self
polse-said to the Secretary of War:
Now see here, General Davis, don't
you 90 it. This Derby has undoubt-
eoly superhuous development of
humor, but he is shrewd and in
genlo0s, and really a fine draughts-
man. You can organize a court
that will convict him. but you will
pe the butt of ridicule on account
OF 1t all your life. Better file the
suggestions Of the crook-and.ring
dna the lively rotary mule and say
nothlng, and he did it. Poor Derby
consequently became an inmate of
al insane asylum and later died by