River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-08-06
CRUSHING THE REBELLION.
How Peck and Another Mule did the
Business.

his promotion to Second Lieutenant.
The arrival of that commission was
turning point in the war. If the an
nouncement of my promotion to Ser
gmnt created an excitement in the De
partment of the Gulf, what shall be said
of the joy that was created throughout
the North, and the CONSERVATION that
prevailed in the Southern army, when
it was known that shoulder straps had
been conferred on me for gallantry on
the field. in issuing corned mule to my
command Letters poured in from the
North congratulating me on my sue
cess, and imploring me to pay the bal
ance | owed the writers. Very soon
after was commissioned we begaG 10
hear of rebels surrendering.
We were at Morganzia, La, just
starting on a raid, and was placed in
command of thirty veteran soldiers, put
on the advance guard. and instructed
that if | run on to rebel picket post
to simply feel of the enemy and report.
1t is fearful to 90 into battle the first
time, to feel that you may in moment
be made useless for future reference.
We started out and | was in a sweat.
Here was |, raw recruit, never having
exchanged courtesies with the enemy,
in fact never having been introduced to
any of them. in charge of a lot of veter-
ans who had been there before and
thirsted for a charge. | must admit
that | was not as anxious for blood as |
had been. | was looking for some-
thing that | was afraid | should find.
The command was mounted on veteran
horses that had been chasing rebels for
three wears, and liked no better fun,
and they entered into the spirit of it
equal to the men. In selecting horse
for active service. | had picked out a
blonde mule, one that had gentle So
prano voice that blended with mine in
the most beautiful manner. This mule
was sir-named Samantha, and those
who were best acquainted with Saman-
tina liked her best. This mule seemed
1 to have reason, and could almost con
verse, but | had my doubts about Sa-
mantha's speed, and lhat Is one reason
selected her l didn' believe in doing
things too fast, and was afraid the
| horses and men would be too impetus
Gus and rash, if they saw the enemy
/ Daylight was just approaching and we
were riding along on one of those
southern roads as level as floor. The
balance of the command was a short
distance behind us, not half as anxious
as was. just at the break Of day we
looked about twenty rods ahead. and
there were about twenty rebel soldiers,
mounted ready for business. | rcmem-
bered my instructions. to feel the en-
envy, but thought could feel them as
well twenty rods off as nearer. | could
always reach a good distance. There
was big veteran corporal riding near
me, and | said to him Jack, how Is the
best way to feel of the enemy, when
YOU have an enemy to feel of. - Jack,
thought, had his doubts about me,
and my bravery. He looked up as UNI
concerned as possible, and said charge
em! to be sure!" At that remark each
particular hair on my head stood on
end like quilts upon the fretfui porcu.
pine. If | had been sure that the reb-
els would move on when we charged
them, | would have felt different, but
| didn't know but they would stay
there. How did | know but they
would shoot. | wa brave enough, l
always was brave. But standing there
wouldn't help matters any, so got
ready for business. | rose in my stir
rups. patted Samantha on the left ear
and told her not to get agtated, and
rush headlong into the thickest Of the
frav. ] told her that she must remem-
Der her position in society. That She
was an officers horse, and must re-
member and maintain the dignity of her
station | told her that in battle an
officers place was in rear of his COM
mand. | was so agitated that | forgot
all the commands | ever knew, and all
| could say was, ''wrap the flag around
me bows, mother I've come home to
die. This did not have the desired
effect. When one of the rebels took
deliberate aim and fired at Us, lodged
down behind Samantha's ears and said
in loud voice, The combat deepens,
on We braver' There was a sound OF
horses hoofs, a yell, and away the
brave went. A solitary hOrseman
might have been seen in the rear, with
bride reins wound round his hands,
irving to hold blond-mule. That was
me, persuading Samantha that it was
not necessary to be in such a confound-
ed hurry. We had all day before us,
and there was no necessity Of getting
excited My whole soul was thrown
into the one effort to hold that mule.
but there seemed to be a sort of special
Providence in Samanthas being hard
bitted. All of the natural cOntrariness
of the mule here showed itself, She
seemed to act as though possessed OF
evil, and she just pulled on that bride
on one end while pulled on the other.
Every Jump she made we were nearing
the enemy. and if | had had writing
materials handy would at once have
rendered my resignation. The track
was getting too fresh, as it were. Re
solving to stop that mule, or perish in
the attempt threw all my strength into
one effort and pulled. Great Heavens!
What was that crash? The bride rein
had broken, and Samantha was mis-
tress of the situation, and the way she
clawed dust was q caution. She
couldn't have split the air wide open
any more if a bundle of straw, saturat-
ed with kerosene had been fastened to
her. In two minutes Samantha and
me caught up with the veterans, had
passed them, and were oyertaking the
southern confederacy. shut my eyes,
said Now lay me, and let Samantha
went.
There was about three inches Of nice
mud on the ground, and every horse
seemed to have taken a contract to
throw as much as possible on me.
Talk about Sheridan ride-it was 4
rocking horse excursion in parlor-
compared to mine. The rebels fired
over their shoulders at us, just as care
less as though they didn't care if they
did hit some of us. My men fired
through between their horses ears at
them | never was 50 scared since
was married, as | was that morning.
We followed those devils about five
miles, and never caught rebel. But
when we stopped we found that the
whole southern army had come out Of
the woods and got in our rear, between
us and our command, and wouldn't lei
us 90 back. paved the mud out Of
my eyes and looked back, and thought
| could see Robert +. Lee, General
Beauregard, Albert Sydney johnson,
and all the rebel generals in command
of divisions and army corps, holding a
council of war as to the safest method to
adopt to capture my handful Of men.
l. wished then, that had been content
ed to remain in the position of chap
Iains orderly. Well, to give the whole
history of the war in short space, we
took to the woods, and they followed
US, and we bushwhacked around nearly
i