Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-14
JUNGLE RI1EY,sy WAR MULE
Dir. Tobin Relates the Wonderful Elk
ploits of war Mule. and Offers Proof
of His statements. E

and warm him in cold weather. One u
the Young men was RECALLING the crowd
with description of stonewall Jacksons
famous horse, which he had seen while
at the New Orleans Exposition, when Mr..
William Tobin, Of Bear Heaven, rode
up and hitched his mule to post in front
Of the sShde" lie at once became an at
tentive listener.
s.Whats peculiar about the hoss;"
asked Mir T0hin.
ssWhv, Stonewall Jackson rode nun all
through the Virginia campaigns replied
one.
.sWen. what OF tbatY I've got a mule that
rode an through the Virginia campaigns,
aud he's a better war boss than Stonewal
Jackson ever rid"
..Tell MS about him, Uncle Riley said
several, and one of the Young men led the
way into the mink slide" where they all
thanked up"
..Did stonewalPs war boss ever do
any hgbtin'.f asked Mr.. Tohin, as he
set his glass down and proceeded to chew
lemon peel.
mo, l suppose not" was the reply;
"Gen. Jackson did the fighting while rid
ing the horse"
swell. that's the difference between
StonewslPs war boss and my war mule"
replied Mr. Tobin.
sThe mule didn't fghtp exclaimed the
gentlemanly manipulation Of iced bey
erages as he raked the change into the
till, and proceeded to souze the glasses
Just used into bucket of dirty water
.'Well, he just did, " replied Mr.. Tobin.
"Jef was equal TO ten men and one can
non in battle. rid that mule with Wade
Hampton at MANASSAS Gan, and rid him
home, and he's good mule vet, aud never
has had a mortgage on him nuther. /
named him after JEFF Davis, aud | don't
think old JEFF would be ashamed Of mis-
namesake if he knowed as much Of him as
j do. And be is like JED Davis, too for
neither of them don't ask 10 pardug for
nothing they done. Well, as ! was sayin',
] rid Jetf when old Wade led US up TO
help Stonewall stand the racket at Ma
nassas. JEFF and me was both sorter
bashful like when we went In. You see
we was both new in the soldier business,
and rather timid. and didn't want to rush
in ahead Of the music. But when he got
in we went to stay. Jeff was excited and
didn't seem TO banker after glory, and the
nearer we got to whar the glory lay the
less Of it felt would do me. When we
got up purity close JEFF wanted to run
back, and it took all the patriotism in
me TO keep from lettin' him do it. 1t was
"a tolerable hot place, and didn't blame
the mule for wantin' to run. | thought
TO myself, if ! didn't have no more repu-
tati0n at stake than the mule. blamed if |
wouldn't say 90. JEFF didn't seem 10 enter
fully into the sentiments Of the occasion
until a minnie ball struck him plump in
the side. Ii Just stuck under the skin,
but it made him mad. He reared ard
pitched and cayOrted around powerful.
He appeared like he wanted to run right
Ia amongst the Yankees. seed he WAS
gettin' so Onruly that / couldn't hold him
back, so / tried 10 turn him around.
thought II he was gon' to run / wanted
his head to be pintin' the other way
But law, JEFF was mad and you might
as well have tried to turn a hurricane
He rushed right in amongst the first
squad of Yankees he seed. He kicked
them Yankees with his hind feet and
paved 'em with his front feet, and bit
and bit and chawed 'em up Ike they was
oats. The Yankees thought the devil had
Ed in amongst them, but they didn't pay
no attention to me-Jef kept 'em inter.
ested. They broke To run, but JEFF fol-
lowed 'em up, fanked EN- and surround
ed 'em and opened on 'em with both ends
just like a General. Finally, there was
ODly one Of lem left ana he was maxim
for the woods, but JET caught him and
just picked him up by the scat Of his
this time old St0newall had cleaned out
the balance of the crowd. and JEFF didn't
stop till he got into our camp; then
he drapped the Yankee and be was
put in the buil-pen with the other pris-
Oners.
s'Mebhe you feIlers think I'm lynn"
continued Mr. Tobin, holly glaring az the
barkeeper, who had whisued his DOUBT; ;
''if you don't believe it come down To
my farm and I'll show you the mule, by
grabs''
The barkeeper explained that he
whistled because he was 80 hot, and
after all had assured Mr.. Tnbn that they
knew he was incapable Of telling lie he
continued:
sWen. after that Jeff was Just spilin'
for a fight all the time. He would get
right low spirited If we went a week with
out getting into scrimmage | used TO
feel right sorry for him, he looked 50
sad. But when he heard a cannon boom
and smell whistle he peartened up and
seemed 70 have the same sentiment that
Patrick Henry had when he said "Giye me
liberty or give me DEATH JEFF was sort
OF tree thinker. He didn't wait for no or
ders TO forward hut as soon as be saw 4
squad OF Yankees he charged 'em After
he got the hang of the thing he appeared
20 enjoy it,. ! didn't like his way OF
nEhtln', but j couldn't hold him back
One day we We're all dism0uuted and
standiu' by our horses in skirt OF woods
waiting for orders, when the Yankees run
gun out in front OF us and began "a
shell the woods. As soon as the first
shell tore through the tops OF the trees
JEFF got wild. He broke loose from me and
rushed right towards the gun. Before the
Yankees knowed IL JEFF was right in
amongst 'em, kickin' the daylight outen
'em. What he didn't Kill right straight
took to Their heels, but JEFF didn't follow
'em that time. He just turned his heels
towards the gun and kicked the darned
old thing until he dlsmounted. and then
turned his attention TO the caissOn and
kicked IL all 20 pieces. The shells began
70 bust and JEFF thought the Yankees were
shooting a. him, and the faster they busted
the faster JEFF Kicked, until the whole
thing was demolished. JEFF didn't know,
any more Than some Of the rest OF as did.
what the war was about, but he saou found
out that the fellows that had on the blue
clothes was the ones we was tryin, 10 *.
terminate. and be went for everything
that was blue. One day one Of our feli0ws
had on a Yankee oyereoat, and JEDI
thought be was a Yankee. The mule
rushed at him and picked him up in his
teeth aud trotted od 20 the Captains tent
with him. None Of our boys darsu't wear
a blue 0vercoat after iha4.
"fes, sir; Jeh and me flo through tho
war together, and be can't stand n piece
Of blue clsth yet II makes him mad.
can't put blue saddle blanket on him.