Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-21

hauling Load of Ammunition Gnde
Fire from Fort sumter and Batter,
wagner--A Critical Moment-Ihe Las
Shot-Safe.
Sometimes the mule is called upon fo
special service, requiring qualities for whicl
he does not generally receive credit. Th,
lines were tightening about Charleston wher
Admlral Dahigrens fleet began operations il
the harbor, and rendered it Practicable fol
the troops on shore to advance with somt
hope of being able 10 hold points previously
untenabe. During the night detachmsnt
of the Tenth corps dislodged a picket post ~
| the eastern end of Morris island, and when
| daylight came had thrown up quite formld
able beginning for field work But the place
was within easy range of Fort Sumter and
Battery Wagner, and every Confederate gun
| that could be brought TO bear began to drop
shell into the little earthwork 1t was thought
| that an attempt was about to be made to
| carry the Ilacc by assault, and, while there
were men enough to hold it, they were a little
short of ammunition The only practicable
road was mile and half of hard smooth
| sand beach, commanded from end to end by
! the Confederate batteries
But there was combination in the Federal
camp that was equal to the emergency
namely, fleet mule and a plucly driver
The mule is mentioned first, only because he
has long Since kicked his last kick but the
driver, II he still survives, will acknowledge
that without the mule he could not have done
what he did. II may be assumed TINT the
mule had good feed of oats before he was
called upon to run the gauntlet, and possibly
the driver, too, may then have felt justified
in fortifying the inner man. Be that as il
may, Just before noon a few boxes of ammu.
nltlon were thrown into the lightest available
wagon, and, after looking the harness over
carefully, the driver took his seat in the
shelter of the sand hills. The mule stood
with his extensive ears raking aft and "A
wicked CLEAN in his eye, as if the oats were
beginning to rise into his brain
"Good-by, boys! Cup, mule.7 and the
equipage started down through the dry sand
to the hard level of the beach Mule shook
MS head and executed demi-volt when he
felt the damp sand under his feet, but driver
Soothed him with cndcaring words. 1t had not
not yet dawned upon the Confederates that the
expedition was intended for the relief of the
garrison. But presently the CLEAN of intel
ligence was indicated with a rush in the
shape of shell from the southeast angle
of Sumter. 1t struck the water fairly
in line, ricocheted, and burst over in
the marsh; but it was the signal for action,
his mighty hind legs under him For IA mo-
ment it was uncertain whether he was going
to kick or run, but few remarks from tho
driver convinced him that there wnS de- |
fnand Tor forward movement, SO he 'lit out |
Tor all he was WORTH At least thirty guns |
commanded that stretch of beach, and they |
pounded away as fast as they could be fired |
Now and then u shell would burst rather too |
near the mules ears for comfort. md he
would sheer violently and try to make for
homo. But the gallant driver piled the lash.
and held him to his work.
AT length ten inch shell tore up the
Deach ana exploded So near that the mule
was entirely denoraized; but not so his
lrlVer. Leaping down from his scat he
'aught the mule by the head backed him
'apidly round once or twice, and was off
tSaln on the keen jump before the gupuers
'ould get his range as fixed object On lie
vent, ana at last dashed into the redoubt.
lut there was no shelter i'll it for the mule,
us ears waved conspicuously above the low
ying parapet
The ammunition boxes we're ttlmbled ont
and the mules nose pointed
or home! With the lightened load and the
prospects OF unlimited fodder, he beat the pre-
ious record. But the Confederate artillerists
we're on their metal now They had failed to
~ NA'S SuPIiit9, bub llIGlI HttllIS burned for
evenge Their shots now came more from :
be rear and bets We're freely offered with no
lkers, on what the result would be should I
he mule have fair chance to kick n ten
lch shell, as 1t We're, ION the hy.n The I
fescendo scream of shell chasing him nm the r
each, lent wings to his heels, and he fairly
ew toward the sheltering sand hills There
ere only few rods more to be covered
hen some careful gunner made a close cal
latlon as to the lengthening range, and !.
llled his lanyard almost in the nick of tin,e "
he huge mass of iron struck tho beach. as il ,
emed to the anxious spectators, exactly be- /
ND the wagon, and the next instant moth l.
y was to be seen there bst a cloud of white
noke and brown sand In an instant how
'er, thls floated away, and the mule was :, j,
en- vigorously reducing to kindling wood a
hat was left of the quartermaster's wagon b
And the driver, where is hef Well. he was
'parently knocked over by the explosion
1t he got on his feet in moment, and
wing cut the traces, was on the mules az
ck In another, waving his hat in response IL
the cheers that rolled across the water te
ON Yankee blue jackets, from Confederate sa
PRISONS, and from the dark blue masses 81
at crowned the distant sand dunes. th
1t IS pity that the drivers name has not al
en- preserved, for his daring act certainly he
serves recognition and reward Perhans tn
received both, but the writer has been nm II
10 TO find mention of the fact-Adrian
StoTd in American Magazine