The National tribune., 1889-07-18


Bray, there might come sweet visions of pro-
motion in the life that is, and artistic apothe-
oss in the glad hereafter. But to tho speech
less, unappreeated mule, hight merely nigh
or "off" in the vernacular, promotion never
came; and even the picturesque talisman u.
$" upon his right shoulder, the only badge OF
honor permitted him, was often so inefficiently
executed as TO serve no decorative purpose
whatever. Here, then, was the sine OF an arc
that did not recognize equality in the co-sine of
its supplement-. Nevertheless, how 10 happen
cd that rat-taied cat hammed mule weigh
ing $50 pounds and knobby with protrudng
bones from headstal to crupper. could draw a
heavier load than n round robust Norman Per-
chcron horse weighing ton, remains unto this
day an ungucssabe enigma. There was one
glory Of the horse and another glory of tho
mule, but no mule differed from another mule
in glory by any palpable percentage. They met
upon the level and parted on the square. " y
The soldier mule is now in harness; his neo-
pagan steersman. the scarlet scoundrel, is in
tho saddle. If tho speechless, miserable muio
shall unfortunately live long enough, Ire will
become Il veteraH. Harnessed and mounted,
CURSED, CUDGELED AND sPURRED,
he starts on his weary pilgrimage For him no
primrose paths of daIiancs open beekouiug.
lie travels from the Ohio TO the Gulf, but not
in u palncccar nor on dead head ticket.
Far otherwise. He helps TO bring up the rear
OF the most gigantic and iubilant salvation
army since salvation was revealed, but he is not
concerted. He assists in the conveyance of
breadstulls otherwise bareback, mody and
fuHgous left over from tho Mexican war; and
fit only for slnmgulion Of meats that smell
like an explosion of sewer-gas; of black
molaSscs as sour as the tartmte of acri-
mony of desccated sundries as obsolete as q
rntabaga turnip of the class of SO; aud of COM
missary whisky, dccanied of all disgusts, con
fccted for the scum of slumS; but none OF these
have either terror o: temptation for him-be
"knoweth his masters crib"
He starts ont in the morning as eager rs If
there were something of great value hanging
just in front of him with a member of the Leg
islature reaching for IT. he comes IN ut night
on right by file into line as fresh and beautiful
as a sarsaparilia lithograpll. After long days
exertion, with no nutriment but raw log for
breakfast and roasted south wind for dinner
with no encouragement but polyglot epithets
aud the frequent usufruet Of the kissing whip
lash 10 his quaking flank and skinned sides
and dropping ears. he can take good roll in
the dirt, with "A diatonic accompaniment of
snOTts groaus and gruutS, lie down snpperlcss
with no collie phantoms 10 disturb his dreams
of combing his fetlocks in golden stubble. and
come forth in the purple of dawn next day
clipper as Sancho Panza's Dapplc-oh! speech
less. incredible mulel
uureseryedlv affirm that he was fully capable Of
the zeal displayed by one Of our Maj or-Generals,
who on or about the 29th of August. 1862,
rushed toward tho sound of John Pope's can
non at the hold the fort for lam coming We
locity of six miles day: and of devotion equal
TO that of another Major General, coincidenty
uegatiye-pregn who simultaneously tele-
grHphcd To joan Pope from Alexandria. propos-
ing to reinforce him with every wagon IN the
camp. IL nc would send back cavalry for an
escorti
THE MULES STRATEGIc VALUE
was tersely expressed by Gen. GEORGE ii.
Thomas when he said: "The fate Of an army
may sometimes depend npon n linch.pn."
There were six patient. faithful mules attached
10 each creakiBg baggage-waRon. Thirteen OF
these wagons were at one time allotted 20 a
regiment OF Infantry; six to % battery of arii-
lcFy- Ono hundred teams occupied mile of
road. At that period an army OF $4,000 men
on the march was followed by wagon train
Is miles long The breaking OF Inch PIN or
a king bolt or hRme-strap near the front Of
this numbering procession would bring prompt
baltage 10 the whole succedant line, while the
hord, indnctive teanster, pondering deeply
the subjectiveness Of dinnerlessncsz, repairs
the damage, with frequent volleys Of Enfield
curses and Calling blows discharged at his
spccchless unoiIendiHg mules.
To the mule la camp. IL anywhere. rest. m.
tions aud felicity should come. Ten ponnds
oi grain and IL pounds of hay - the daily al
lowauce. The court awards it aud the law doth
give II thrice Happy is the beast that gets i.
Straw. stalks tentypins and eFaeker-hoxes arc
his more reliable pr0yendcr, reinforced " itl q
stray bite and then when be could chew
himself Ioosel from private's lanndrird and
lively underwear drying on a limb. or from tie
shoulder Of e Corporal of the Guard. No lolli-
pop confectionery for him. melting ia The
mouth like painted bntter. Empty is the
nose bag even to plebeian oats. ?
! The condiments for the mules camp banquet
are not Of the spice spicy. At spasmotlie inter.
/ walls sympathetic soldier, having burned all
the top rails OF coniscated fence, will toss tbs
! juicy aud edible bottom rail 10 the pleading,
omnivcTous mule, rcsidnary legatee Of the
campfire. II watercd regularly
twice n week he may vote himself lucky, for
1 he has not even the thin surfct of the tee.
4 t0talcrs wassail. where water flows like wine
Meanwhile the unsauctihed ieamster with the
I red head sleeps ON ample bedding Of good
I sweet bay: has large store Of gefrymandered
corn 10 exchange for toothsome luxaries, glst
ems with nickel-plate detached lever jewelry
/ and wears = bomb-pro0f conscience void OF of
/ feuse-bad medicine. he
OF THg MULE ~ BATTLE
! lean is the records exploitation. the Quarter
masters returns OF uBeouuted thousands " Iosl
/ IN action To the contrary Notwithstanding
| His frequent service at the flaming front with
| the ammunition wagon is wholly ignored. WeT,
| he 10 times the tin clad child OF havoc that d,
is, the aorid, bare-lipped arbiter OF his desti
Bies would take good care that. barring neci
| dents. his opportunities for responding 20 tlis
long roll should be few. For offensive purposes
be WAS, in general, AS harmless aa "A United State
frgate or a Belgian musket, or divinity stu
dent at a bean.bag festival.
Down In North Carolina squad of Sher
mans bnmmers, mounted on mules and stray
ing miles in advance Of the column, aceidcn all,
stumbled OH rebel brigade snugiy encamped
Into whose ragged, deeollcte bosoms aud dis
eouragcd souls the elangor aud bray of Oh,
onset smote such terror that they swiftly pul
sated out Of sight, leaving the inyincible mule
and their ast0nished riders in unlitigated pos
session. Gen. Grants +" Memoirs" tell us tha
a similar event occurred in Lookout Valley il
lc63. Otherwise, this splendid achievement I
unprecedented, perhaps, since Gideon attack c,
the Midianltes Lying along the valley Iik
grasshOppers for multitude" leading a battal
ion Of 400 Hebrews, with trumpet in ever,
mans band. with empty pitchers aud lamp
within the pitchers" .
In the innumerablc miscellaneous episode
Of military sphere, the mule was marke,
high AS 10 department To the hospital AN,
the guaTdh0use. those Siamese bugbears of hon
orable service, he was a stranger No yenia
dereliction subjected him 10 stoppagc of pay o
reduction 10 the ranks, even when the foddc
that he longed for never came The pronenes
of his voice apparatus 10 90 Off at half cock un
fitted him for the crooked work Of strategy
he could never be relied on either to "lie " i