The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-10-13
AN ARMY EPISODE.
Which Possessed Some Amusing
Features Connected with
a Mule.

EDITOR BAzoo As you have
had the practical experience, you
will recall that if there is one thing
above another disgusting and almost
unbearable to an infantry soldier, it
is the eternal Juggling around with
him of his indispensable blanket and
knapsack. To his gun and its ammu.
milton he cannot object, for he soon
learns to regard them as protectors,
but the knapsack is always too heavy.
and upon long march becomes a
very bugbear. When 1 was serving
with my company, in the 35th N. Y.
Volunteer Infantry, (mainly raised in
the county where you were born,
and where your honored father was q
leading citizen), General Shields sud-
denly camped near us in the early
summer of 1862. upon the heights op.
Posite Fredericksburgh, Va. He had
been ordered to join Mcdowell to aid
in the movement upon Richmond by
way of the Wilderness, McC lellan hav-
ing asked the President to cause that
demonstration to be made. But Nc
Dowell's command was ordered back
to Fredericksburg after only one days
march towards Richmond, be-
cause jackson had made
a movement which seriously
menaced Washington. Shields
departed from our vicinity the
very next day as silently
and mysteriousIy as he had come.
But the manner in which his COM
mand was equipped, and the CON-
parative ease and CELEBRITY with which
they moved, had aroused the atten-
ton of my men, who never loved
a knapsack. Each one of Shields
possessed cart and mule
and into these carts the men packed
their knapsacks, making load
EASILY TRANSPORTED,
as the boys were ever ready
to "boost" the cart over steep hills or
out of deep ruts in the Virginia roads,
and thus soldering became to them a
pastime instead of laborious toll.
Within few days our own com.
mand followed Shields in the foot race
10 interpose ourselves between Jack.
'on and the Potomac it was not
known where that ubiquitous com.
nander would strike-whether down
through the Blue Ridge by its several
,aps towards Manassas or through
he Shenandoah Valley and across
he Potomac into Maryland.
To secure a mule and a cart was
low the one ambition of my men. |
Upon the second day Of our march
. mule was "found," a temporary
harness was soon rugged up from the |
urplus stock of our regimental team.
ter, and by rare good fortune the |
'ery next day after securing the mule |
We came upon a neglected and appar.
.ntly abandoned cart, and our mule |
vas soon hauling it along the road
oaded with the boys knapsacks.
In my company we had an Irish.
nan name Dan Gearon-and if alive
o-day, he or any of his brave COM
ades-to any or all of them, l say
"GoD BLESS you, EVERY ONE"
or they were good soldiers all, glad
o follow where they were led, and |
Ilways ready for a brush with the |
nemy. Gearop, like many other
rishmen, was very confident of his |
.bility to manage the mule, for "sure |
lis old mother kept a COW at home in |
kilkenny, and didn't he himself care
or the COW, and
WHERE WAS A MULE
larder to manage than q cow" So
was settled that Dan was to be
river of the mule and general care
aker of the company's belongings.
His dignity rose with the occasion.
His comrades began to call him "Mr.
ieason" instead of plain "Dan,"
nd he became in q single
|ay an important man, for
With him it was largely discretionary
8 to how much each soldier could de-
'osit in the cart for transportation.
His Importance, however, was to find
n unhappy ending, of which 1 shall
peak later on.
Hilariously We thenceforth logged
long, the men jubilsnt and more like
chool boys on an ''outing" than
ronzed and able soldiers, intent
,ainly npon earning their So a month
with rations." Day after day We
loved towards the Blue mountains,
'hich seemed scarcely to grow nearer
y our fifteen or eighteen miles daily
pproach. Longingly the other COM
anies of the regiment gazed at our
ew experiment in transportation,