The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-12-26
SCOUTING ON MULE BACK
Tribulations Of a First Attempt 10 Mount
the 9th Iowa Uncertain Stccds.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Did YOU
ever try TO ride an army mule? If not. be
wise, take our advice, and don't An army
mule is different from any other animal on
earth. He will stand on his head when that
end should be up He will lie down and
roll over when he should be getting from
that spot as fast as his legs could carry him.
He Will plunge head first into mudhole or
deep water when he should shy around
both.
A whole regiment of soldiers cannot get
him over two rails Of a fence at time when
he should be skipping over it and flying from
the danger lurking near. He will not eat
bite of the forage you have carried for him
10 miles on your back, but viii slip his hal
ter, steal into your tent, and get into your
cracker-box with both hind feet / would
swear 10 this statement for my regiment was
once mounted on army mules.
In the Winter of 1s62-63 the 9th Iowa was
stationed along the Memphis & Charleston
Railroad between Memphis, Tenn, and Cor
NTH, Miss. In December the regiment was
doing guard duty, stationed in small squads,
on the line. South of us, in Mississippi, was
the rebel Gen. Chalmers, in command of nu-
merous bands of rebel cavalry; while north
Of US, in Tennessee, the rebel Gems. Forrest
and Shelby were lowering close by.
These commands were mounted on the
feetest horses the Southern States could fur
nish. An infantry command could do moth
ing toward capturing them. Almost daily
squad of these rebel cavalrymen would
dash down upon small squad of our com
mand guarding some small bridge capture
them. rake them few miles from the place
Of capture and shoot them as though thew
were dogs. There was not enough Union
cavalry III that locality to hunt down and
capture these guerrillas, and the infantry
only lost their time when they undertook to
go after them, for they would not stand aud
fight.
Gen. Sooy Smith was in command of the
Union troops, and he was determined he
would put stop TO these raids lie con-
suited Gen. Hatch, of the I'd Iowa Cav, and
decided that the 9th Inf, mounted on the
wagon mules of the two commands, could
either whip the Johnnies capture them. or
brighten them out Of the country.
The members of the 9th were consulted
but expressed grave doubts as TO the success
OF mount Oh mules but as they were
there to put down the rebellion, or get put
down themselves, they were willing 10 try
II, on mules or any other way.
On Christmas Day, 1862, the bugle sound
ed fall IN for our Christmas presents We
were marched to the reserve camp of the I'd
Cav, where each man was TO receive his
ration Of army mule. The mules were tied
to trees, and were harnessed with short
rein biind-bridle, which perhaps had not
been off that mule since il left st. Louis.
some months before. There was no choice :
each man took the mule he happened to be
halted behind. Not one in six had ever been
ridden. Not asaddle could be had, and each
man took his mule to the camp as best he
could.
When we returned to camp word was
brought in from the front that body of
rebel cavalry had dashed down on small
squad of our regiment captured all of them,
took them short distance into the woods,
and murdered every one of them. This