The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-05-26
Quantrell's Men Scared by Mules.

"The worst fright I eve had was
caused by a drove of young mules
said Frank James, who was one of
Quantrell's most daring night riders.
"Adetachment of Quantrell's command
wa suddenly and unexpectedly In
horsed in Western Kentucky about the
middle of the war. was one Of them.
There were 10 of us in the party. We
hustled around in lively fashion for
new horses and could not afford to be
very ~squeamish about the style of
animal or the means employed in &C
curing them, for the enemy was close
upon us and pursuing US hotly. Along
towards night, we came upon a pasture
filled with a motley array of horses,
and We helped ourselves to them. In
the bunch was an old mare with a big
bell tied around her neck. Of course
we knew that this meant she was the
leader of the drove. But we pressed
her into service, anyway, and away
we struck down a rocky branch road.
You don't know what a rocky branch
road is unless you have had to travel
over one in Western Kentucky. 1t
is no road at all, but simply a level
bank along a branch or small creek
that flows through a valley between
the high hills, which in most any
other country would be called noun
tains.
"Well, we were going lickity-split
down this rocky branch road toward
our command. It was soon after dark,
but it was as black away down in that
r~avine as the innermost of the
internal regions are supposed to be.
Though We were ridingfast and making
a good deal of noise, VI could hear a
tremendous commotion in u rear.
We halted to determine the nature
and cause of it. The uproar sounded
like a cavalry charge, and we concluded
that a whole division of Federal cav
airy was pursuing US. We resumed
our course under whip and spur, and
louder grew the noise in u rear. 1t
sounded exactly as if the enemy was
gaining on US at every leap, and |
suggested that we shy off into the
bushes and wait for the Yanks to come
up with us. Then we could surprise
and rout them. On the mad rush
came with a mighty %clatter of hoofs
on that rocky branch road. AS the
uproar grew louder and more distinct
we knew the enemy was nearing US
and we threw ourselves into line of
battle.
"Pretty soon we heard the clatter
just over the brow of a hill from our
position and we cooked our guns ready
to throw a broadside into the onrush-
ing Yanks as soon as they showed
themselves on the hills crest. j.
another instant a black mass could NC
seen sweeping over the knoll. Then
we thought probably it might be some
of our own men, and that before send
ing our deadly fire into the mass it
would be best to find out what COM
posed it. We shouted Halt, at the
top Of our voices, but still the mass
continued to sweep toward us. Then
we fired a volley into it. The fash of
our guns made a brilliant red streak
in the inky blackness, aud through it
we saw a lot of young mules. They
had broken out of the pasture when
they discovered the absence of the
bell mare, and their instinct had
guided them in our direction in search
of her.
II have no idea how many Of them
we killed, but I do know that | was
mad enough when I got over my fright
to shoot them all down, and would
probably have done SO if it had not
been for the fear that the cannonading
we had already INDUCED in had aroused
the enemy and put him on to the d.
rection we had TAKEN