The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-04
HOW ARMY CORRAL IS KEPT,
THE TRANSPORTATION DEPART
MENT AND IT'S IMPORTANCE.


seventh Corps Has $500 Mules, 200
Horses ind 600 WagOns-Mr. John
H. sullivan, Master of Transporta-
ton and His WOrk-EIe Has n High
opinion of the Mule and Knows
All His Good Points-Care That n.
Given the Animals.
The corps and division corrals may nat
be the most interesting places about a
camp, but they are one of its most inn
portant features, AND there are many n
teresting details connected with the cara
and management of them.
The corral of the Seventh ARMY corua
Is In charge of Mr.. John H. Sullivan. or
Broncho John" as he Is famaiaxqy
known among hts friends. and, in fact.
he wears that name on his army hat Mr.
sullivan, himself makes the corral more
interesting than IL would otherwise he
lie had his first experience with the army
In 1876, has been with Buffalo BINS via
West show, and has been through several
Indian wars.
Mr.. sullivan does not wear a uniform.
and he is not enlisted In the army never
theless, he is master of transportation 81
the corps, and chief director of embarka-
uon and Decentralization. In this capacity
he naturally has a great deaf of authority
He had charge OF loading the TRANSPORTS
FOR the portion of the Porto Rican expe-
dition which left Tampa with Gen. Milos
Inc corps corral rs located lust beyond
the toll gate on White Bluff she'll road. n
is simply large enclosure surrounded by
fence five feet high, and 535 feet In length
on each side The corps at present has
here about $500 mules and 200 horses
gaH bxy he
600 army wagons and four mules are
used with each wagon. These are NOT
the regular army wagons, but some which
We're gotten out In hurry on account az
the present war The regular army wagon
Is drawn by six mules and there are
about twenty-five OF these sx-mule WI
CONS with the corps. Only about 900 or
less at present, OF these mules are at ire
corps corral. the others being distributed
at the various division and brigade cor
rails, which are located nearer 20 the
camps.
The allowance to each regiment f.
twenty-five army wagons, an ambulance
and Dorrity, which Is used for the con-
venience of officers. Some of the regiments
here however, have only thirteen wagons.
A proper number Of wagons is also al
lowed to each division hospital to the
brigade and division headquarters, and to
other departments OF the corps.
In the corral separate streets are laid
off for teams going In and coming out
A short trench, braced by plank. Is pro-
Vided for each wagon, and the rear wheels
rest against the plank. The mules are
tied and fed right at the wagons The
road used as an exit is wider than the
other, wide enough, in fact so that two
teams facing each other leave plenty OF
room between for the passage of the
wagon.
There are various other features around
the corral The forage Is kept under can
vass cover. and near IL are tents occupied
by detachment from the provost guard
There is the blacksmith's and wheel
wrights shop, where the mules are shod
and all breaks are repaired, and at the
main gate is an office at which each team
Is checked off when at goes out In the
morning, the time is taken, and 1t Is again
checked off when it returns. If the driver
has been away too long for the work
which has been assigned him, an inquiry
is made into the matter. and the reasons
why are ascertained
The transportation department OF an
army is one OF Its most essential features
and 1t requires careful management In
every particular. Mr.. Sullivan has been
fond of this work all his life He has
been fond, too, Of animals, and one Of his
particular favorites Is the mule. He thinks
beyond question that the mule can be a
better friend to man than any other beast,
and he rates their intelligence and endur-
ance with that of the best.
with proper care" Mr.. Sullivan said.
1T Will not be a week before every team
OF mules here will know their proper place
in the corral. and be able to go right up
TO II and stop without the aid of driver.
The army mule Is trained for one purpose.
and that is work. IL is for that reason the
drivers are not allowed to make them go
out Of walk. It is just as difficult to de-
velop the working muscles and the run
ming muscles of a mule at the same time,
as it is to develop the two sets Of muscles
In a man. You cannot work man with
a pick and shovel and make a sprinter
out of him.
II regard the mule as one of the most
valuable of animals. 1t Is his disposition
to work, and he will continue to work
under circumstances which would cause
a horse TO give up In sheer discourage
ment / have known mules to persevere
and al last pull through successfully when
men gave up. The mule must always be
properly treated. There is only one thing
that disturbs him, and that Is fear Of
danger If mule, or almost any ami
NAL, does not like his keeper, there must
be some cause for 1t. The first thing to
do is to discover the cause, then the rem
edy and then take steps to prevent it,
The army mule is fed about fourteen
pounds of hay and ten pounds OF oats a
day. Only in cold climates is corn fed
them to any extent The corps has a num-
Der of other mules and wagons still in
Jacksonville, where the hospital and one
regiment still remains. They will prob
ably be brought to Savannah within a
week or ten days