The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-26
THE ARMY PACKERS.
Hrave Men whose Work Counts for
Much in "a Campaign.

From Leslie's Weekly.
One of the most striking features of the
whole campaign was the pack train. The
packers of the army are very like the stolx-
ers on board a warship. They are seldom
heard of, but their work is the most i'm
port of any that it done They supply
the fundamental requisites, and should
their work stop the whole force would suf-
fer They are the heart of the military
system, and yet their praises are never
sung by poets, and they are seldom men
toned in dispatches. They are never seen
in parades and reviews, and yet TO these
belong a great portion of the glory
The packers of the army are even more
entitled to the praise than are the stol1ers
of the navy, for not only is the work of
the former the very hardest, but they are
compelled to go right up in the firing
line when the battle is at its hight, and
where the danger is greatest, and unpack
ammunition. 1t is really a remarkable
sight to see these men and their total
indifference to all danger at the front
during an engagement and very often
one or more of their mules are shot
The packers are all Western men and
in measure used TO dangers, as the from
tier is the only part of the country where
the pack trains are used regularly Conse-
quenty there is that picturesque Western
air about the men.
The army mule is the most essential 6ea-
ture of campaigning, but there are sew
eral varieties, and the pack mule is with
out doubt, the most unique and intelli-
gent, There are about sixty animals In
a full train, and these are led by the
patient bell mare a steady, well-brolxen
horse that leads the way and around
whose neck a bell is suspended. The
sound OF this bell is the guide the mules
follow, no matter where 1t leads They
follow blindly, without any other guide
except the constant urging from the pack
ers who ride other mules along in the
tram. The animals wear no bride ex-
cept perhaps, halter and yet they trot
along and never stray from the trail. As
long as they are with the train they show
remarkable intelligence, but once take
them away from the rest and they arc
hopelessiy lost Horses were very scarce
during the Santiago campaign and so a
rev OF the pack animals We're impressed
into service under the saddle. was
fortunate enough to have one, and h. wa G
not the least of my troubles. He was
branded with huge 49," and in every
one OF his adventures he upheld the ira
ditlon OF that time-honored symbol of bad
luck. 1t was most amusing to see hin,
on the road, as he always imagined thar
the pack train was just ahead, and al
every bend he would crane his necl, %
see II the rest of the mules were ahead
II ne ever heard bell that sounded like
the one he had been following he would
make for it, and no power could ston
nm; When riding near the front lived
III deaoly fear lest some one in the enc
my's line should sound bell IF a,,er
heard a pack train coming in the opposlte
| direction L had TO climb down ana an
chor MIN to tree or he would Join t.
Inc packers of this campaign worked
day and night and no one ever heard
| OF them getting sick when the fever wa
laying the best of us low There was
no glory for them; they were just sim
pie, hired civilians; no uniform. no repi-
nent, but just good-natured hardware
ing Westerners. Each one of the pack.
ers carried 'six-shooter" of the frontier
style.