The aegis & intelligencer., 1901-04-19
SUBDUED THE MULES
AN AMUSING EXPERIENCE IN WHICH
GRANT PLAYED A PART.

| AN AMUSING EXPERIENCE IN WHICH
GRANT PLAYED A PART.
When the First Unruly Animal Had
Been Cowed After Playing Havoc
With q Score of Men, Grant Found
New Way to Break the Drove.
In the war with Mexico Grant was sec
ond lieutenant, but for the most Of the
time he commanded one company In the
Fourth infantry. He was quiet, gentle
and mild hammered. He said but little to
any one, but when he did speak there was
excuse for 1t. In camp he was always
busy doing something. II a man was
sick or simply ailing a bit, 1t was not
the surgeon who first knew 1t, but Lieu
tenant Grant. If rations were short and
poor and the army was where full rations
and good ones could be had, Grant would
not rest until his men were properly sup
piled.
History has told how bravely Grant
fought in the hardest battles of the Mexi-
can war, but no history has told 1t just
as his company saw him in those battles.
There was no bluster, no fuss and feath-
ers, NO wild swinging of arms, no swear
ing on the part of the popular lieutenant
In those battles. He was as cool and
collected as he was on drill, yet he seem
ed to fly from one end of the company to
the other, giving orders in that quiet
but effective way which characterized
him In later years.
Many will recall that funny mule story
In which Grant played part-the Mexi-
can war story. Well, the writer of that
story did not tell the funniest part.
The brigade quartermaster had receiv-
ed a number Of wild, unbroken mules aft
er the army reached Mexico. The quar-
termaster and his force Of civilians spent
a day in trying. without success, to break
two spans of those mules to harness.
The minute a harness was thrown on to
q mule that minute q mules heels began
to fly In the air, and they continued to
hy until the harness was strewn over the
ground.
That night the Quartermaster sent for
q detail Of a lieutenant and 20 men to
report to the corral early the next morn
Ing to aid in training mules to service
In transporting army rations and stores.
Lieutenant Grant marched two men
from each Of ten companies to the corral
at the appointed hour and was told what
was wanted. The young officer took a
survey of the mules, harness and army
wagons he had been called upon to deal
with. His first order was:
"Bring q couple Of ropes 20 feet in
length"
The next order was: "You men," ad-
dressing the quartermaster's civilians,
"surround that mule. halter him and hold
him, no matter what he does-do you
hear, hold him. Corporal. take ten men,
FIVE on a side, and as soon as the animal
Is haltered manage to fasten one end Of
these ropes to his hind legs"
When that was done. and II was not
accomplished without good many bruis-
es, he directed that a set of FIVE men
should take charge Of each rope and hang
on to It, no matter how much the mule
objected and kicked. The men proceeded
to obey orders. They extended to about
ten feet In front of the victim. thus virtu-
ally fencing him in on three sides. That
done, other civilians were told to place
the harness upon the beast. Almost be-
fore the last buckle was fastened the
mule bent In preparation for a masterful
kick.
"Hang to those ropes" called the lieu
tenant
The ten men hung to the ropes. and
that first attempt to clog the air with
mule heels was dismal failure. The
victory made the men overconfdent. AS
quick as a fash. when the rope holders
were not watching, not braced for at
tack, both mule hind feet few in the
air and ten soldiers were yanked fat to
the ground In the mud. and before they
could foregather away went the heels
again and again. and ten men were mixed
In that mud to the queens taste.
Let no man loose his holdI" command
ed Grant.
Well. that mule kicked and wallowed
those two strings of soldiers in the now
thin mud until 1t WIS worn out by the
hard exercise. and then had sense enough
to stand still until fully harnessed. The
mule was conquered. but at what cost to
uniforms. pride, flesh and bones!
The wagon master asked il there was
not better way to train the animals.
"There can't be a worse way" said the
lieutenant as he wandered away from the
corral Q few rods to q large and nearly
square rock at least ten feet high and
seemed to scrutinize II closely.
Returning, be gave orders to take tho
next victim to the large rock. II was
backed as close to the obstruction as
possible without actually touching 1t.
Half q dozen men were told to hold the
brute by the head. ears and neck and on
no account to let II advance from the
rock. Then q man was told to clap q
harness on quickly.
As soon as the buckles began to fasten
the mule became restless. Pretty soon
Il made a sudden lunge and succeeded in
getting four feet away from the rock,
and then the fun began. Its heels crack
ed against the rock savagely for a short
time. 1t was Q new experience and ap-
parently a painful one. for the battered
hind feet were lifted again and again. but
very gently. and only one at time. while
Its head shook and ears Topped.
That mule was cured, and the problem
was solved. The detail returned to camp
late that evening having accomplished
Its mission-taken the kick out of a drove
Of as unmsnageable mules as ever hauled
pork and hard tack.-Major J. A. Wat
rous, U. 8. A.. In Saturday Evening