The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-04-17
The Army Mule.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Gen.
Raum, in his article of March q, tells of
the charge of Rockers mule teams on
Bragg's line in Lookout Valley. All the
old vets can look back to some laughable
incident where the army mule took a
conspicuous part. | recall some i'll the
Vicksburg campaign. We had taken
Vicksburg and driven Johnston out of the
capital of Mississippi, and were returning
to Nicksburg to rest. 1t was late in the
evening when we crossed. Black River on
the pOatoOn bridge, and by the time we
reached the high bluffs on the west bank
it was dark and we received command to
lie down until morning.
1t had been raining very hard that day.
| crowded under wagon, and being very
tired, was soon asleep. In the night |
was aroused by a terrible connection in
the camp of the wagon train, located about
100 yards from where | lay. L thought of
cavalry charge and jumped up, or at
tempted to, forgetting where | was, and
thinking only of getting into ranks, when
| ran my head against the. coupling pole
of the wagon l was not sure whether
d cavalryman had cut my head off or a
mule had kicked me. After getting my
self together | looked into the miXup
whence came the noise like that from the
lower regions; clanking of chains, swear
ing of teamSterS, mules braying, and, as
the lightning flashed, | could see the
mules circIing around, some down, heels
up. Finally over went Il covered wagon
into the miXup, around through the camp
fires went the mules, stirring up the
sparks. 1t looked like his satanic maj
esry had moved his headquarters up to
the banks of Black River. Finally peace
and quiet were restored, except that the
teamster had to do a certain amount of
swearing at his mules before he could
sleep. 'f-
When morning came. learned that the
transfers had taken a long chain, used by
| the rebS to anchor the railroad bridge. and
tied each end to a tree and fastened the
mules to it. The mules, not being used
to such liberties, moved around, causing
| the chain to come loose; then trouble be
gan. .........
On returning from Jackson to Vicks-
burg, my regiment was camped on the
bank of the Mississippi below the city.
| Between us and the city was camp Of
contrabands, if it could be called camp.
| Their shelters were made of every con-
| ceivabe material Brussels carpets,
quilts, old tin, boards, anything old that
would make a shelter. They did net have
any system or plan of camp. The shacks
scattered over about four acres. Just
north of them was the corral for the old
mules left over from the slaughter pen of
the rebel QuartermaSter. a sorry set
they were, almost too poor to walk; but
there is no telling what an army mule is
going to do next. One day we We're sur
prised to see the entire population of the
contraband camp emerge from under that
patchwork sheltered camp, and go at a
$40 gait, some for the river bank and
others toward our camp; close behind
them came that avalanche of mule bones;
through their camp they went, ana what
they did to that camp was plenty. Over
the hills they went, clearing all yegeta
ton in their course, until they struck the
canebrake. Looking toward the river,
village with their heads just over the
bank, taking in the situation. 1t was
laughable sight to us, but a serious matter
to the colOred brethren.-WM. G. PHIPPs,
Co. \, 18th Ind, S02 L. 18th ST., Indian
apolis, Ind.