Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-07
tenant of artillery. wrote him the other
day inqnfring about this celebrated animal,
and he replied as follows:

tenant of artillery. I wrote him the other
day inqnfring about this celebrated animal
and he replied as follows:
MexiQue was very old mule-wbite-
end II was fully understood at Mount YER
non barracks, where took command that
he had been In the Mexican war. He was
allowed TO browse about the post at WILL
and the children--sometimes five or six at
ence-clambered on his back via tail or
legs. or adorned him with branches and
flowers. Unserviceable government prop
erly Is sooner or later submitted to IN
inspector and condemned, when 1t is de-
stroyed or sold: and, as we needed a service
able mule in his place. MexiQue'' was in
due course, inspected condemned and or
dered sold In 1888. / then applied to have
him retained in service because of his rec,
ORD, and fed him the usual forage ration
for the few years of his life that remained.
Mount Vernon barracks was then re-
mote post with poor mail facilities and
the day of sale arrived before my applica-
ton came back. Two or three OF the off,
GERS therefore bought him IN. I think we
paid in the neighborhood of $40 for him.
The routine of army business is unsenti-
mental and relentless. and I did not ex-
pect the return of my application with
other than the usual indorsement-not ia
voraaoly Observation-Disclosures I was the
more surprised and pleased when before
the return of the application, my mails
contained newspapers from all parts of the
United States containing truthful or fanci-
full accounts of the transaction and some
times giving correctly the application and
Endorsements, including General Sherlnans
and Secretary Ilincoln's. The latter's read
concisely: Let this mule be kept and cared
for at public expense as long as he lives
Later came letters from newspapers and
magazines, societies and individuals. in
Guiding many requests for Mexique's pho
tograph, which were complied with. Later
still. letters and papers began coming In
from Europe, and the mule literature be-
came very voluminops, and included re-
productions Of his picture and carioatures
IN, h11n trnf P1y
the best article appeared as q long edi-
torial in the London Daily Telegraph, worth
reading for its own sake today for it's fine
English and gentle vein of humor.
Whatever part of all this literature /
may have kept is stored somewhere with
the accumulated papers of many years
service"
Official Endorsements.
The official papers to which General
obbe alludes are still on file at the War
pepartment-the original application, sign
cd by him, and attached to seven or eight
Endorsements from his superior officers,
who passed 1t up one after another, In
GLIDING Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock who
was then in command of the military d.
vision; William Tecumseh Sherman, who
was In command of the army. and Robert
l. Lincoln. then Secretary Of War In the
cabinet of President Arthur. They all refar
to the venerable animal with great respect
and recommend that the application OF
Lieut.. Kolbe chat he be placed on the re-
tired list he granted. Gen. Hancock shows
no sentiment, and his Endorsement Is very
formal. Gen. Sherman, however showed a
decided interest in the subject, and Endorsed
the application as follows:
have seen that mule, and. whether true
or false the soldiers believe 1t was left at
the Big Spring, where Mount Vernon bar
racks now are, at the time Gen Jackson's
army camped there, about 1890 Tradi-
ton says that 1T was once sorrel but
now 1t is white from age.
The quartermasters department will be
chargeable with ingratitude If that mule is
sold or the care and maintenance of II
thrown on the charitable officers of the
post. l advise that 1t be kept in the de-
partment, fed and maintained until dea tn
(Slgned) wv. r. SHERMAN,
Lieut.. General Commanding"
"P. S. I think that mule was at Fort
Morgan, Mobile Point, when 1 was there
in 1872 w. T. S."
The Secretary of War finally directed
that this mule be kept and well cared for,
at public expense, as long as he lives"
1t is a popular impression that mules are
immortal; that they never die natural
deaths. But old Mexique forms an excep-
ton. He lived to enjoy his honors and
leisure for seven or eight years, and passed
away TO the mule nirvann in the spring
of 1900.