Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-11-16
Was Thinking of a Mule.


The following stories are verified by
Capt Beclzwith, who was Gen. Grants
secret cipher telegraph operator during
the Civil War. Beckwith was known
as Grants Shadow" and was in con.
slant communication with the leader
from first to finish.
After the surrender Of Lee, Grant re,
turned to Petersburg, where his army
and staff were located. An immense
camp fire was burning, about which
were gathered the men, all anxiously
awaiting the general, and especially
awaiting to hear his first words, which
presumably would concern the recent
act which rang down the curtain Of the
great strife and spread the white cur.
tain of peace.
The general drew near, with mead
bent as though with the weight OF
heavy thought, the solemnity of affairs
and the future disposal of things. The
men approached nearer. Every word
which might fall from the great lead
er's lips would be of import worth hear.
ing as we'll as worth treasuring for all
time to come.
Suddenly Grant turned to one Of his
men and asked in that low tone OF
voice, that tone which all who knew
him we'll have kept in their minds fol
years.
ingalls,, remember that white mule
we had down in Texas? 2"
II do, perfectly WELL"
'I wonder what ever became Of thai
mule?"
81 never heard, general" returned In
gals.
Neither did l."
And the great general walked away
as If in a deep and brown study. Those
were the first words from Grants OWE
lips addressed to his comrades after
the surrender of that other great gen.
eral, Lee
If a mule was in the mind of Grant
why naturally should it not be in the
mind Of that other great general whe
was averse to wearing the insignia Of
his high rank?
A thin, erect man seated upon a bony
rangy horse, drew near the mule quar-
tiers of the great army.
His uniform was seedy, his slouct
hat was battered out of shape and
tapped low over his brow and deepset
eyes. He looked like a cashiered sol
der run down at the heels and disrep
utable to say the least.
Suddenly he refined his horse, lifted
his head and fastened his eyes angrily,
reprovingly upon a mule driver who
was beating without mercy one Of the
long-eared equine paradoxes. The
mounted man gritted his teeth and NUT
tered a curse under his scraggy beard
He was angry, angry away through tc
his marrow. When this particular gen
eral got angry things had to stir.
"Stop that, you fool !" came angrily
from his lips.
"Stop whatw returned the mule
driver as the whip fell again.
"Stop beating that mule"
sUmph Who in thunder are you?
General Sherman"
'Umph! Half dozen other ole
buns have said the same to-day"
There was something glittering in the
depths Of the generals eyes that held
the cruel whip in air. The mule driver
slowly dropped the instrument Of tor
ture and skunk away. This old, seedy
soldier was not like the others Though
he looked as dilapidated and disreputa
BILE.
After that the mules in Sherman's
army received decent and humane treat
ment. For the word went around amons
the mule drivers that certain seedy
old man, who might be the general, was
likely to turn up at any time, and witt
authority to make things unpleasant
for them.-KansaS City Journal.