The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-12-18
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WAR HoNoRS FOR ARMY MULE
Vicious Old Animal, Angered at Un-
seen Pest, Aroused Officers and
Men, Saving Fifth Corps.

Ever hear how an old army mule
saved the Fifth Army corps at San
tiago?" asked a captain in the Third
cavalry. There was a general muir
mur among the captains auditors
that signified that he couldn't tell too
much about the wonderful exploit of
the much-maligned animal, and with a
few more puffs at his cigar he be-
gan:
I'VE had taken San Juan hill and
our line holding 1t was too thin for
safety, though the talk about with
drawing came only from people who
gave all the orders but we're not at
the front. There was a feeling OF
nervousness and restlessness among
the men that didn't help the situa-
ton. An order to retreat would prob
ably have meant frightful panic and
all the officers we're filled with anx-
iety and sending back urgent mes
sages that the line should be held at
all hazards, but that reinforcements
must be pushed forward at once in
order to hold the position. This was
the situation when an army mule be-
gan to get in his work
Perhaps 1t was a snake or one of
those big land crabs that started him,
but whatever it was he began to kick
as though determined to level the
whole camp. Crash after crash sound
ed through the camp in his imme-
diate vicinity as camp chests. kettles.
and accoutrements went flying in all
directions from the force of his rap
idly working heels. Some recruits
near by were awakened and thrown
into confusion and they rushed about
yelling and screaming in the full be-
lief that they had been surprised by
a night attack of the Spaniards. In
their terror they began firing in all
directions and in ten minutes the
aroused officers had the whole camp
under arms and ready for the momen-
tarily expected attack.
THAT blessed animal could not
have been more timely in commenc-
ing his work Of destruction 1t seemed
providential. and I'm fully convinced
that heaven inspired the act, for the
Spaniards did attempt a surprise a
short time afterward, but the mule
had the camp under arms and fully
prepared for the enemy ten minutes
before the scared sentries came tear
ing in with the news and found to
their surprise and joy that the Off.
GERS had the men well in hand and
with their faces to the enemy
Coming after the defeat of the day
before, it must have taken all the
heart remaining out of the Spaniards
to find us all up and ready for them.
storm of bullets met the first rush,
and they were thrown back utterly de-
feated and demoralized. The attack
was well planned, and with our men
worn out with their constant fighting
for days and lack of sleep, it would
not have been difficult to start a panic
that might have ended In the utter
rout of the Fifth Army corps. Once
started, nothing could have stopped
the Generalization, and with only the
narrOWest kind of a road on which to
retreat, it is not too much to say that
1t Is more than probable that the
whole corps would have been crushed.
There were scores of us in camp that
night after the repulse OF the enemy
who believed that just as a flock Of
geese frightened the enemy and saved
ancient Rome, our vicious old army
mule saved the Fifth Army corps"