The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-07-08
Great American Mule
in Thrilling War Exploits

One of the most stirring stories
told in the army by old timers is that
pertaining to Sergeant Hanley and
an army mule. On that fateful day
in 1876 when the brave Custer and
his band were wiped out by the In
dams a Missouri mule came very
near being responsible for the ami
hilation of Reno's battalion on the
Little Big Horn, few miles distant.
In fact, had it not been for one Han
ley, an Irish sergeant, the mule would
have succeeded A medal of honor
was conferred upon Hanley for rid
ing that mule back to the lines. The
story of his heroic dash is substan-
tally as follows:
Reno's column, after separating
from Custer, was attacked by a tre-
mendous force of Indians. The story
of the fight that ensued is familiar
one. The charge that a part of the
gallant white band made turned the
tide of defeat, although a dozen
brave men were lost
After the charge across the open
the army of the reds and the atten-
uated line of the whites were paral-
lei and face to face. There was
enough courage in the troopers of
the Seventh and of the other outfits
along the Montana river to make up
e. 4Ia tn1 10 Of
reds, but the outlook was bad at
best when an army mule started out
not only to make it worse but APP
parently hopeless.
There was little ammunition with
Reno's column and most of that was
on the back of the Missouri mule
chosen for the job Of carrying it be-
cause of its unusual size and
strength.
Away Goes Ammunition.
The long cared ammunition bearer
was with the pack train to the right
and rear of the squadron, which was
lying facing the enemy along the
edge of the wood. A Sioux bullet
went over the heads of the skirmish-
ers and with a far reaching trajec-
tory tore an ounce of flesh from the
mules flank Instantly the animal
snapped its tether, broke from right
to rear, and, clearing the obstacles
to the front, made straight on wild
gallop for the heart Of the outlying
mass Of Indians.
When about within one hundred
yards of the Indians, however, the
mule struck bit of bunch grass to
its liking and began to Craze.
On its back, in the ammunitiop
cases, lay that which meant the safe
ty of Reno's forces. To reach the
animal any man of the command
must cross an open plain swept by a
thousand rifles. There was a moment
of consultation among the officers
and a desperate plan for the recap
ture of the mule was under discus
sion when one of the soldiers saw
far over to the right just above the
grass the slowly moving head of a
white man who was slowly crawling
toward the mule.
| The word was passed along the line
and volley after volley from the
whites kept the attention of the enc
my directed away from the mule and
from that solitary soldier who was
worming his way toward it. Discov-
cry meant capture and death. On he
went, while between shots the eyes
of every comrade sought him. He
was within twenty-five yards of the
mule. Then he stood straight up,
dashed forward, vaulted to the mules
back, and, digging deep in the spurs,
he started the animal back on a gal
lop as wild as that by which it had
fed.
There was a yell from the reds; a
hundred rifles were emptied at the
flying beast and its dauntless rider,
Sergeant Richard j. Hanley, who was
astride the big Missouri mule as it
went through that hailstorm, got new
err a wound, although it seemed as
if his chances of escaping unhurt
were only one in a thousand The
mule was saved, but, as a trooper
put it afterward, cit brought back
as much lead in its hide as it did in
its back"