Year: 1862

experience III h0EB5-Elbsus


A CORRESPONDENT of the Chicago Times who
has been following the Army of the West,
gives an amusing account of his experience in
equine locomotives Here it is.


Speaking of horses reminds me of some ex-
perience I have had in that lire during my
pilgrimage with the army as journalist. 1t
is matter of some importance that every
correspondent should have some kind of q
riding animal at his command, otherwise he
viii find himself deficient in emergencies
when haste is essential. My first idea of the
proper thing was gallant charger. gaily cap
arisoned, prancing high and low when crowds
were about, and always holding himself in
readiness for public exhibition. That is the
officer style of doing the thing. found that
the article was difficult to procure, and expen-
sive to keep, having no soldiers at my COM
mand to guard fine horse night and day to
prevent his being "cramped" and carried off,
Before had done with experiences in this
line, I was contented with more modest pre-
tensions.


During period Of four months, have been
owner and dSole proprietor Of five horses. The
first of these was a relic of the Donelson fight.


He came from somewhere in the mountains
Of Tennessee, and from habit Of climbing
rocks and holding on by his nose, he was much
addicted to standing on his hind legs, without
regard to who might be in the saddle. This
was favorite feeding position, and grass be-
ing scarce. at that time, and hay and oats
scarcer, he was accustomed to take his meals
on the top of small trees, where his cultiva-
ted taste taught him to find tender twigs and
juicy duds. This nutricious food gave him a
frame like a clothes-horse, and his legs, to use
an apt phrase, were as fat as rye straw. His
backbone split new saddle in two, and cut
haircloth blanket into shreds could have
got along with this, but he constantly brought
me to shame and disgrace by going on his
hind legs for browse on state occasions, to say
nothing of a propensity for climbing every
steep cliff he came to, and sliding me over his
tail in the operation. He was q good horse
to 60 bird-nesting with, or, in case of emerg-
ency, to run up the side of a house and get
out of danger, but he was so far from my idea
of perfect horse that sold him for $50, as
Floyd's veritable war-clarger, to a trophy
seeker who wore blue spectacles and carried
portfolio. As I saw him afterward, in COM
pany with five others as poor as himself drag
ging an army wagon, I conclude that the pur-
chaser was not sufficiently vigilant to elude
Uncle Sans watchfullness and get him home.
My last glimpse Of him was as he stood upon
his hind legs, with his fore feet on rail fence,
apparently reaching for browse in the moon.


My next attempt was in the mule line. A
friend in the Quartermaster's Department in
sisted upon presenting me with a superb ri
ding animal which had come into his possess
ion, he didn't say how, but suppositively by
the cramp process. The beast had prepOs-
sessing exterior. Ears as long as my arm, a
head like butter frkin, pipe-stem neck, body
as comely as a sugar hogshead, and legs not
to exceed eighteen inches in length. With
tkis inviting exterior, he had disposition still
more outre and perverse, ifpossiblc. The first
time mounted him, he kicked up his heels,
and landed me over his head, some twenty
feet in advance. The next time, he sat down
on his launches, and slid saddle and all over
his tail Then he laid down, and rolled over
and over, faster than Bengal monkey could
have followed him and, finally, he resorted
to every trick an animal could be guilty Of, to
show his perverse temper. He had way of
making great fuss when the saddle girt was
buckled- putting on a deplorable countenance,
and grOaning dismally. as though his life was
being squeezed out You might pull and tug
for ten minutes, straining .he girth up to the
last notch, and fairly firing yourself out with
exertion, when, upon stepping back with
malicious consciousness OF having brought the
ugly brute to terms you would see his bedy
collapse, and the girth hang suddenly limp
and loose, while he looked askance with a
cunning leer, as much as to say: "How do
you like that, now?' He never failed to in
late himself like balloon when the saddle |
was to be put on, and then collapse for the
satisfaction Of having it turn around and un-
scat his rider at the first mud-hole he came to. |
[ rode him for the spite Of the thing for two
ong weeks. got pair Of spurs with row.
,ls an inch and half lorg, and dayed his sides
with them whenever he ventured to flap his
Ugly ears at me, and finally had the satsfac-
ion of seeing him tumble down bluff hun
lred feet high and break his neck.


Having had enough Of vicious horses de-
ermined to try a quiet one next time. I ac-
:ordiugly invested in a demure specimen of