A "Crack Team" of Mules.

Suppose I have two large photos, and show them to you one at a time. The first is the Budweiser beer wagon, bright paint, brass trim, Percheron draft horses all brushed out and showy, and then I show your the second photo, this photo of six mules hitched to a commonplace Army supply wagon, and I comment that this mule hitch is the "crack team" of this unit.

I also suggest that perhaps the "X" is not actually the wagon, but a mark placed on the photo to mark the spot where that named person is - note the pencil on the back of the photo shows an "X Capt. S H Manning"

Maybe not.

but I do think the "crack team" remark is meant to poke fun at these commonplace mules; mules don't get credit for their many good qualities.
A close examination of the photograph shows that the 6th Corps badge is part of the wagon cover and was not added to the image.
 
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