What Army Mules Eat

[DaveBrt]

Savannah Morning News, February 8, 1862

A letter from Sherman's brigade, Camp Morton, near Bardstown, Ky., Jan. 6th says:

Besides having the wants of the men of the regiment to supply, I have seventy-eight mules and eleven horses to take care of. The mules cause me more trouble than all else, for the scoundrels will break loose and wander away, which causes a good deal of trouble in the morning. Then they eat everything. If they get short of hay, they eat the wagons. One of our wagons has the tongue eaten off; another has the spokes on the wheel nearly through. If they are forbidden this pleasure they eat each other's tails; and since the mules tails are shaved off, they have taken to the horses, and now every horse in the regiment has a "bob tail" from the same cause, except Dr. Mack's and mine. They have already disabled two or three teamsters, who sooner than be bothered with them have gone back to the ranks.

 

[JOHN42768]

Sounds like onery critters.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Just my experience, but mules are smart - and they know how to get under your skin if not treated right...kind of like cats. Horses are more like dogs. Eating tails though, that is a new one for me. Our mules, Jack and Jill, liked to play a game where one picked up a stick in its teeth and the other grabbed the end of it with its teeth and a tug of war ensued.

I once read a study done to determine whether animals play games like humans do - it was inconclusive. Seriously, anyone who has been around animals very long would know the answer to that question!

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Believe that mules, like horses, are herbivorous (plant eating) and they eat less than horses.

Any abnormal eating behavior can be due to nutritional deficiencies (from lack of forage).

 

[CavRTO]

.

Savannah Morning News, February 8, 1862

A letter from Sherman's brigade, Camp Morton, near Bardstown, Ky., Jan. 6th says:

Besides having the wants of the men of the regiment to supply, I have seventy-eight mules and eleven horses to take care of. The mules cause me more trouble than all else, for the scoundrels will break loose and wander away, which causes a good deal of trouble in the morning. Then they eat everything. If they get short of hay, they eat the wagons. One of our wagons has the tongue eaten off; another has the spokes on the wheel nearly through. If they are forbidden this pleasure they eat each other's tails; and since the mules tails are shaved off, they have taken to the horses, and now every horse in the regiment has a "bob tail" from the same cause, except Dr. Mack's and mine. They have already disabled two or three teamsters, who sooner than be bothered with them have gone back to the ranks.

what would any army have done without the ubiquitous jackass?

 

[Tom Elmore]

On the march in 1863, a "mule was given a big feed of salt and tied to a sapling. The mule, hungry and thirsty, commenced on the foliage and ate the tree, limbs, and trunk by morning. The mule travelled well on his hearty meal." (History of the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry, Parker and Carter and the Historical Committee)

 

[Sheltowee]

I find it interesting that a letter attributed to Sherman's brigade is posted in a Savannah newspaper?
I thought perhaps a Union leaning paper- but founder William Thompson was a strong supported of the Confederacy.
Was it fairly common for southern newsmen to print articles related to the "enemy"? Just curious.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I find it interesting that a letter attributed to Sherman's brigade is posted in a Savannah newspaper?
I thought perhaps a Union leaning paper- but founder William Thompson was a strong supported of the Confederacy.
Was it fairly common for southern newsmen to print articles related to the "enemy"? Just curious.

Editors, North and South, often published appeals for newspapers from the other side and they did freely copy articles from those papers. Some would publish their sources ' version of a battle and include the enemy's version as well. Both sides enjoyed stories with a humorous twist.

 

[Sheltowee]

Editors, North and South, often published appeals for newspapers from the other side and they did freely copy articles from those papers. Some would publish their sources ' version of a battle and include the enemy's version as well. Both sides enjoyed stories with a humorous twist.

Never knew. Thanks!