am followed him through the Chancellorville
and Chantilly fights. It also followed the Army of the Potomac until
General Grant took command, when the train it belonged to was sent to
City Point. This brings us up to 1864. It was with the army in front of
Petersburg, and, during that winter, the saddle mule was killed by the
enemy's shot while the team was going for a load of wood. In short, they
were worked every day until Richmond was taken. In June, 1865, they were
transferred back to the City of Washington. It is now August, 1866, and
they are still working in the train, and make one of the very best teams
we have. I refer now to the leaders and swing mules, as they are the
only four that are together, and that followed the Army of the Potomac
through all its campaigns. There is not a mule of the four that is over
fourteen and a half hands high, and not one that weighs over nine
hundred pounds. This team, I ought to add here, has frequently been
without a bite of hay or grain for four or five days, and nothing to eat
but what they could pick up along the road. And there are instances when
they have been twenty-four hours without a sup of water. The experienced
eye will see that they have round, compact bodies, and stand well on
their feet.

No. 2 is the leader of the team, and for light work on the prairies,
packing, or any similar work, is a model mule. Indeed, she cannot be
surpassed. Her bone and muscle is full, and she is not inclined to run
to flesh.

No. 3 is the off-leader of the same team. She is a good eater, tough,
hardy, and a good worker,--in every way a first-class mule. I would
advise persons purchasing mules to notice her form. She is a little
sprung in the knees; but this has in no way interfered with her working.
This was occasioned by allowing the heels on her fore-feet to grow out
too much. During, and for some time after, the second battle of Bull
Run, the train to which she belonged was kept at very hard work. The
shoes that were on her at that time, to use the driver's own language,
were "put on to stay." Indeed, he informed me that they were on so long,
that he concluded they had grown to the feet. And in this case, as in
many others, for want of a little knowledge of the peculiarities of a
mule's feet, and the injury that results from over-growth, the animal
had to suffer, and was permanently injured.

No. 4 is the off-swing, or middle-leader mule. She is perfectly sound,
of good height, a