As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
In opening up history to real people, I post here an idea by the commander of the 7th Cavalry, to have a slow mule race on the track at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The idea being, that the worst, slowest, cantankerous and evil mules in the US Government would be acquired for a mule race.
General Custer's chosen mule was deliberate in the worst of the worst in being a kicker. His ride required a harness rigged on the mule to get it saddled as that was all it was used to. It had to have a coat thrown over it's head so the officer could quickly get into the saddle.
The entire event was led by a bald officer who decided to paint his mule white to get back at the other officers for teasing him about being bald. This soon had everyone covered in paint, and the mules in even worse ill humor in being spurred to get away from the painted mule.
The track soon proved a maze of kicking mules, bucking mules, flying whips, driven spurs, shouting Troopers and braying mules so loud that their din covered up a great deal of the other sounds, as gay colors fluttered in the breeze with flying coattails.
The jockeys and riders were recorded as follows:
UNITED STATES COURSE.
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
JUNE MEETING, TUESDAY, JUNE 16th, 1868, 4 P.M.
MULE-RACE!
OFFICEES' PURSE $50
ONE-MILE DASH — SLOW RACE.
1. General Custer enters Hyankedank, by Hifalutin, out of Snollygoster, second dam Buckjump, by Thunder, out of You Bet. Age, threescore years and ten. Colors, ring-ed, streak-ed, and strip-ed.
2. General McKeever enters Hard Tack, by Commissary, by Eaton (eatin'), second dam Contractor, by Morgan, out of Missouri. Age, forty years. Colors, purple, tipped with orange.
3. Colonel Parsons enters Symmetry (see me try), by Considerably, out of Pocket, second dam Polly Tix, by Nasby, out of OflSce. Age, seventeen years. Colors, uncommonly blue.
4. Captain Yates enters William Tell, by Switzerland, by Apple Tree, second dam Gessler, by Hapsburg, out of Austria. Age, eighteen years. Colors, apple green.
5. Lieutenant Leary enters Trump, by Card, out of Contractor, second dam Leader, by Mule-Teer, out of Wagon. Age, ten years. Colors, lemon.
6. Lieutenant Jackson enters Abyssinia, by Napier, out of Africa, dam Theodorus, by Solomon, out of Magdala. Age, thirty-nine years. Colors, scarlet, yellow spots.
7. Colonel Myers enters Pizzarro, by Peru, out of South America, second dam Cuzco, by Incas, out of Andes. Age, sixteen years. Colors, light brown.
8. Lieutenant Umbstaetter enters Skirmisher, by Picket, out of Camp, second dam Carbine, by Breech Loader, out of Magazine. Age, twenty-five years. Colors, dark blue, tipped with red.
9. Lieutenant Moylan enters Break-Neck, by Runaway, out of Wouldn't Go, second dam Contusion, by Collision, out of Accident. Age, fifty-six. Colors, sky blue.
10. Captain Huntington, enters Spavin, by Quartermaster, out of Government, second dam (not worth one). Age, twenty-one years. Colors, a-knock-to-ruin (an octoroon).
11. Lieutenant Howe enters Slow, by Tardy, out of Late, second dam Lazy, by Inactive. Age, three times 6, four times seven, twenty-eight and 11. Colors, queer.
12. Lieutenant Dunwoody enters Horatio, by Dexterity, by Taunt', second dam Estop. Age, fourteen years. Colors, tawney.
13. Captain Weir enters Revolutionist, by Hard Luck, out of Rib Smasher, second dam Blood Blister, by CanV Stand-it, out of Let's Quit. Age, sixteen. Colors, black-and-blue.
Note. —The money accruing from this race is to be devoted to tho support of the widows and orphans made so thereby.
You will notice that a number of the names above were assassinated at the Little Big Horn eight year later to the day almost. There is no mention of the treacherous Benteen, who should have been kicked in the head by a mule which would have saved the battle of the Little Big Horn.
Benteen was a sociopath who had no human feeling as his letter to his wife revealed after the mass assassination, as he was focused upon who would move up in rank. He hated authority and was jealous of it. The same man who could lend Libby Custer money, was the same man who would by poison pen assassinate General Custer in the media at the Washita Campaign over the Elliot affair.
(Elliot was to attack the Cheyenne camp with the other Troopers, but rode off with his group to chase down two Indians on horseback, which he captured, but at several miles away, was cut off and ambushed by the Indians.
The 7th was outnumbered by at least 3 to one. It was winter with deep snow. They were under constant attack and had to drive off the Indians in charges. They shot 700 ponies to deprive the Indians of mobility and because they did not have the manpower to deal with around 100 captive Indians and a herd of horses.
Their supply train was in the distance and exposed.
To this Elliot had violated orders in leaving the scene of battle. Benteen blamed General Custer, even though the General had sent out scouting parties endangering them to ascertain what had happened to Elliot, who in logic the General knew was dead as were his men, as the Indians were all around.
Benteen smeared General Custer in the press, and this is probably the issue of Benteen's psychopathy at the Little Big Horn in he decided to not bring up packs, to give General Custer and his command a taste of what Elliot experienced.)
This mule race though was typical of General Custer in seeking an expression of merriment and to build continuity in his family of the 7th Cavalry. No one would ride their own mules and all would after review have to ride another's mule.
It is the part of General Custer in how during the Civil War, his orderlies on a very cold night, decided after a visit from commanding General Sheridan, to trade with his equipment all the worn out equipment of the commanding General.
Custer knew nothing of it, but laughed with delight as General Sheridan issued a dispatch complaining that nothing was worse than a Cavalry orderly acquiring better goods for his officer.
Too much of history is one dimensional in people are never shown the Washington who drubbed a poacher pointing a gun at him or a Custer riding a bucking mule.
It is all history of dimension and requires being told to bring about the complete picture of not only history, but the people in it.
agtG
