The Mule Soldiers — Blair Howard

The Mule Soldiers is the true story - fictionalized - of Streight's Raid into Northern Alabama that took place from 19 April to 3 May 1863. A brigade of Federal infantry, led by Colonel Abel D. Streight, set out on a 220-mile ride to destroy the Western and Atlantic railroad at Rome, Georgia. The raid turned into a running battle between Streight's raiders and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. The most fascinating thing about the raid is that Streight's brigade of four infantry regiments was mounted on mules, a huge problem in itself. Not only did he have almost 1,500 stubborn and wily animals to contend with, and the inimitable general Forrest, few of his men had ever ridden a horse, let alone a mule. For Streight, it was a long and tortuous journey across Northern Alabama. For Forrest, it was one defeat after another at the hands of the very "able" Abel Streight, even though he, Forrest, had the advantage of home territory and the sympathy and aid of the local populace . Streight's Raid took place at the same time as, and was loosely coordinated with, the more famous Grierson's Raid (the inspiration for the book, The Horse Soldiers by Harold Sinclair, and the movie of the same name starring John Wayne and William Holden). Although Streight was probably unaware of Grierson's Raid, it's certainly true that it caused a diversion that contributed to the success of Grierson's Raid, and much confusion among the Confederate pursuers of both raids. They say that truth is stranger than fiction. This amazing story proves the point, for the end of the story is... well, unbelievable.