The Scriptures tell us that Absalom, when he led the rebel hosts against his father David, rode on a mule, that he rode under an oak, and hung himself by the hair of his head.  Then, again, we hear of the mule at the inauguration of King Solomon.  It is but reasonable to suppose that the horse would have been used on that great occasion, had he been present.  On the other hand, it is not reasonable to suppose that the ass, or any thing pertaining to him, was held in high esteem by a nation that believed they were commanded by God, through their prophet Moses, not to work the ox and the ass together.  It must be inferred from this that the ass was not held in very high esteem, and that the prohibition was for the purpose of not degrading the ox, he being of that family of which the perfect males were used for sacrifice.  The ass, of course, was never allowed to appear on the sacred altar.  And yet He who came to save our fallen race, and open the gates of heaven, and fulfil the words of the prophet, rode a female of this apparently degraded race of animals when He made his triumphal march into the city of the temple of the living God.

List of Mules Received, died, and Shot, at the Depot of Washington, D.C., from 1st February, 1863. to 31st July, 1866.

1863 1864 1865

Month Received Died Shot Received Died Shot Received Died Shot

Jan. .. .. .. 624 14 76 3,677 66 226
Feb. 135 96 7 329 16 62 1,603 84 150
Mar. 2,552 150 4 448 10 64 2,823 77 169
Apr. 2,906 118 61 1,305 15 47 6,102 106 223
May. 1,087 56 46 2,440 18 52 11,780 68 211
Jun. 3,848 120 118 4,410 76 48 19,304 178 49
Jul. 1,731 94 335 4,702 74 125 13,398 462 68
Aug. 5,250 51 159 5,431 88 231 1,275 284 23
Sep. 2,834 72 248 1,198 64 176 1,536 3 18
Oct. 1,166 36 202 1,468 81 134 876 .. .. 
Nov. 2,934 30 204 3,036 35 123 252 3 .. 
Dec. 2,832 14 113 3,923 66 158 324 4 ..

Total 27,275 837 1,497 29,414 557 1,296 62,950 1,335 1,137

1866 Received Died Shot

169     ..    ..
34      2     1
13     ..    ..
29      1    ..
20      1    ..
2     ..    ..
62     ..    ..
..     ..    ..
..     ..    ..
..     ..    ..
..     ..    ..
..     ..    ..

  329 4 1

Date                received     died     shot
1863.............     27,275      837    1,497
1864.............     29,414      557    1,296
1865..............    62,950    1,335    1,137
1866..............       329        4        1

Total...........     119,968    2,733    3,931

PICTURES OF SOME OF OUR MOST CELEBRATED ARMY MULES.