The Daily Gate City

THE GATE CITY.

"Bring up de Shackass."

Major Thomas S. Richards, of the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry, paid a flying visit to his family in Reading, on Wednesday last, after an absence of nearly six months, and left again next morning. As connected with his experience of military life, the Major relates the following incident:

One of Gen. Fremont's batteries of eight Parrot guns, supported by a squadron of horse, commanded by the Major, was in a sharp conflict with a battery of the enemy near at hand, and shot and shell were flying thick and fast, when the commander of the battery, a German, one of Fremont's staff, rode suddenly up to the cavalry, exclaiming, in loud and excited tones, "Bring up de shackass, bring up de shackass; for Cot's sake hurry up de shackass, im-me-di-ate-ly?"

The necessity of this order, though not quite apparent to our readers, will be more obvious when we mention that the "shackasses" are mules carrying mountain howitzers, which are fired from the backs of that much abused but valuable animal, and the immediate occasion for the jackasses was that two regiments of rebel infantry were at that moment discovered descending a hill immediately behind our batteries. The "shackasses" with the howitzers loaded with grape and canister, were soon on the ground. The mules squared themselves, as they well knew how, for the shock. A terrific volley was poured into the advancing column, which immediately broke and retreated. Two hundred and seventy-eight dead bodies were found in the ravine next day, piled closely together as they fell, the effects of that volley from the backs of the "shackasses."