At 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month many nations around the world pause to remember the end of World War I and those who died in the service of their country. Integral to any armed conflict is the contribution made by animals: horses, dogs, pigeons, elephants, mules and even donkeys. This post is the first of several that remember the contributions of donkeys in times of war.
Donkeys have been used by societies since ancient times to support their belligerent endeavours. In 2500 BC, in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), armies used donkeys to pull chariots. The Standard of Ur is a highly decorative wooden box depicting scenes of war and peace; the war scenes feature a series of four yoked asses drawing chariots four abreast. Even though the beasts in question might not immediately look like donkeys, I can assure you that they are: the Standard pre-dates the introduction of horses to Mesopotamia.
“Royal Standard of Ur” – Mosaic with Sumerian Images.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Standard_of_Ur_-_War.jpg/640px-Standard_of_Ur_-_War.jpg
In the Middle Ages, donkeys were used to pull carts and transport items required for war – arms, armour, food, cooking utensils, tents, people. In the image here, from the sumptuously illustrated Crusader Bible (c. 1240), you can see the donkey delivering yet another sack to the carts, already laden with sacks, chain mail, knights helmets and hanging off the sides are cooking pots and more helmets. There are even men sat atop the baggage possibly to guard the items or identify their owners through the standards they are holding.
and Museum, New York, purchased by J. P. Morgan (1867–1943) in 1916.
In the New World, it was the mule rather than the donkey that fulfilled the beast-of-burden role for armies. During the Indian Wars, the United States Cavalry relied on their cavalry mule trains to provision them with ammunition and food when on active duty. The mule train was managed by a team of men, led by the Train Master. Their job was to ensure that the train was near enough to the cavalrymen to keep them supplied with ammunition whilst being far enough away to protect the mule train from enemy incursions. The job of the pack master and his team was detailed by a former cavalry man, John J. Boniface in his 1903 publication, The Cavalry Horse and his Pack.
Each pack train consisted of the following men and beasts:
1 x Pack-Master; 1 x Pack-Master’s Assistant; 1 x Cook; 1 x Blacksmith; 10 Packers and 1 x Bell-mare (a mare with a bell round its neck; the mules were trained to follow the sound of the bell); 14 x saddle mules (for riding by the pack team); 50 x pack mules (to carry loads).
Packing the mules was a specialist job and the army recognised two levels of packers – first and second class – a new packer could learn the job in a month, but it took a year to become expert. Boniface’s manual for pack mules, provided information on – selecting new men (over 175 lbs/80kgs and able to lift own body weight) and mules (4-9 yrs/~13-16h/~850 lbs wt); how to pack and maintain a load; feed (quantity and quality per day); health care of the mule (must have good feet and always be shod).
The mule’s significance is not lost on the US Army. Since 1899, two mules have served as the army’s mascot and the current mascots are half-brothers – Ranger III and Stryker. They live at West Point and carry out ceremonial duties.
Next time, continuing the theme of donkeys and war, we’ll meet Jimmy and Smokey – two donkeys who helped soldiers deal with the atrocities of war.
References and Further Reading
Standard of Ur: http://www.teachinghistory100.org/objects/about_the_object/ur_standard
The War Effort, Old Testament Miniatures (Paris, c.1244–54), MS M.638, f.27v, The Morgan Library
and Museum, New York, purchased by J. P. Morgan (1867–1943) in 1916.
https://www.themorgan.org/collection/crusader-bible/54
N.B. ‘Indian Wars’ is one of several collective names for the various armed conflicts that were fought by European governments and colonists, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settlers, against various American Indian and First Nation tribes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Indian_Wars
Anthony Dent, Donkey: The Story of the Ass from East to West (London: Harrap & Co., 1972).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Mules
https://www.westernmulemagazine.com/image/webimage/ARMY%20MULES-Feb-2012.pdf