A but'Ful Guv'Ment Mule by Annie Wittenmyer
After Richmond’s fall leaves many people destitute, relief agencies distribute food without distinction. Rev. John O. Foster meets an old colored man who has already received rations but asks to borrow twenty dollars to buy a cheap government mule for hauling. Though amused, Foster lends him the money. The man soon returns with a strong mule and repays the loan in two installments, explaining that he, Ben, and the mule have earned the money through a thriving hauling business. Ben proudly shows Foster the mule, said to have pulled big guns over the hills, while sitting happily in their wagon. Ben later buys a back-alley lot, builds a shanty and stable, and prospers through his thrift.
By Annie Wittenmyer · First published 1895 · Genre: Historical Anecdote, Civil War Literature, African American History · 1,032 words
First lines
After the fall of Richmond it was found that the people were in a very destitute condition, many of them being almost in a state of starvation.
Every agency was at once used to furnish them with food.
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Genres
- Historical Anecdote — The work recounts a brief, self-contained incident set in Richmond immediately after the Civil War, centering on relief efforts and an enterprising formerly enslaved man.
- Civil War Literature — Its setting, government rations, military mule, references to Richmond's fall, artillery, and postwar devastation directly connect it to the aftermath of the American Civil War.
- African American History — The narrative depicts the economic circumstances, speech, aspirations, labor, and self-determination of a Black man and his family during Reconstruction.
- Reconstruction Era Literature — The plot concerns postwar poverty, racial coexistence in relief distribution, and Black economic advancement in Richmond after Confederate defeat.
Tags
American Civil War aftermath · postwar Richmond · Reconstruction era · African American entrepreneurship · freedpeople · racial inequality · poverty and starvation · humanitarian relief · Christian Commission · government rations · government surplus mules · mule hauling
What this Textopian page supports
A but'Ful Guv'Ment Mule is listed on Textopian as a short story by Annie Wittenmyer, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Annie Wittenmyer
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Anecdote, Civil War Literature, African American History, Reconstruction Era Literature, Inspirational Literature
- Length: 1,032 words
- Structure: 1 section, 35 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A but'Ful Guv'Ment Mule by Annie Wittenmyer
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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More by Annie Wittenmyer
- A Boy Sent by Express, C. o. D (1895)
- A Fighting Editor (1895)
- A Painful Accident (1895)
- A Perilous Ride (1895)
- A Rich Reward for Services (1895)
- A Terrible Storm at Chattanooga (1895)
- A Visit from General Grant and General Mcpherson (1895)
- A Visit to Captain Walke's Gunboat (1895)
- All works by Annie Wittenmyer