Bob Your "perhaps the reason they were stolen" is just speculation and Wyatt needs all that he can get. The fact one brand had been altered to D8 and the other brand was not mentioned is more likely to be Wyatt's malinformed story telling and likely ignorance about how such mules were branded.which burdened him in other parts of this story also
Remember his varying stories of how he happened to get the information about where the mules were located?
"I followed Tom and Frank McLaury and two other parties who had stolen six government government mules from Camp Rucker"
"
"Myself, Virgil Earp,and Morgan Earp, and Marshal Williams, Captain Hurst and four soldiers; we "traced" those mules to McLaurys ranch.
"I" has now become "we." "Followed has now become traced" one sentence later.
But Wyatt is not done. LOL
Next sentence says, "While at Charleston I met a man by the name of Dave Estes. He told "me" I would find the mules at McLaurys ranch." Wyatt says Dave told him they were branding the stolen mules with DS. Also found THE branding iron DS
"We trqcked the mules right up to the ranch. (Wyatt is tracking mules he already has been given the location for. (Seems a little silly but not for Wyatt, LOL) "Also found THE branding iron DS." Afterwards some of those mules were found with THE same brand.
Whether Wyatt knew a running iron from a clothing iron makes no difference. The fact is that the U.S. brand had been altered to D8 and this was witnessed by Lt. Hurst. Since the second brand was never... more
As the animals Hurst was looking for were mules, if they were pack mules they would have been assigned to the Quartermaster Department, not any specific regiment. If there was a second brand besides the... more
Pack mules would be marked as you say, Quartermaster Dept., and some mules were used for working the rugged mountainsides of the Huachucas and Dragoons. Fort Kearny was just Camp Kearny at the time, not... more
...Bob, just wanted to make a note on your response to Tom, something that registered late as often happens with me. There is no reason to believe Hurst saw the changed brand on the mules as it is... more
Sure it does Bob — Tom Gaumer,Wed Aug 17 2022 13:21
Tom and Joyce, without realizing it, y'all are kicking me while I'm down. My central air conditioning went down and the entire system needs to replaced so we are roughing it in a hotel currently and I... more
...how miserable you and the family must feel. Be assured that we are most sympathetic. Aside from the inconvenience and discomfort I am sure the additional layout of financial stress is almost unbearable;... more
Dn't despair, Joyce. I went to the house today and brought Casey's ad Bossenecker's books back with me and those should give me plenty of ammunition latr this weekend.