This was very pretty in theory; but, as a matter of fact, the supply trains were not numerous enough.

My men had a natural genius for acquiring horseflesh in odd ways, and I continually found that they had staked out in the brush various captured Spanish cavalry horses and Cuban ponies and abandoned commissary mules.

Putting these together, I would organize a small pack train and work it industriously for a day or two, until they learned about it at headquarters and confiscated it.

Then I would have to wait for a week or so until my men had accumulated some more ponies, horses, and mules, the regiment meanwhile living in plenty on what we had got before the train was confiscated.
All of our men were good at accumulating horses, but within our own ranks I think we were inclined to award the palm to our chaplain.

There was not a better man in the regiment than the chaplain, and there could not have been a better chaplain for our men.