Definition of "muleteer"

This was a tender point with the muleteer; his honour was wounded when his mules were treated with disrespect, and he would have received a blow, perhaps, with more meekness.

1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, G. G. and J. Robinson

There was a muleteer to every donkey and a dozen volunteers beside, and they banged the donkeys with their goad-sticks, and pricked them with their spikes, and shouted something that sounded like "Sekki-yah!" and kept up a din and a racket that was worse than Bedlam itself.

1869, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter VI, in The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims’ Progress; […], Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company. […], page 58

A guy is sitting on the lead mule. He's the muleteer, ....

1982, Don DeLillo, The Names, Alfred A. Knopf, page 339