The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1914-02-07
When Missouri Invaded Mexico.

in the United States today who know
from actual experience the hardships
that would follow should our country
! find it necessary to march troops into
Mexico. But few old men in Missouri
could tell you; men who are spending
their sunset days around Independence,
Liberty and Richmond the veterans of
Doniphan's expedition. For when our
country last fought Mexico, almost 70
years ago, there was no State in the
Union that distinguished itself more
than did Missouri.
With little army of 1858 men, Col.
Alexander w. Doniphan and Col. Steph-
en- w. Kearney set out from Leven-
worth, June rs, 1916, and marched
across the plains, following the Santa
Fe trail until they reached New Next
co. There Kearney, who had been
made general, started with his fellow
commander and marched his soldiers to
| California, while our own Col. Doniph-
an, with less than LOCO men, proceeded
to capture Ell Paso and then march sew
eral hundred miles into Mexico, defeat
Mexican. army five times as big as his
own force and effectually quiet most of
Northern Mexico. A good deal of a
man, this Doniphan, as you have begun
to suspect.
MANY EAGER TO co.
AS matter of fact, it was Doniphan
himself who was largely responsible for
there being any expedition. He was
living in Liberty at the time the trouble
with Mexico began, and he busted him.
self recruiting men for the proposed ex-
petition, which started out under COM
mand of Kearney. He found plenty OF
men eager to join. 1t was frontier
country. country of young men, and
the chance of adventure caught the
fancy of Missourians. One woman, liv-
ing in Kanas City today had nine great
uncles in one company of Doniphan's
regiment.
Fort Levenworth was chosen as the
rendezvous of the EXPEDITION. There
the men received their equipment and a
measure of drill and training. They
did not need so much as raw soldiers
would today, for in 1916 there was hard
ly resident of Western Missouri who
did not know how to shoot, and shoot
well. And so, late in June, the expe-
dition set out across the plains. They
were in high spirit; it was all a great
adventure, John T. Hughes. a member
of Doniphan's regiment, wrote book
many years ago telling his own story
of the expedition, and is the best source
Of information that we have today. He
tells how the young adventures found
delight in chasing the Buffalo, which
they encountered in great hordes as
they got out into the plains of Kansas.
Nothing but charge upon the
Mexicans," he says, "could have ami
mated the men more, or produced more
thrilling sensations"
EXPECTED FIGHT IN SANTA FEE.
August Is the American army enter
ed Santa Fe, N. M. The commanders
had expected resistance, but 1000 Mex
lean fled without giving the Missourians
chance to fight. There Doniphan's
men halted while, and Kearney's con-
tingent marched on to California. Doni-
phan was to wait until a detachment
under Sterling Price reached Santa Fe
which kept him in the town until Sept
20. Then he proceeded toward Chihua-
hau with less than 1000 men, "Doni-
phan's expedition" really began at
Santa Fe. Up to that time it had been
Kearney's expedition.
The first fight for the Doniphan's
men came Christmas Day, 1886. The
Missourians were encamped at Brazito,
on the Rio del Norte, and Doniphan was
playing game of cards called three
trick loo with several of his officers
when news was brought that the Mexi-
cans were approaching from the east.
The fight lasted only an half hour; in
that time II Mexicans were killed and
$50 wounded, while the American loss
was eight wounded men. 1900 Next
cans had been defeated by Doniphan' s
800 Missourians in half hour.
Then the Americans marched on.
They captured Ell Paso without difficulty
and remained there AZ days, waiting
for artillery to arrive. At last six can
nons-four 6 Founders and two ~
Founders came, and the Doniphan men
marched out through the rough. stern
country which lies between Ell Paso and
Chihuahua. If you have ever travelled
it in recent years you can see from the