Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-23
Mexican Expedition I.
Climax of CiuiZ War
After ApponaHox

erected colOnei. The expedition to
Mexico was taken from the balance.
Texas gave the column its first equip
| ment. There were batteries of French
artillery that had been abandoned. Tho
towns were filled with muskets, left
by the empire dreamers. There were
! rounds aplenty for each gun.
Here and there In quiet towns were
| men who had been lettering after the
| news Of Appomattox. Every man asked
the same question. Whittier? When
they heard that Shelby and his men
were on their way. these loiterers
rushed to cover. They knew Shelby.
They were men who had been In the
councils Of State and in the field in
the early stages OF the war when the
South had seen the glory of a new
government coming down out of the
clouds of heaven. The names Of some
OF these men will start stories at the
| camp fires Of the Reunion in Richmond.
One had been in the United States SEN
ate from Missouri-Trusten Polk. Some
of them were fugitive generals. Gov
ernors. congressman, Cabinet officers.
Reynolds. General Lyon. Of Kentucky:
General John 3. Clark, Jr., General
Provost, OF louisiana Governor Henry
| w Allen, Commodore NJ. F, Maury,
General Bee, General Oscar watkins, a.
w Slayback. a gifted lawyer who long
after was killed by Colonel ]. A. Cock :
rell, st. Louis editor. and James
Hampton Roads Cundiff later to be
editor of the st. Joseph, Mo. Gazette.
Each without country. They were
men of culture, accustomed in other
days to ease and associations In the
higher walks. Some were penniless.
One, West Pointer. asked what he
had, replied. Nothing but West Point
courtesy" These were of the expedi-
| ton. Every man Of them ft TO appear
| at court-lf he had had the clothes.
IT, 10
| Shelby as a fighter only. 1t will be
! interesting to know that he first OF all
| was n man of law and order. So when.
in the beginning Of his expedition. he
| heard that there were marauders hang
| ing on the trail Of his column, he
| stopped his march and assembled a
| guard to kill the pillagers. He picked
! and merciless. The day after the order
was Issued to clear the way. thirty
| nine were counted in the grass The
free hooters who were left lost their
| nerve. The expedition moved on Re
cruits fell in all along the line The
column crossed the Rio Grande to
Piedras Eegras. where Juarez had a
| following under arms. There was some
hghting, then some parleying. Up to
this hour the expedition had not de-
cided how Its die was to be cast At
one OF the councils the question came
up, whittier: One Of the sneakers
said, We are all imperia!ists. We pre-
fer service under Macmillan" Shelby
inquired and found that this was the
sentiment. My answer" said shelby,
lis the same. Henceforth we will night
under Macmillan. Tomorrow at 4
O'Clock in the afternoon the march sha II
commence for Monterey. You have
chosen the empire, and. perhaps. II is
well, but bad or good. your fate shall
be my fate, your fortune my fortune"
AS the march began Shelby said IN
Colonel Moore. Poor, proud fellows
| 1t is principle with them. and they had
rather starve under the empire tina n
! feast in a republic"
In Which Appear Incidents Unusual.
.heloEs expedition TO Mexico was
! interspersed with incidents such as sell
dom appear on march An invasion
II thie expedition may be put in that
category, Is generally made I'D of bat.
yes. raids, CONGREGATIONS. reprisaIs.
not altogether go with this expedi-
ton.
1t VIII repay you to stop and look
al what occurred before the expedi-
ton reached the capital There wa. a
woman whose beauty combined with
that abandon which is conspicuous in a
sonorita, had captivated q captain.
'eu'e'iaht hau also oeen caught in the
The two men became deadly r,va,e
Inc captain claimed the beauty BY dis
coVerE; the lieutenant by rfpht of
| CONQUEST One night the woman nut
on the old love and took on the new
IN struggle for possession the cap
tain slapped the lieutenant In the fare
fusilade Of words followed. One of
'ne men, tapping his revolver. added
s!gnihcantly that woman worth kiss
| ing was worth fighting for The lieu
tenant gave the challenge, and il Was
accepted. The terms might have been
taken from the code of the DAYS when
principals were TO meet in the prairie,
mile from camp, each armed with
revolver and saber. They were 70
De mounted and stationed twenty naces
apart, back to back. At the word thev
we're 70 wheel and fire. advancing if
they preferred In no event were they
70 pass beyond a line 500 yards in
the rear OF each position This space
was accorded as that in which the com
a ass1n's 70 might ahs rein up and return
men in camp knew OF the quarrel and
the terms of the duel They kent ,he
secret from Shelby.
The morning of the meeting had in
II everything worth living for. But
'He oaiW or the atmosphere, tho crystal
tears upon the grass and the sweet
perfume of the prairie bloom did not
appeal TO those rivals. Put a beautifuI
woman in picture and nobody but
an artist will ever see the details of
me painting. Each held his pistol in
one hand. his reins in the other, The
words were given: Ready! Wheel"
The steeds turned as IL they had been
upon pivot
Fire" rang out. so sharp and clear
that 1t startled a bird from Its hiding
place. The lieutenants horse stood
IKE picture. The captain dashed
upon the lieutenant. firing as the ami.
NAL on which he was mounted galloped.
Ihree times he fred, but the target
was untouched. They were abreast.
The lieutenant took deliberate aim and
mred The captains horse ran away.
Inc riders blood splashed the tran
pings. When he was removed a sur
seoh probed the wound In his head
and took out bullet--a dragon ball.
Ihe grass was still fresh with dew
When 1T was upturned in making a
grave IN which the body was buried:
ana an hour after buzzarde auyooand