The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-03-30
DETAILED STORY or CROSSING
OF BORDER SENT FROM HEAD.
QUARTERS OF PUNITIVE
EXPEDITION.
SLOCUM FIRST OFFICER
TO PASS BOUNDARY LINE
Spies Dot Route Of First Column
While Men Of Second Force
Way Into Country Fifty Miles
Before Native Is Seen-Mus-
ter Roll of Villa Found.


Headquarters United States Punt
tive Expedition, Near Colonia Dublan,
Chihuahua, Mex, by Wagon Train to
Columbus, N. M, March 25.-Reaching
here by a forced march that demon
strated the endurance of the Ameri-
can soldiers and obviously amazed the
Mexicans, several thousand United
States troops, cavalry, infantry and
artillery were scattered between this
point and the northern boundary of
task of capturing or killing Francisco
Villa in the shortest possible time and
discriminating the bandit band with
which he raided Columbus, N. NJ, and
slaughtered nine civilians on March
3. Troop movements and dispositions,
however, 1t was said, were shrouded
In the strictest secrecy by order of the
war department.
Slocum Crosses Line First.
The entry into Mexico occurred at
ment the American colors, with the
standard of the Thirteenth cavalry,
were carried over the boundary. Col
onel Herbert j. Slocum, commanding
the Thirteenth, was the first COM
handing officer to cross. He was fol-
lowed by hlajor James A. Ryan, act
ing chief of staff to General John j.
Pershing, who commands the punitive
expedition.
Goes ITO Miles in % Hours.
This was column number one, con-
sisting of artillery, cavalry and in
fantry and burdened with heavy wag-
on trains. 1t moved slowly and camp
ed the first right at Palomas, a filthy
village of adobe huts and go-downs,
seven miles below the boundary. Col
lumn No. 2 entered Mexico from Gull
b~ertson's ranch, 81 miles south of Ha-
chitd, II. M. General Pershing, who
had accompanied the first column part
of the way to Palomas returned to Co.
lumbus the same afternoon, raced to
Culbertson's in an automobile and TAX
ing command Of the second or ely
ing column" drove it more than 10
miles over the desert of Chihuahua in
% hours actual marching time.
Spies Watch First Column.
Official records show hat spies dot
ted the route OF the first column, but
the men of the second had forged
their way so miles into the country be-
fore a single native was seen; and,
to the patent surprise of the Mexicans
rested here Friday night exactly AZ
hours after crossing the border at 3:17
Thursday morning.
In this column every man was
mounted and the numbering wagon
trains were supplanted by army. mules
which made the entire distance under
heavy packs with the less OF only
three of their number.
Raided Columbus Wiki 5ss Men.
Muster rolls of the Villa command
found here after he passed through,
going southwark, eight days ago, show
ed that he made the raid on Columbus
with 5S3 men. Raving in anger after
his defeat, deserters reported that the
bandit chieftain killed FIVE of his Of.
ficers and men as towards. There
were 293 in his command when he re-
treated through Colonia Dublan. The
Thirteenth accounted for the rest.
Major Frank Tompkins, who took
SO men of MS squadron and drove the
bandits 10 miles into Mexico after
they had crossed the border, COM
manded the advance guard.
First Word Concerning Villa.
The second column, which under
General Pershing's personal command
made the dash from Culbertson's
ranch, lost three mules. The trans
port animals of the latter, however,
were more lightly burdened.
At Ojitos the intelligence depart.
ment OF the flying column received
the first word concerning Villa. The
Mexicans there reported he had pass
ed here Saturday, March, IL, two days
after the Columbus raid. with an es-
cort of. only ten men. They also
stated that reports had been received
at the ranch that Villa lad killed five
Mexicans at Corralitos. an American
ranch to the south, because they were
working for the hated 'Gringoes."