The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1916-04-10
SPARE ONLY HORSES
ORDERS TO PURSUERS
HOW DODD, LEADING 400 MEN
DASHED THROUGH WlLDS
AFTER VILLA.

pursuit. the Villa band under General
Eliseo Hernandez, was Overtaken by |
American troops and dispersed, was |
revealed here today The plan was to |
send the American column in straight |
line along 1.-The string Of the bow |
while Villa was taking a longer route |
along the arc of the bonn. Coupled |
with this maneuver was a general |
order:
Stint Selves to Spare Horses.
Spare nothing except hOrseilesh.
Under these instructions the cavalry |
men under Colonel Dodd's brigade, |
always in the van, pushed straight
southwark from the border through |
the Santa Maria river valley. Villa |
Grandes, had swung eastward behind |
meanwhile, after passing CaSas
the ridge of mountains, close to 5000 |
feet high. Although his position was
difficult to locate, the cavalry stead
ily hurried southwark along the short
er line, trusting that Villa finally
would try TO turn ahead Of them to
his old haunts. Literally nothing OK
cept horseflesh was spared by the
Americans.
On March % Colonel Dodd's men
were reduced, by the necessity OF
leaving patrols and by the illness OF
about forty men, TO total advance
guard OF about 400. They had run
completely out of provisions. III
stead OF hating to await food they
pushed on, leaving no regular lines
Of communication with the. columns
in the rear. For one solid week they
lived ON their wits, sheir reserve
strength and such scanty food as they
could pick up, but always following
the order spare nothing but horse
flesh
How we'll they spared the horses
was proven by their final dash into
the Villa stronghold Wednesday
morning March %, march which,
for endurance and brilliant effect has
never been surpassed.
Mistake in Roads Costs Hour.
The Americans made fifty-five miles
in seventeen hours, riding on chill
night, which cut to the bone. They
had discarded every piece of non
fighting equipment except blankets
and canteens and mess kits. Some
of the men even had thrown away
their blankets.
The fifty-five mile march to Guer-
rero was holly pressed in the hope
that the town would be reached be-
fore daylight. However, a mistake
in roads cost an hour and it was not
until after sunrise that the dust
brown adobe huts OF Guerrero came
into sight.
Given a better guide and emitting
the mistake in roads, Colonel Dodo
captured or annihilated the entire
Villa force.
Surrounding a Mexican village re-
ouires much time, because these
places cover several square miles, bat
despite difficulties Colonel Dodd was
able to pass the town and to enter
portions of it before his troops weT
discovered
Reports say Villa had been in Guer-
zero all night resting from the wound
he was said to have sustained two
days before the fight with Carranza
forces According to this story. he had
departed in carriage short while
before Colonel Dodd's attack. At any |
rate, he was not present during the
fighting.
Perform Desperate Feats of BraHsry.
Before the Americans could com
plete their encirciing movements, the
Villa forces began dashing out of the
town on all sides, firing as they rode.
They divided into small groups, some |
times riding singly in their effort 10
scatter the onslaught of the Ameri-
cans
Running horseback fights followed
in which the American troopers per-
formed desperate feats of bravery.
During five hours they rode hard on
the heels of the retreating forces. For
ten miles to the northeast the pursuit
lasted, the broad lane of the fight be-
ing dotted with the bodies OF dead |
and wounded Mexicans.
With what he considered accurate |
information that Villa was badly Grip |
pied so that he could neither ride |
horseback nor walk, Colonel Dodd |
turned northeast for pursuit of the |
routed bandits, maintaining also |
force at Guerrero ready to strike IN |
any other direction.
he P,oh< ryit Colonel