South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-11-06
COLD SQUADRON
IS ANNIHILATED
Villas Special Body Guard
Exists Only in Tales of Val
or at Camp Fires.
BY Edmond f. Behr.


tive Expedition. Mexico. Nov. Shy |
motor truck train to Columbus. y. |
M)-Villa's squadron Of gold" has
been annihilated His "Dorades." |
who composed that famous organi- |
cation, on longer exist except in the /
tales Of valor told around bandit |
camp fires these cold nights.
From a superb group Of 400 fear |
less men the "Dorades" have dwin- /
died away until now they are only a |
memory. But the stories Of their |
prowess and courage are still related /
by the men who follow Villas bloody |
flag today.
When villa began the war against |
Huerta in 1913 he organized a per-
sonal bodyguard of about 40 men. |
Those 40 had followed him in the /
early days of his outlaw career. |
villa knew every one OF them would !
lay down his life for him. They |
were admittedly the most loyal and |
fearless soldiers in his whole army. |
More than that, they were all crack |
shots. Years of guerilla warfare un- |
DER villa in the days when he fought |
Pres't Diaz soldiers, had taught them |
an individual resourcefulness that the
great majority Of his soldiers did not
possess.
Increase Number.
AS time passed and Villas army
grew, he found it necessary 40 in
crease the number of "DoTades," or
Golden Ones" Villa himself gave
them that name. He presented them
with a triangular blue velvet ban
ner. with the words "Escuadron de
ORC" (Squardon of Cold embroid
cred upon it with gold threads. 1t
was said then that villa could call
each man by name. They accompa-
MED him everywhere. Their uni
forms and equipment were the finest
in the army. To be chosen for this
command became the ambition of
every soldier in the Villa ranks.
Came the split" with Carranza.
Villa began 10 lose battles. Hereto
fore his "Dorados" had rarely been
called upon to do much lighting.
Villa had plenty NJ less valuable sol |
diers for his campaigns. But as the
Carranzistas under Gen. Obregon
hammered their way northward
from Mexico City in the spring and
summer Of 1915, the villa armies
thinned
In the three-day battle at Selaya,
where villa suffered his first and
greatest defeat, the "Doredos" were
hurled twice into breaches where
the Carranzistas had broken the
villa lines. They did not turn the
tide of defeat, but they beat back
the attackers long enough TO give
villa an opportunity for a retreat
that would otherwise have been a
rout That deed cost the squadron
200 lives.
Then came the occupation Of
Aguascalientes by Obregon, whose
advance cavalry burst into the city
from the south. as Villa. in an auto
mobile. was leaving it's northern
limits. The Carranza cavalry, learn
ing that the enemy leader was al
most in their grasp. gave chase inn
mediately. They had to take a GER
tain road-there was no other route
by which the fleeing Villa could be
cut off.
But the squadron of gold" barred
I the way. For more than an hour,
/ the 200 "Dorados" who survived
Ceaya. withStOod almost overwhelm-
/ ing numbers of attackers. At last.
| the Carranza troops Outnumbered
\ them 10 TO one and they sullenly
/ retreated. It is this deed of valor
l that will live longest in the momory
of the men who follow villa. OF
/ the so who were still alive, there is
not much To tell. One by one they
/ died or were captured in the few
months afterwards that Villas army
held together.
From natives who have drifted in
to this camp from the south, where
they saw Villa and his bandits,
| comes the information that none OF
the "DOradOs" are with him now.
That is why, they say, Villa rarely
stays with his main command. fear
ing possible treachery. but directs
| operations from some remote fast
ness in the hills, where only a few
trusted companions know his where
abouts Messengers carry his or
ders from headquarters" TO the
different commands which follow
him.