The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

GENERAL PERsHING WILL LEAD
Y. 9. FORCES INTO MEXICO.
Hero Of Many Rattles--Fousht indians
and Subdued the Moros-Lost
Family In Fire.

! Washington, March l3.-There are
few officers in the army who possess
SO distinguished a record for bravery
and efficient service as Brig. Gen
John ]. Pershing. who has been as
signed the task Of rounding up Fran.
cisco Villa and exterminating his band
or outlaws, and there is, perhaps, no
man so skiIlful in guerilla warfare and
Indian fighting.
With brilliant record in the Philip.
pines behind him-a record that gained
Tor him a promotion from captain to
bTigadier general over the heads of
J S62 officers OF higher rank-and the
memory of great tragedy still fresh
in his mind-the death of his wife and
| three children in a FIRE at the Preside
In San Francisco last Augusta General
Pershing may be expected to give a
swift and sure account of his command
In the Mexican expedition. u.s.,
He knows every foot of the country
over which he will have to lead his
men. He covered it all years ago in
the memorable pursuit of Geronimo.
General Pershing was born in Linn
county, Missouri, on October -, 1860,
and was appointed TO West Point from
that state. His career there was an
honor both to himself and to that ia.
nous institution. and he rose to the
rank of senior cadet captain. He left
the academy to become second lieuten.
ant of the Sixth cavalry. then pursuing
Geronimo across the, arid plains and
hills Of northern Mexico. Once his
troop established a record of 1870 miles
in Al hours. ~. ri
Later Pershing was transferred to
the northwest. where he took part in
the Sioux campaigns of 1SS01S91.
Eater he commanded the Sioux scouts
until detailed as military instructor at
the University of Nebraska. ...
The declaration OF war with Spain |
found him an instructor in tactics at
West Point. He Immediately asked to
be sent to the front. and was assigned
to the Tenth cavalry, which did dis
tinguished service at Santiago. After
the war with Spain he was made a
major and assistant adjutant general
in the volunteer service, and was sent
to the Philippines where he command.
ed an expeditionary force into the
Island of Mindanao, to restore order
and subdue the Moros. - D..
One Of his most stubborn fights was
in the capture of Bacolod, after his
force had been surprised by large
band of>Moros. One hundred Moros
were killed and many wounded. Perish.
ing's loss was three wounded. sa
After that the Meros had respect for
Pershing. ~ - 49,. /
The sultan of SuIu appointed him q
1atto, an Office almost as supreme in
power as that of the sultan himself
Ind he came to be hailedas prophet"
md priest" The natives brought
heir troubles to him and he acted as
Judge.
After he left the Philippines Perish.
ng was assigned to the embassy at
Tokyo as military attache. In January,
9O5, he was married in Washington
o Miss Helen Frances Warren, daugh
er of United States Senator Warren [
rom Wyoming .. j. l
Mrs. Pershing and three of their {
our children were suffocated last Au. !
ust In fire at the Preside. At that e
lme it was said they might have been +
escued had not the red tape of the c
rmy prevented the earlier arrival of
re apparatus from the Panama.Paciic U
xposition, short distance away. AT u
nat time General Pershing was de. A
allied at Ell Paso t.
"