Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-06-27
Brave Trooper Refuses to
Leave Adair, Who Died
In His Arms
MOREY, WOUNDED, LAY
ALL DAY With MEN in sun
Made Troopers Leave Him to
Save Themselves, But
Finally Reached Aid

Field Headquarters, via radio to Col
umbus, n. NJ, June 27.-Captain Lewis
s. Morey of Troop X, of the Tenth
cavalry, tine sole officer to survive the
fight with Carranzista forces near Car
rizal today sat on the edge of his bunk
in the matched hut that is the head
quarters of the American forces and
told an attentive group of fellow of.
ficers the details of the first real trag
edy of this campaign.
Captain MOrey had spent the night in
the hospital after his arrival here by
automobile late Sunday afternoon. To
day with his blood stained shirt remOv
ed and his body refreshed and cleaned,
he was able to be about camp with his
left shoulder, through which a mauser
bullet passed, swathed in bandages.
He first visited General Pershing,
thsn visited the regiment in what will
probably be one Of the most remarkable
reunions Of the campaign.
As he walked through the company
streets, thanked by tents and curiously
woven brush huts, quarters that men
and Officers have built there was no
cheering no music, but from each group
he passed some officer with eager face
stepped forth and grasped Captain
Morey's unnamed hand, exclaiming:
"Glad you re back. Congratulations. -
Those were simple words, but they were
fervent for no man of this command
had believed Captain Morey would ever
be with them again.
Officers Died Like Men.
Captain MOrey told his story slowly,
with superb restraint and modesty. He
blamed no one, drove no conclusions and
offered no suggestions as to what should
have been done.
He added little to the tale of the
fight except to say that Captain Boyd
and Lieutenant Henry Adair died like
men and that, in the firing that follow
ed the Mexican attack, the Carranzistas
seemed to be centering their fire on the
white soldiers.
Captain Morey's troop was on the
right flank when the "ball opened, 3"
as he expressed it, and he could follow
the charge of Troop under Captain
Boyd and Lieutenant Adair only to the
fringe Of brush into which men and
horses disappeared.
"Men Of Troop c tell me-" he said
that Lieutenant Adair died in an ir.
rigation ditch with his head held by a
nOn-eOmmissiOned officer. There was
water in the ditch and Adair would
have pitched forward into it had he not
been supported. / understand the non.
commissioned officer left Adair in the
ditch at his order and went forward
toward Carrizal Looking back he saw
Adair with glazed eyes and his mead
wobbling against the sides or the ditch.
So he went back and stayed with him
until he died.
Boyd Killed in Charge.
"Captain Boyd was killed when his
troop made a rush for the trenen in
which the Carranzstas had machine
guns. Just how he died donot know. ,
/ Morey told how his own small de.
tachment, fighting on their bellies,
withdrew until Morey, wounded in the
shoulder, found himself with seven rleu
behind an adobe wall near a dry water
hole Offering protection from bullets
but not from the sun.
"Three hundred yards to the south
were the Carranzistas, some mounted
and some afoot, fighting and yelling as
they advanced, emboldened by the
Americans retreat.
"When I got behind the wall" re-
sumed Morey, "I told the men I uuC-
posed to stay there. Those who wished
to go, / told to CO."
Four men, including one who was
wounded, elected to try to escape and
Captain Morey said he saw them ascend
Hill stretching away to the north.
~ never saw men act so strangely. -
said Captain Morey. "They did not run
or seem TO exert themselves in any way
They simply moved away up hill as if
dazed and by doing so probably saved
us. We who remained behind the wall
noticed Carranza horsemen riding out
to flank them. 1t was apparent that
some Of the Carranzistas had seen US
take refuge behind the wall and not.
ing four trying to escape went in pur.
suit, leaving US unmOlested. b"
Lay All Day In Sun.
Morev and three black troopers lay
in that hole behind the wall all the long
est day Of the year without water while
the enemy beat the country on all sides.
Night came on and with it a drop in
temperature. Under the stars the
wounded officer and his men started