Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-27
CORRESPONDENT BELIEVES
VILLA BAND NOT EQUIPPED
AS WELL AS WAS REPORTED
Information Gathered Along Route of American
Expedition Indicates That Bandits Are Rag
ged, 1ll-Mounted, Poorly Armed and Count
Less Than 300 Men-Notes of the March

uutAES LhPeultlOn. Near AOlOnld
Dublan, Chihuahua, Mex March "a, by
aeroplane to Columbus, y. NJ, March
2o.-To the west and south Of us lie
the Sierra Madres and through arroyo
and draw and over butte and headand
our cavalry are riding, hunting Pancho
Villa and his band, now shrunk TO
less than 300 ragged and ill-mounted
men.
Sand and Snow Storm
Five hundred yards from the tent in
which l write our artillery is packed,
and 500 yards north Of the guns the
doughboys Infantry are lying flat
on their bellies in their dog tents. They
are seeking shelter from the sand
driven before a north wind of 60 miles
an hour 1t is mingled with snow now.
and it cuts like knife. filling the eyes
and mouth, fitering through the cloth
ing and into boots and shoes. Even the
horses are suffering. They have turned
their backs to the wind and, with
heads down, like cattle drifting before
a blizzard. they stand detected at the
picket lines.
Out Of the heat of the desert coun-
try in eastern Chihuahua. where at
noon the mercury touched 80. we came
to the Mormon colony, near Casas
Grandes. and on the Rio Casas
Grandes. whose course we followed
most of the 125 miles from Columbus,
we found Gen. Pershing's headquar-
tiers, a snarl of brown tents and wag-
ons and horses, under the cotton
woods which line the rivers bank.
Every man who has goggles, and this
includes more than half the troops in
the command, is wearing them, and
ever his mouth he has tied hand
kerchief. after the manner Of the cow
boy. This is to protect the eyes and
mouth.
stood with soggled men at mess this
morning and as ] looked out OF the
tent now, goggled men are passing
with heads bent against the wind. On
ly streaks Of their dirty faces are Wis
lille, making them look very much
like the British soldiers I saw In
Flanders in their first equipment
against German gas attacks. The sand
has so caked on the mems faces here
as to make them putty-colored. When
they close their eyes the clean lids
stand out startlingly like holes in a
mask. The black troopers the sand has
lightened. and when they close their
eyes the lids shine black against a
background Of dull gray.
This is to be man hunt pure and
simple. From talks that I have had
with staff officers (deleted by censor).
That IS. so long as the campaign is
directed solely against Villa and his
men. And Gen. Pershing seems conf
dent that there will be no trouble
with the Carranzistas. Whether the
rag-tag and bobtail Of the Mexican
people will flock to Villas standard de-
ponds on whether in the next few
weeks he can make some spectacular
stroke-either a brilliant escape from
the circle of troops that is being
thrown around him or some Geronimo
like raid along our lines of communi-
cation. Just now he is in the noun
tains. some 100 miles to the south,
avoiding conflict with the American
troops and harassing the Carranza
forces whenever possible.
Riding overland from Columbus for
four days, I followed in general way
the course that Villa took on his re-
treat after the Columbus raid. Every
few miles we came upon one or more
of his jaded horses abandoned by the
roadside. and as we got nearer and
nearer this camp the evidence became
cumulative and conclusive that the
reports Of Villa having the fastest
horses in the republic and daily in
creasing force Of well-armed men were
ridiculous 1 talked to Mexicans who
saw Villas band pass this vicinity,
and they say many Of his troops have
not even hats. Some of the horses
were so weak that they could hardly
walk. The problem before Gen. PERISH
ing and his command, therefore, is not
So much one of fight as of pursuing.
Penetrated $50 Miles
From the southernmost point to which
the cavalry has penetrated back to the
border base at Columbus is go miles and
along that line, over bad roads and
through a country that the Mexican gov
eminent itself has never mapped. we
must keep up a steady flow of supplies.
Gen. Pershing has no misgivings about
the fighting and staying qualities of the
troops, either black or white.
So far our rations have been good and
the quantity ample. Nobody is complain
ing. Beef stew, hash, potatoes. bread
and pork are the stand-bys, with hot cof-
fee at every meal. Strangely, we have as
yet had no beans. On the march we
messed for breakfast by moonlight at 4
A. NJ; now we may sleep longer, until O.
We have dinner at noon, supper at 3.
Officers and men are having the same ra-
tons and nobody has any luxuries There
are hardly 20 pounds of tobacco in the
entire command. And though the mercu-
ry this morning was down almost to
freezing, no rum rations will be served.
Two separate columns. if you will re-
call, were thrust across the border into
Mexico after the Columbus raid. One,
commanded by Col. Dodd. came across
near Hachita, n. NJ; the other started
from Columbus. The forces under Col.
Dodd, REINFORCED by certain other cav
airy. are the ones now searching for
Villa. The Columbus column, generally
speaking. is in camp here. Mention Of
strength or the names of regiments is
prohibited (deleted by CENSOR.
Col. Dodd's column came down here
with a rush. 1t covered 40 miles in 36
hours. Gen. Pershing. though IS years