The Washington times., 1916-03-19

When General Pershing's flying col
umns slipped across the Mexican border
last Wednesday, American history be-
gan TO repeat itself.
A. part Of the expedition-that flank
commanded by Colonel Dodd, with the
Tenth Cavalry-struok southwark to
cut off the bandit villa from sanctuary
In the almost impossible and mysterious
Sierra Madre range. II took broad
automobile road. which thirty years
ago was but a trail. That trail. how
ever, In those days was traversed by a
strikingly similar expedition.
For this In not the first time that
American soldiers. with the permission
OF Mexico's ruler. have invaded that
country on punitive" missions. The
twenty years border war which ragged
between the Chiricahua Apaches and
the white men, and watch left more
than loo white men dead upon the
plains OF Arizona and New Mexico. was
freely punctuated with such expeditions.
Veterans Here Of Indian Wars.
And there are in Washington to-
day some hardened veterans who re-
member all too keenly those border
days OF Indian warfare
Among them are Gen. NJ. p. Maus u.
s. A.. retired. He entered Mexico in
1855, accompanying the III. fated
crawford Expedition" When the
little company came out OF Mexico,
they left Crawford behind. slain by
MexicanE.
And there Is another. a white haired
colonel in the Qrartermaster's De-
partmont. He. swFy back ia tho
early eighties. was first lieutenant
Of Company A. Indian Scouts. Sixth
Cavalry.
lie entered Mexico in 1880 in pur-
suit OF Chief Victoria OF the Chirica-
hua Apaches, foIer"nner OF Geroni-
mo. who fled from the San Carlos
reservation southwark for the Sierra
Victoria's hight and the pursuit.
even TO the route followed-is strik-
inRly parallel to that now in progress
with the capture or death Of the
bandit villa as Its objective.
The white-haired veterans today, who
were the 1.-THE young officers OF those
yester-years in the bad lands. wildly
recall the hardships endured by the
border columns OF which they were
part.
Perhaps no stretch OF country in eth
world. presents such apparently insur-
mountable difficulties to campaigning as
does northern Mexico.
And that is why the recollections OF
the veterans are of especial interest
now. for except for the coming of the
railroad. and the aeroplane, and the
mountain batteries" OF sure-footed
mules. the campaign against Villa Is
being conducted. not on the new prin-
ciples laid down In Europe's modern
conflict. but upon ten long-gone tactics
Of old-year border warfare.
Equipment Of Those Days..
'In those days each mans field equip
ment consisted of a gallon canteen. one
blanket and a single change OF under
wear" said the veteran colonel. casting
back In his predictions to the days
of Chiefs Victoria, Natchez. Geronimo.
day carried no grain. We had to de-
lend on grazing for our mounts and
pack train mules.
Marches were made between water, :
sometimes thirty to forty miles a day
and anything over twenty miles Is
just plain perdition in that country.
Sometimes we would miss water
holes by a scant half mile. Again. when
we reached them after a killing march
they would be filled with the decayinR
carcasses OF animals.
What little sleep we could snatch
had to be taken between the times we
rode herd on our grazing horses.
THE country Is hellish. II is dry and
dusty and inhospitable. In those DAYS
II was barren and uninhabited We
hardly saw single Mexican on all OF
those expeditions.
And what little water we would find
IN the rivers-the Rio Casa Grande
for instnnce-would be almost out OF
reach The river flows in deep can
yons. I've ridden four or five miles many
day trying to find a place to gel
down to water. And In the end I've
been forced to let down my horses
nose bag by lariat and draw II up
RecollectiOns of Indian War.
And then the colonel, who incidentally
Is a medal Of honor man. launched int
some OF his recollections of the day
when the United States pursued Geron
limo and his bands into Mexico.
The colonel was then a young mrs
lieutenant of cavalry, commanding tn,
Fort, Apache Indian Scouts OF the ClC
Sixth-an organization in which. BY IN,
way, General Pershlng. who Is COM