The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-03-31
DETAILED STORY OF CROSSING
OF BORDER SENT FROM HEAD
QUARTERS OF PUNITIVE
EXPEDITION.
SLOCUM FIRST OFFICER
TO PASS BOUNDARY LINE
Spies Dot Route of First Column
While Men of Second Force
Way Into Country Fifty Miles
Before Native Is Seen-Mus-
ter Roll of Villa Found.

ter HOt OF villa FOunu.
Headquarters United States Puni
tive Expedition, Near Colonia Dublan
Chihuahua, Mex, by Wagon Train t.
Columbus, N. NJ, March 25.-Reachinl
here by a forced march that demon
strated the endurance of the Ameri
can soldiers and obviously amazed the
Mexicans, several thousand United
States troops, cavalry, infantry ant
artillery were scattered between thi:
point and the northern boundary o
the district of Guerrero intent on the
task of capturing or killing Francisco
Villa in the shortest possible time ant
DISCRIMINATING the bandit band will
which he raided Columbus, N. NJ, and
slaughtered nine civilians on March
3. Troop movements and dispositions
however it was said, were shrouded
in the strictest secrecy by order of the
war department.
Slocum Crosses Line First.
The entry into Mexico occurred at
1910 p. m. March Is. At that mo-
ment the American colors, with the
standard of the Thirteenth cavalry,
were carried over the boundary. Col
onel Herbert J. Slocum, commanding
the Thirteenth, was the first COM
handing officer to cross. He was fol-
lowed by Major James A Ryan, act
ing chief of staff to General John }.
Pershing, who commands the punitive
expedition.
Goes 40 Miles in % Hours.
This was column number one, con-
sisting of artillery, cavalry and in
fantry and burdened with heavy wag-
on trains. 1t moved slowly and camp
ed the first night at Palomas, a filthy
village of adobe huts and go-downs,.
seven miles below the boundary. Col
lumn No. 2 entered Mexico from Gull
bertson's ranch, 81 miles so6h of Ha-
chita, N. M. General Pershing, who
had accompanied the first column part
of the way to Palomas returned to Co
lumbus the same afternoon, raced to
Culbertson's in an automobile and TAX
ing command of the second or Ely
ms SOldlhA, uloNC II HUI z ludH 1lU
miles over the desert of Chihuahua in
z2 hours actual marching time.
Spies Watch First Column.
Official records show that spies dot
ted the route of the first column, but
the men of the second had forged
their way SO miles into the country be-
fore a single native was seen; and,
to the patent surprise of the Mexicans
rested here Friday night exactly AZ
hours after crossing the border at 3:17
morning.
In this column every man was
mounted and the numbering wagon
trains were supplanted by army mules |
which made the entire distance under
heavy packs with the loss of only |
three of their number.
Raded Columbus With 583 Men.
Muster rolls of the Villa command |
'ound here after he passed through, |
going southwark, eight days ago, show
ed that he made the raid on Columbus
With 583 men Raving in anger after
his defeat, deserters reported that the
bandit chfeftain killed five of his Of
lcers and men as towards. There
we're 293 in his command when he re-
reated through Colonia DubIan. The
Thirteenth accounted for the rest.
Major Frank Tompkins, who took
g men OF his squadron and drove the
bandits IL miles into Mexico after
hey had crossed the border, COM
handed the advance guard.
First Word Concerning Villa.
The second column, which under
'eneral Pershing's personal command
made the dash from Culbertson's
anch. lost three mules. The trans
ort animals of the latter, however,
'ere more lightly burdened.
At O1itos the intelligence depart
1ent Of the flying column received :
be first word concerning Villa. The
fexicans there reported he had pass {
d here Saturday, March, IL, two days
fter the Columbus raid. with an es-
ort OF only ten men. They also {
lated that reports had been received {
the ranch that Villa had killed five
Iexicans at Corralitos, an American {
inch to the south, because they were ]
'orking for the hated "Gringoes." s