The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-24

Now when they get in. the first In
CURRY for the water holes and there Is
| a wild rush to battle. They are COM
| ing In with their hlistered feet tapped,
| but they arc coming in with their
| heads up.
There will be much said, no doubt,
! OF some of the marches made by the
| horse soldiers OF Pershing's command
later on, but there Will never be any
march that will equar any of the
marches that are being made by the
foot soldiers of the punitive expedi-
ton.
During the first couple of days IL
| was a common sight to see captains
and lieutenants carrying guns and
packs belonging to their men who
were unable to keep up under the
| load. Every officer shared his canteen
OF water with the privates. Lieutenant
Henry Meyers, riding ahead at the
head OF NJ. troop. of the Black Tenth
Cavalry, stopped his command be
hind foot-weary band OF infantry
| men and made the troopers give their
water over to the dough boys" All
things considered. the horses and
mules with the expedition have stood
the journey well. the losses being
comparatively insignificant. but the
infantry has been wonderful.
D1exicans View March.
| The few Mexicans encountered stand
| at the roadside and view the long pro-
cession OF Americans that must seem
| TO them fnterminable. in dumb amaze
ment. They offer no comment, how
ever. but rush around hunting eggs
and other articles to sell 10 the SOL
| diers.
The squadron of seven asropianes.
| which provide the outline Of march
from Columbus, headed south and NOV
ing so high that they looked like q
| flock of buzzards. reduced the Mexi-
cans TO silent wonder. The equipment
of the army division that Is swinging
ever their roads was another source
of astonishment TO the Inhabitants
They are accustomed to armies. but
not to an army which moves like this
ons.
Marching has been about the extent
of the activities of the punitive ex.
petition to date, No hostility has beer
encountered from the natives.
Their disappearance is not due tc
the advance of the troops.
Long ago they were driven out by
the various revolutions that best the
republic. Once across the long stretch
i of dusty country bstween Pslomas
the frst stop, and the green vale,
4 of the Ascension River the expedition
hesan encountering some signs Of life
but UP to that time only a few Next
cans were seen.
AT colonia Diaz, In the country set.
tied by Mormons-- and Iona Of the mos
beautiful sections anywhere In all thii
world. the American troops began see
ing the ruin that the revolutionists lef
in their various wakes during the pas
few years.
Most of the houses had been burned
long ago--probably as far back Al
the time of Antonio Ricas. Those LET
standing were the houses of Mexicans
1t was said that q couple of wounded
villistas from the Columbus raid wa
In one of these houses, but the Ameri
cans paid no attention to the story
They were after. villa more thar
wounded Villistas.
Find Hostile Woman.
when the fIrBt of the American fly
Ing columns crossed into Mexican ter
ritory Wednesday. March IL. 1t WA
met by just two Inhabitants of tn.
republicans friendly, the other thor
! oughiy hostile.
The Amigo was Juan Munoz, mar
! whose years are RS countless as tht
stars. The hostile was his equally
venerable wife They were the only
people left In the little town of Paio
mas, several miles from Columbus
J when the advance guard of Genera
Pershins's cavalry column came jog
ging over rise of ground beyond tht
town.
His back bent to half circle by thS
| weight of his many years Juan Munoi
4 stood by the roadside tanning tbs
earth with his conical hat and numb
he lea ~
4 horsemen rode by in cloud of dust
He was too old TO fight. even had hi
felt so inclined. He was too old &c
fee. SO he had to remain and greet the
Gringoes
j The aged Sonora Munoz remained in
her little one-room "dobe" tacales
Some of the American soldiers went
over to interview her after they had
settled down into camp. When they
appeared In the doorway, she arose
secured a short broom, and began the
sweeping the hard dirt floor.
| When the soldiers asked questions
she only swept the floor with renewed
| fury She was a tooth1ess old lady
| and hard of hearing, as II developed
but there was that in her manner which
gave the Impression that old Juan
| Munoz has had something TO contend
with during his term of matrinony.
1t was Sonora Munoz's belief (and
she said so, that these "Ameieanos
had come TO take her chickens" She
had two chickens, Both seemed to
be as old as the Sonora herself. From
tho rafters of the Munox home hung
little steamers of drying meat This
meat. too was of an antique nature.
Catch Chickens aud Pigs.
The soldiers could not remain Ion z
IN the house. even had the sonora mad