The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-11-16

March 10 at COIumDuS, WHERE 1t naQ
been attacked March by Villa. Two
sauadrons of the Fifth left Columbus
on March % and were joined by the
third squadron April 10 at the Nor
mon lakes. near Dublan. The first de-
tachment of the Eleventh entered
Mexico March IL via Columbus.
The marches of the Fifth may be
summarized as follows :-Namiquipa,
April 16; San Geronimo, April % +;
Lake Itascate, April "a; San Antonio,
May 3. About the time of the Scott
Obregon conference the regiment was
given a district, with Satevo as head
quarters, which it was ordered to
search intensively for bandits. Each
cavalry regiment was allotted a SINH
lar sector of southern Chihuahua. The
beating of the brush for Villistas, how
ever, was never fully done. The Fifth,
on May 10, was made part of a pro-
visional cavalry brigade to cover the
withdrawal of the expedition north
ward at q time when $500 Carran-
zistas were reported to be within 80
miles of the Americans. Since Car
rial it has been encamped at Ell Vale.
The Seventh, after completing its
dash to Colonia Dublan with General
Pershing's column, proceeded post
haste to San Miguel, where Villa was
reported. Poor guides caused delay
and the bandit escaped. 1t then start
ed toward Guerrero. That town was
reached by forced marches II days
out from the border, with daily aver
age of 321h miles. The longest days
march was on March II, when So
miles were covered. The route chart
shows that the regiment and detach-
ments on reconnaissance covered 81
500 miles.
Mention is made that during Col
onel DOdd'S historic ride his men many
times had only parched corn to eat.
Nearly three hundred miles was made
in a single file, the troopers leading
their mounts, and a number of them
leaving stained footprints on the rocky
trail, for their shoes had worn out.
Officers and men lent their own money
to buy food and forage, but it was not
until the end of April that clothing
could be obtained. By that time the
men were in q pitiable state. Two
fights stand to the record of the Sew
enth-Guerrero and Tomanche.
The Thirteenth, which arrived at Co
lonia Dublan on March II, furnished
the two picked troops which Major
TOmpkins commanded in his dash af-
ter Villa and which were halted at
Guerrero. The itinerary of the re-
Vale, Las Cruces, Namiquipa, San
Geronimo, Lake ItaScate and Ell Rubio,
where it made it's headquarters May L
to seek bandits in the district to which
it had been assigned. 1t was cOncen-
trated at San Antonio on May 10 and
later went into permanent camp at
Colonia Dublan.
Story of Hard Luck.
The history of the Tenth cavalry is
a record of hard marching and hard
luck. Short two troops when it was
made part of the column that entered
Mexico from Culberson's ranch, it was
divided on reaching COlOnia Dublan.
The first squadron, sent south on the
Mexican northwestern, lost a number
of men by injuries when their ram
shackle train was wrecked. The third
squadron participated in the vain
march to San Miguel. 1t was Joined
March "A by the first, and both reached
Namiquipa March %. With the first
squadron at San Diego del Monte, the
second engaged in it's first clash with
the enemy at Aguascalientes on April
1. Three of the so Villistas were
killed. On April 3 this squadron
reached San Antonio, and on April q
it was at Cusi. Ordered on April 10
toward Parral as a flanking force, it
arrived at a point 20 miles from that
city just in time to reinforce Major
Tompkins' squadron, which had re-
treated from that city. The regiment
was concentrated during the retire
ment and camped at COlonia Dublan
on May 10.
The regiment on May lost its COM
mander when Colonel Brown, Ill, lelC
for home. Brief mention only is made
of the hardships the only negro cav
airy in the expedition endured. 1t re-
ceived no clothes until May IL. The
horses began to suffer early in the
campaign from lack of forage and on
March 25 they were further disabled
when their shoes began to wear out.
The first supply of coffee, hard bread
and bacon received since March Is
was furnished the men on April ~.
During that time the command sub
sided almost entirely on beef killed
on the range and corn ground in small
hand mills. No details are given con-
corning the scouting expeditions in
which Troop G, from Ojo Federico
and Troop X, from Dublan, were en-
gagged when cut up at Carrizal.