Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-07-12
JENKINS MEN'$ AWFUL. RIDE.
Desert Sands and Alkaii Dust Parch
Their FhTUHtS.

Thc Following report from field
headquarters in New Mexico gives
some idea Of the hardships which the
American soldier i'm Mexico must en-
durC. rhc report was dated July 3:
Ont OF the dust haze that hung
over the headquarters camp to-day
returned the squadron Of cavalry sent
under Major John N. Jenkins to
search for the survivors OF CarriZal
Thc clothing OF the men was secpcd
in dust and the coats or the horses
were dnsticr. These men OF the
Eleventh Cavalry talked but little OF
their experiences. hut their dcscrip-
ti0nS OF their efforts to save their
horses from pcrishing revealed the
story OF IL march that has not been
cunaicd in the present expedition
tho story OF a fight against desert
heat and alkaline dust in an attempt
to find II remnant of the American
command ambushcd by Mexicans.
II was while securing the country
near Carrizal for some trail that
would give Il hint Of tho location OF
the rctrcating American soldiers that
Major Jenkins made Il night stop at
an abandoned wind mill. All about
stretched the desert and its powdcry
dust which the men had inhaled at
every breath. a few clumpS OF
grease weed with tiny yellow leaves
dotted the endless eXpansc OF mesa
on three sides, while to the south
stood low range of mountains. No
road, no trail and no sign OF habita-
tion marked the sandy waste.
81 rode my horse up to the trough
at the windmills foot" Major Jcn-
kins said "Thcrc was water there
but such water! Why. man. it
WAS SO full OF alkaline dust that had
blown into ii that the horse. his
throat raw with thirst. reared when
he shifted
''That night the cayalrynlen clean
cd the trough. They repaired the
windmill hy tying handkcrchiefs
about the broken buShing 4 desert
gale pumped enough water for the
night. hut the command awOke at
daybrcak to find the windmill be-
calmed and their horses too weaken
cd by the days Of hard riding
through the desert to be riskcd,
without a drink. to the next water
hole.
-Four troopers were sent to the
top OF the windmill with orders to
turn ii by hand. The rickcty Struc-
tHrc trcmbled with age. and when a
puff OF wind sent the wheel spinning,
the brown, bearded cayalrymen be-
low chcCrcd. The stream produced
was little larger than Il lead pencil.
but after an hour each Of the horses
and mules had been given a small
drink
"Thc command encountered for
the FIRST time in Mexico. caliche rock
sort OF dry clay, the dust OF which
Tiled thr air when the wind frcshcn-
ed and settled in the eyes. ears.
throats and nostrilS Of the men and
animals The horses discovered
however. that they could uucnch
their thirst temporarily by nipping
dead and yellow gallcta grass. in
side OF which were Surclllcnt now
shoots
1T was lack OF feed for the horses
that caused the squadron to turn
back. finally abandoning the search
for the survivors. 1t was still many
miles from the headquarters of the
camp when the last Of the oats, a
small cupful for each animal. was fed
to the mounts. For a time il seem
ed as il the horses must perish. but
the men pushed through by sheer
will and their sense OF duty"
To-day the squadron appeared in
swirl OF white dust. The trucks
accompanying the column were in
the lead and had passed through
sand wastes heretofore believed i'm
paSsahlr And behind them came
every animal in the squadron which
left here