El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-06
PERSHING'S MEN
BECOME RAGGED
Clothes Are Nondescript
and Sandals Replace
Wornout Shoes.

Columbus, y. NJ, April 1.-THE smart
appearing caValrymen who crossed the
| Mexican border three weeks ago in
! pursuit Of Villa and his bandits have
! become nondescript looking, clad in
tattered clothes and with sandal COW
cred feet. A truck train. returnfnz p
| from a trip to Col DOdd's command at
the front, brought news Of the hard
ships undergone by the American
Men whose shoes have been macer-
ated by the stones of mountains and
sands of the desert are wearing Meyi-
lean sandals and sandals made from
the hides of beeves slaughtered fo,.
their meat, and men whose clothing has
been torn into shreds by brushes with
mesquite and cactus are wearing sucb
clothing IS could be obtained from
MeXicans living along the route. ac-
cording TO the stories told
Call for Extra Kits
Substanuating the stories a message came
70 military headquarters here from Con
Pershing Wednesday requesting that the ~,
ira kits containing extra clothing Of tho
soldiers OF the seventh and Tenth cavalrv
reEiments, the two regiments at the extreme
'front.'. be crushed 10 them al once
A truck train under the command Of Cant
G. B. Drake, consisting OF q trucks went
70 within seven miles Of Guerrero, its crew
being the first Americans the trooDere ~
the seventh cavalry saw after their engages
ment az that town.
Ragged, Dirty. But Determined.
At AAIu were a unnQeSrrlnr looking
crowd said Capt. Drake "Their faces
were caked with gray alkaH dust Thcy
had been without regular rations for some
days. Coffee, salt and tobacco were bavond
price. And yet through their hagEard
dirtiness. the men smiled with their eyes
and told Of their resolute purpose-the get
American Doctor Treated villa.
Capt Drake also told OF reports current
throughout the Guerrero country thai ne
american troops obtained their Information
mat VIA had been wounded from an Amer
ican physician. taken captive by the bandit
band and forced to treat the Ieader's
wounds. He asserted that he did not learn
the name OF this physician who was said 10
nave been a resident Of one Of the towns
through which Villa passed and who de-
scribed the wounds as consisting OF a hull
let through the ankle and another lodged
Wounded Americans Again Riding.
me returning trucl1men were able 10 give
Few details OF the Guerrero battle but as
serted shat all Of the four wounded Ameri-
can troopers were again continuing the
hard ride after Villa on the second dsv fol-
lowing the engagement. Troopers said that
the Nillista martsmanship in the engage
ment was exceedingly bad practically an "
the shots going high. Much comment wa
expressed upon the fact that the American
was shot six times through neshy parts az
his BODY. was on a small promontory in
the rear OF the rest of tho command
Troops Never Stopped for Food
With but two DAYS rations when they left
the border. the troops pushed steadily for
ward day and night. never even stopping
10 await food. but trusting 10 the country
10 provide, according to the stories brought
here Finally, leaving all lines Of comnuni-
cation far behind and reaching a country In
which agriculture had been at a staudstUn
for five years because Of civil strife the
soldiers were forced 10 depend almost ex-
clu5ively uron such beef and game as they
could slaughter for food.
Many Cavalrymen Lack Horses
dead american cavalry horses worn out
End Killed IN the relentless pursuit of
Pancho" Villa were said To bs 4fre,y,
along the trails in the district south II
Namiquipa. In fact Il was asserted the
command has lost SO many horses that fully
pa halI o. II has been obliged 70 continue
me search Tor Villa without mounts The
soldiers travelling as they have with every
ounce OF surplus equipment eliminated. have
Teen extemporized numerous articles Tvs
bolts Of calico. obtained from the mack 81 /
one Of the mules IN q Villa nacl, train. cao- !
iured al Guerrero. has been used by the !
soldiers the trucSmen said 10 fashion al 4
most everything from hats to saddle bags.
When first saw some OF these fellows i
" the seventh coming toward ne I thought /
ne were In the center OF a Mexican camp" 1
aid one man. They wore the same hetero- 4
generous collection Of clothing that Is notice I
Lble in Mexican army camp where each i
nan chooses his own uniform. Some Of the \
men wore the broad DrimmeC Mexican SOM
lreros. their own hats having been lost.
others were clad IN the loose Jacket Of the
Mexican laborer- II it hadn't been for the /
american equipment and the hts Of slang
oming through the alkali caked lips. /
loubt u / should have recognized our BOYS. !
or only a few were clad in the same uni
orm in which they left United States. The
ow hide sandals and the calico. much ~ Z
which has been used for the manufacture I
4 saddle bags, the original saddle bags hav-
ng gone TO replace vermont shoe soles. |
dded touch which some way made me
mink Of the desert horsemen Of Egypt"
Guard Against Uprising.
The arrivals asserted that Cen. Perehine, !
oil Dodd and tho other commanders OF the
american advance are taking every precau-
lon agairst possible uprisinEs OF frrespon-
ble villa sympathizors. realizing that Chit
uahua is the state IN which villa first was
owerful and where the nucleus OF his
rmy was recruited. To prevent possible
utbrealSs against the Americans. detach-
rents Of our troops have been stationed in
n places not garrisoned by Carranza, they
aid