The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-03-30
VILLA is ELUSIVE.
Flees to Old Haunts in Mountains,
Pursued by Troops.

can troops which checked nlm near
Namiquipa, and three columns Of
American cavalry are pursuing him.
Already they are almost 25O miles
! south of the. border and unless the
elusive bandit is brought to another
stand this distance will be greatly
increased by the close of the week.
Villas success in extricating him
self from the dangerous position into
which he had been driven by the
American punitive force was related
in detailed report of Gen. Pershing
that reached Gen. Funston today.
Gen. Funston forwarded the report to
Washington without making public
any but the essential features.
Col. Dodd is commanding the ad-
vance columns that are riding hard
after Villa and his men, and Gen.
Pershing has divided his forces so as
to provide supporting columns along
the thinly stretched lines of COM
munication from his most advanced
base at Ell Vale. From Ell Vale an
other line is being maintained back
to Casas Grandes from where COM
munication with the border is main
tanned. Gen. Pershing himself is
somewhere south of Casas Grandes
directing the work of holding togeth-
er his forces and directing, so far as
possible, the operations of Col. Dodd.
Cavalry is being used along the lines
of communication with Ell Vale, |
where detachment of infantry is
stationed.
Work for Aeronauts.
Three aeroplanes are at Ell Vale
and will be used in scouting as soon
as the high winds that have been
sweeping that part of Mexico for al
most week subside and which, ac-
cording to Gen. Pershing, have made
effective assistance by them impossi-
bic.
Of the eight machines that went
into Mexico, two still are out of COM
mission. They were damaged in the
flights from Columbus to Casas
Grandes.
Details of the operations about
Namiquipa, which concluded with the
escape of Villa, were not revealed,
but there is little reason to believe
he was badly whipped or even weak
ened by the fighting directed against
him by the de facto government
troops.
Reports last week from Mexican
sources indicate that he had been Sc
verely defeated by the loyal forces
of Carranza and a few reports state
that American troops had participat-
ed in the action. 1t now appears that
no Americans were actually engaged
and the fact that Villa made his way
through what was described as an
encircling line of Mexican troops, was
taken here to indicate that he was
the victor.
Headed for Mountains.
Villa now appears to be heading
for the mountains Of the Guerrero
district. Once there, it is conceded,
his capture will be difficult and should
he choose to pass through the dis
trict on into the south, there are
trails over which he might move his
little army until junction is made
with one or more of his rowing or
CARNATIONS in Southern chihuahua,
or Northern Durango.
If Villa moves into the districts
further south, military men realize
that the. problem of capturing him
will become many times more COM
plex. More troops will become neces-
sary and their provisioning by way
of country roads will become prac-
tically an impossibility.
Fifty-four more auto trucks were
put into service today along the line
between Columbus, N NJ, and Casas
Grandes, and twenty-seven more were
reported to be on their way from the
factory, but even with this increase
in the motive power of the trans
portation division, bad weather and
heavy roads make that method of
getting supplies to the front uncer-
tain, in the opinion of officers con-
nected with the quartermaster's de-
partment. The escape of Villa and
his renewed movement toward the
south, they say, make the use of at
least one of the railroads, and possi-
bly, both, from Jaurez to Chihuahua
almost essential to the success of
the chase.
Well Put.