Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-03-29
The Entry into Mexico by U. S. Cavalry.

Jjl Paso. Texas, March 2I.-The
following dispatch from an Assoc-
ated Press correspondent at the front
in Mexico is the first complete story
OF the crossing Of the border Of the
punitive expedition sent to avcnge
the Columbus massacre:
Headquarters United States Punt
tive Expedition, Near Colonia Dub
Ian, Wagon Train to Columbus. \.
NJ, March 23 3.-Reached here by
forced march that demonstrated the
endurance Of the American soldier
ana amazed the Mexicans, several
thousand United States troops were
scattered to-day between this point
and the northern boundary Of the
district OF Guerrero, intent on the
task Of capturing or killing Francisco
Villa and exterminating the bandit
gang with which he raided Column
bus, y. NJ, and slaughtered nine civ
ilians.
The entry was made into Mexico
at noon, March Is, when the Ameri-
can colors, with the standard OF the
1 3th cavalry, 200 men Of which beat
off Villas raiders, were carried
across the line. Col. Fl. J. Slocum,
commanding the 18th, was the first
comm arding officer to enter.
Fast March.
nj,
OF infantry, artillery and cavalry and
burdcncd with heavy wagon trains.
It moved rather slowly and camped
the first hight at Palomas, seven
miles below the boundary. Column
No. 2 entered Mexico from Culber-
sons ranch, 81 miles south OF Hach-
ita, \. NJ. Gen. Pershing, who had
accompanied the first column part Of
the way to Palomas, returned to CO.
]umbus the same afternoon, raced
to Culberson's ranch in an automo-
bile, and, taking command Of the
second, or "hying column" drove it
more than 40 miles over the desert
OF Chihuahua in % hours actual
marching time. Official records
show that spies dotted the route Of
the first column. but the men of the
second had forged their way so
miles into the country before sim
gle native was seen; and, to the
surprise OF the Mexicans, reached
here Friday night, exactly AZ hours
after crossing the border.
Transferred to Mules.
In this column every man was
mounted and the lumebring wagon
trains were supplanted by army
mules which made the entire dist
ance under heavy packs, with the
loss Of only three Of their number.
Battery B, Of the 9th field artillery,
commanded by Capt. E. Fl. Yule and
Lieut.. G. p. George, formed unit Of
the flying column. While the cavalry
traverseI trails through bad country
OF the Sierra Madre mountains six
to eight Thousand feet high, the bat
tory. encumbered by ambulances and
field wireless equipment, travelled the
valley roads, longer by IS miles.
Nevertheless, it reached camp only
an hour and a half behind the cav
airy. Officers declared this exploit
would long stand as a record.
18th Cavalry Honored.
The 18th Cavalry, because OF it's
accomplishment in driving Villas
greatly superior numbers out Of
Columbus. was given first place in
the first column. Muster rolls Of
the villa command found here after
he passed through, going southwark
eight days before, showed that he
made the raid on Columbus with 583
men. Raving in anger after his de-
feat dcserters reported that the
chieftain killed five OF his officers
and men as towards. There were
293 in his command when he retreat
ed through Colonia Dublan. The
18Th accounted for the rest.
Major Frank Tompkins, who took
80 men OF his squadron and drove
the bandits J 5 miles into Mexico af-
ter they had crossed the border, COM
manded the advance guard.
The whole column stretched out a
length Of mile and a half. From
Columbus, three miles north of the
boundary line, only vast cloud OF
dust, whipped to a great height by a