Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-07
Dodd " rites
New Page in
Heroic Annals
JuniuS Wood Tells How United
States CavaIymen Rode
Upon Bandits in Town of
Guerrero
BY JUNIUs 3. WOOD.
staff Correspondent for The Atlanta
journal and Chicago Daily News.


WITH THE AMERICAN PUNITIVE
EXPEDITION IN MEXICO. April e.
(By Army Motor Truck to Columbus.
n. NJ, April 4.-The early morning
surprise of hte Seventh caval-
ry under Colonel James B. Err
win makes a page in the heroic annals
of the American army. One of. these
columns was commanded by Colonel
George A. Dodd, the other two being led
by Colonel William C. Brown and Major
Ellwood w. Evans. The latter two were
colored troopers of the 10th cavalry.
Tuesday two Mexicans were captured
by the cavalry scouts. They declared
they were deserters from Villas army.
Pleading for mercy, they insisted that
they had not willingly followed the
bandit, but had been impressed into his
ranks with others when he fed from
Columbus In every fight they said they
had been put in the front rank, while
more sincere bandits were behind with
orders to shoot them down should they
lag i'm the fighting. In the brush with
Carranza soldiers OF the previous day
they had escaped in the confusion fol-
lowing the wounding of the chieftain
The two prisoners gave Colonel Erwin
q general idea of where the Villa forces
were Then the seventeen-hour ride
started. All day Tuesday the cavalry
men plodded forward To anyone VINO
has seen the towering mountains and
the rough bolder-strewn roads, little
more than Canyon skirting bride paths,
that ride can be appreciated. All that
day they hurried forward, and the band
it's were not sighted, though traces OF
their rnarch--abandoned blankets, &C.
casionally a dead horse, a spot where
they had evidently Camped and built
fires, and stores wrung from reluctant
natives-were plentiful.
AS the sudden tropical darkness fell
the American guides informed Colonel
Erwin that they were approaching the
town of Guerrero. Knowing the habits
of the Mexicans, the American officers
assumed that they would bivouac for
the night in the town and commander
the homes of the natives for shelter.
Twenty miles from the town Halt" was
called for a few hours rest for tired
horses and men. No fires were lit, for
no chances were taken on a Jealous
Villa, sympathizers carrying a warning
to the town. The men munched hard
crackers and chewed jerked beef.
THE SURPRISE.
At midnight the order was given and
they were again in their saddles. 1t
at O'Clock in the morning and sur
prise the sleeping band. In the dark
ness the guides lost the way and dawn
had broken before the town, nesting in
valley between the mountain ridges,
was sighted.
The bandits were sleeping off the ef~
fects OF a night of feasting the first
satisfying food they had enjoyed for
many days, but one vigilant outpost
was awake. The Seventh was a mile
away when he sighted them. Squirting
his horse, he dashed into the sleeping
town, firing his rife and shouting:
"The eringos. They are coming. Fly, fly
for your lives, He kept right on going
and was the first to leave the town.
Squirting up their tired hores, the
troopers entered the town almost at the
heels of the terrified outpost, The
bandits were rushing from the doors
OF every house on the little main street.
Some of them fired rifles or revolvers
as they ran. Others dropped everything
and throwing saddles over their horses
backs, sought safety in flight.
A lieutenant who was in the fight and
brought the only eyewitness report to
General Pershing, said there was no or
ganized resistance. Eliseo Hernandez,
who had been left in command by Villa.
was one of the first killed. As the fire
| Of the galloping troopers swept the
town the shots of the bandits ceased
and those who had succeeded in reach
| ing horses were all that remained Of
the band These were pursued for FIVE