The Alaska daily empire., 1916-04-15
Only HorsefIesh Spared in DOdd's Drive;
 For Week Men Virtually Did Without Food;
 Mistake By Guide Cost Heavily at Guerrero

At Headquarters of Commanding General, March Sl, (yia Aeroplane and Motor Courier to Columbus. N. M.,) April 1.-The strategy whereby, after two weeks of pursuit the Villa band was overtaken by American troops and dispersed was revealed here today
 The plan was to send the Ameri. can column in @ straight line along 'the string Of the bow" while Villa was taking longer route along the "arc of the bow" Coupled with this maneuver was a general order:
 Spare nothing but horseflesh.
 Under these instructions the cav alrymen, with Colonel Dodds bri- gade always In the van. pushed out straight southward from the border through the Santa Maria River Val ley. Villa. meanwhile, after passing Casas Grandes. had swung eastward behind the ridge of mountains. close to 5000 feet high and topped with huge. copper-green cliffs. In this swing to the east Villas positions were difficult to locate Neverthe- less. the cavalry steadily hurried southward along the shorter line trusting that Villa would try to final ly turn ahead of them to his old haunts. Literally nothing except horseflesh was spared by the Amerl- cans.
 On March 22 Colonel Dodd's men were reduced, by the necessity of leaving patrols and by the illness Of about 70 men. to a total advance guard of about 400. They had run completely out of provisions. Instead Of halting to await provisions they pushed on. having no regular lines of communication with the columns in the rear. Fol one entire week they lived by their wits, their re- serve strength and such scanty food as they could pick up, but always following the order. spare nothing but horseilesh."
 How we'll they spared their horses was proven by their final dash into the Villa stronghold Wednesday morn ing. a march which for endurance and brilliant effort has never been surpassed.
 The Americans made 55 miles in 17 hours. riding during chill night which cut to the bone. They had discarded every piece of non-fighting equipment except blankets and can teens and mess kits. Some of the boys even had thrown away their blankets.
 The fifty.five mile march to Guer rero was hotly pressed In the hope that the town would be reached be fore daylight. However, a mistake in roads cost an hour and it was mol until after sunrise that the dust brown adobe huts of Guerrero came into sight.
 Given a better guide and emitting the mistake in roads, Colonel Dodd believes he could have boxed in and either captured or annihiliated the entire Villa force.
 Surrounding a Mexican village re quires much time because these plac es cover several square miles and are enclosed by a maze of adobe walls from to 6 feet high. To this in this case was added the handi. cap of operating in full light ol the morning sun. However. despite his difficulties. Colonel Dodd was able partly to encompass the town and to enter portions of it before his troops were discovered.
 Reports reaching here say that Villa had been in Guerrero all night resting from the wornd he was said to have sustained two days before in the fight with the Carranza force According to the story told the Amer jeans. he had departed in a carriage a short time before Colonel Dodd'a cavalry made It's attack At any rate he was not present during the fighting.
 Before the Americans could com plete the encircling movements, the Villa forces began dashing out of the town on all sides, firing as they rode. They divided into small groups, sometimes riding slngly in their ei- fort to scatter the onslaught of the Americans.
 Running horseback fights started. in which the American troopers per. formed desperate feats Of bravery. During five hours they rode hard on the heels of the rstreating Villa for ces. For 10 miles to the northeast the pursuit lasted. the broad lane Of the fight being dotted with the bodies of dead and wounded Mexi- cans.
 With what he considered accurate information that Villa was badly crippled. SO that he could neither ride horseback nor walk. Colonel Dodd turned northeast for pursuit of the routed bandits. maintaining also a force at Guerrero ready to strike in either direction
 Once during the fight with Colon. el Dodd's men. the Villa forces had seemed to be preparing for a stand outside of the town. but they broke up without a serious fight before the rush Of the cavalrymen.
 One body of hard-riding Mexicans was caught on top of a ridge by tho Americans. who shot down a dozen