El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-23

-lELD HEADQUARTERS. Punitive
II Expedition, [. s. Army, Somewhere
= in Mexico. Nay I7.-Motor Truck
10 Columbus. y. N, May 23)-A great
movement Of troops was on, one OF the
many great movements which have
characterized this campaign. the destin-
alton and import Of which was known
only to the officers giving or execut-
ing the order. There was hurrying
10 and fro but no confusion; everyone
the officers at least-seeming 10 know
what he was doing and where he was
going.
I had been given permission TO &C
company a truck train which was be-
ing sent light to carry supplies from
the base being abandoned TO the new
oase about 10 be established Ihere
were nearly 100 trucks in the train
or rather in the three trains-26 trucks
compose a military wagon train. and
as they strive TO maintain uniform
distance Of 100 feet between trucks
when travelling, we stretched out 1or-
what seemed in the moonlight, an in
terminable distance over the long, wide
valley through which lay our ordered
way.
Picturesque March
From the standpoint Of picturesque
scented during that long night ride
surpassed anything which has fallen
under my observation during this or
any other military campaign in which
4 have ever participated nor have
ever seen a military parade in time
OF peace in which there was so much
Of the spectacular. The great plain
over which We Travelled for the greater
portion OF the night was Of such width
and length that an army Of 1OO,0 men
hat f-1T
been maneuvered in IL without crowd
ing It had been burned over by the
fires which had been started. presum-
ably by the enemy, for the purpose OF
destroying the grass in order to make
II harder for the thousands Of cavalry
horses and other thousands Of army
mules 10 find grazing. and IL was black
and fOrbidding, but the moonlight at
this elevation with its rarefied air,
save sufficient light to see all that
transpired from mountain range TO
mountain range on either side.
Plenty of Troops.
Our way lay along the well defined
wagon trail through the approximate
center of the valley For hours We
passed through lines OF cavalry with
their fIankers and wagon trains; SINH 9
lar lines OF horse and field artillery
and regiments Of plOdding foot sol
diers. In many respects II was a weird :
procession The men in the ranks were /
preaching an enemy which they hoped I
10 surprise An occasional CLOSE up, I
men might be heard as the officers, /
commissioned and nOn-commissiOned, l
looked after their charges The rumble I
OF wagons and the ringing OF iron 4
shod hOofs Of the horses and mules i
on the stones which beset the way, !
caused an iucessant though undertoned 1
roar. which did not carry far
There was no particular necessity for
all this silence. II was not enjOined;
the men were silent because the
psychology Of the situation impelled 4
silence There was no enemy in sight .
nor was one supposed TO be lurking 7
in the hills paralleling the valley on /
either side. Nor was the march being 4
made at night for any purpose except ,
that it relieved the men and animals &
Of the stress of marching under the ]
rays Of the tropical sun and which. ;
despite the great elevation above the /
level OF the sea are very hot during (
the middle Of the day 4
Destroy What Cant Haul.
Upon arrival az the base being I
& abandoned the trucks were quickly 4
wheeled into position and almost as !
quickly l07ded with the stores Of all I
sorts which had been accumulated