Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-17
Reqimental Accounts
Of The | Iunt For Villa
ASSOCIATED Press cosrespondence.)


Associated Press CoErespondence.)
Field Headquarters. American Punitive
Expedition in Mexico. Oct. Regimen
tai narrative of the five cavalry regi-
mealts that participated in the hunt for
villa, which have just been brought UP
to date and submitted to headquarters,
show in detail how near the American
troopers came to accomplishing the full
purpose Of their expedition.
They. show that just after the Parral
fight. on April II, less than q month
after the expedition had entered Mexico.
and Immediately prior to the order to
withdraw northward from the PaSral dis
trict, the Americans had run Villa, sorely
wounded. to earth, and had cut of every
avenue Of his escape to the south into
Durango. sd
When Major Frank Tompkins' hundred
men were attacked at Parral, Villa, dis
abled. and hidden at Santa Cruz Major
r. Z. Howe, with his hard-riding squad
ron Of the 18th Cavalry, close on the BAN
dts trail. had run by his quarry Gen.
Pershing was at Satevo. directing opera
lions. Col. w. c. Brown, with five troops
of the 10th Cavalry, Col. H. T. Allen.
with two picked troops of the 18th Caval-
~. Major Tompkins and Col. Howe, four
cavalry columns in all, were between
Villa and the haven of safety he was
seehing in the Sierra Madras, ready to
beat the brush for him. Wounded, vir-
tually alone. he apparently had little
chance to evade capture or death. Or
Gers for withdrawal came, no viewer, after
ho ioh I'll ne he
expedition passed.
From the beginning of the border trou-
BILE 1t was to the cavalry that fell the
responsibility of dispensing the Columbus
raiders. That this task was accomplished
is evidenced by figures showing that, of
the 4S5 men who raided Columbus, 800
have been killed, wounded or captured.
Full credit is given in the narratives for
the cooperation of other branches of the
service, notably in establishing advanced
bases and maintaining the line of COM
lnunication, but the fact remains that It
was the cavalry that drove Villa in head
long, panic-stricken flight into Durango.
500 miles from the American border, scat
tered his band to the four winds and set
new records for marches under terrific
handicaps. 1t also fought the four en-
gagements that had an important bearing
on the campaign: Dodd at Guerrero,
March %; Tompkins at Parral, April II;
Dodd at Tomoche. April q; and Howe
at Ojo Azules. May 4. 1t was the victim,
too. in the tragedy of April q at Carrizal
Two Of the five cavalry regiments now
in Mexico, the It'll and 10th, crossed the
line at Culberson's ranch early in the
morning of March 16. Their dash to
Colonia Dublan has been told and retold.
The 18th, which already had spent three
and a half years on the border, crossed
March Is at Columbus, where it had been
attacked March 9Th by Villa. Two squad
rons Of the 5th left Columbus on March
q and were joined by the third squadron
April 10 at the Mormon Lakes, near Dub
Ian. The first detachment of the nth en-
tered Mexico March 18th via Columbus.
The marches of the 5th may be sum-
married. briefly as follows: Namiquipa.
April 16; San Geronimo, April q: Lake
1tascate. April "a: San Antonio. May 8.
About the time Of the Scott-Obrcgon con-
ference the regiment was given a dis
,trict. with Satevo as headquarters which
1t was ordered to search intensively for
bandits Each cavalry regiment was al
lotted a similar section of southern Chi
huahua. The beating of the brush for
Villistas, however, was never fully car
ried out. The 9Th. on May 10th. was made
part of a provisional cavalry brigade to
cover the withdrawal of the expedition
northward OF a time when 45C0 Carranz.s
tas were reported to be within 30 miles OF
the Americans. Since Carrizal it has
been encamped at Ell Vale.
The 7th, after completing it's dash to
Colonia Dublan with Gen Pershing's COL
umn, proceeded post haste to San Miguel.
where Villa was reported. Poor guides
caused delay and the bandit escaped 1t
then started toward Guerrero. This town
was reached by forced marches II days
out from the border. with daily aver
age of 32a miles. The longest days
march was on March 18th, when IS miles
we're covered. The route chart shows
that the regiment and attachments on re-
commissioners covered $500 miles.
Mention is made that. during Dodd's
historic ride. his men many times had
only parched corn to eat Nearly 300
miles was made in a single file, the troop
ers leading their mounts and a number
of them leaving bloody footprints on the
rocky trail. for their Shoes had worn out
Oficers and men lent their own money
to buy food and forage, but it was not
Until the end of April that clothing could
be secured. BY that time the men were
in pitiable state. Two fights stand to
the record of the 7th-Guerrero and To-
mache.
The 18th which arrived at .Colonia Dub
Ian on March II. furnished the two picked
troops which Major Tompkins command
ed in his dash after Villa and which were
halted at Guerrero. The itinerary of the
remainder of the regiment embraced Ell
t'alle. Las Cruces. Namiquipa. San Ge-
ronimo. Lake Itascate and FL Rubio.
where it made its headquarters May to
hunt bandits in the district to which it
had been assigned. 1t was concentrated
at San Antonio on May 10 and later went
into permanent camp at Colonia Dublan.
The history Of the 10th Cavalry is a rec