El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-30
Of
SOLDIERS WEIRD.
Negro Troopers From Mex
leo a Nondescript Lot in
Dress, on Arrival.

white man wearing soiled white duck
trousers, a faded blue shirt and a
white canvas hat with green brtm
" alked up and Joined the group with
his roll OF blankets under his arm.
This was Lem Spillsbury, the Mormon
scout.
Then came the most weird procession
that has ever been seen on the border
Marching erect in spite Of their rags
and tatters came the American negro
troopers of the Tenth cavalry They
marched in perfect time two by two
with a thanking. line Of Carranza SOL
diers on each side Of them The ne
groes kept perfect step as they
marched onto the bridge while the
diminutive CarranZa soldiers had to
trot TO keep up and the fat captain IN
command sweat at every pore as ne
dog trotted along with his sword flop
ping between his legs
Sergt. PAGE First.
Alto ChalD he shouted, all out or
breath. The negroes all stopped at
the same time while the Carranza SOL
diers stopped in punches In the front
file was a big buck negrO-Sergt
Page, troop K, Washington, D c. He
wore a pair Of ragged khaki riding
trousers. slit at the knee, no leggings,
no sox a pair Of shoes with no laces
and no hat His beard was mat on
his dirt caked face His unoershirt
had once been white but was a dirty
gray and full Of holes But ne stood
as erect as il on dress parade. As he
caught Gen Bells eve he raised his
right hand to the brim OF ms mag
nary hat in a salute which was fol-
lowed by & wide grin standing De
side him was little, yellow negro
Iva Floyd. The two had been bunkles
and had stuck together through the
death fire at Carrizal and were the
first TO cross the line to the United
7'@' Check Off List.
! o. EN~TW HNrH
( Of the negro prisoners Cen Bells aide
! then started calling the names ana as
I the negro boys answered 10 their names
| they stepped forward, crossed the iine
and were rushed to the immlsfaloih
I detention station for kerosene batn
and fresh clothing. As the negro cav
alrymen passed they each saluted Gen;
Bell and his staff and were cheered
I again and again by the great crowd OF
| Americans who had gathered at Jne
| bridge approach to see the survivors OF
/ the battle Of Carrizal-
| One BarefOOted-
Corp. Luther Alexander OF Column
] bia Tenn- marched across the brlQge
| barefooted and with only his under
| shirt and riding trousers He nad
4 been wounded in the right shoulder
] while raising Up from his position IN
/ the 'front.' file TO load and his shoulder
! had been shattered For sling ne
! wore a belt strap and his undershirt
! was torn away from the wound until
half OF his black back was showing
He had no hat and his face WIS ceV-
/ cred with a moss like growth OF
| beard. 7 got five greasers that ]
l know Of" he said, after he had crossed
( the line. Il was firing carefully like
the captain told Us TO do / had shot
| three clips Of shells and was Just
| reaching for the fourth when some
! thing crashed against my shiulcer like
/ a house had fallen upon II and knew
was hit No one tried 70 bayonet
I me as I lay on the ground but j was
/ told by some others that they were
witnesses to the bayoneting OF many
Of our boys"
! Archie Jones Of Troop X, was an
other Of the negro survivors who was
/ shot through the right arm as he was
the lower arm and had shattered the
bone at his wrist
''The fight was about over when ]
got hit" private Jones said was
] LAWNS, out without so much as q bush
! for cover when a bullet strucksme IN
the wrist and knew. I was done Tor
| I ran as far as I could but finally sur
] rendered. After they caught me they
bound me after taking all OF my
I clothes but my unershirt from me-
Had Only 20 Men
/ Willie Harris, one Of the most intelll-
/ gent Of the negro soldiers, told OF the
1 fighting We had rider about eight
| it must have been about seven o'clock
! when the parley was started" he said.
| 4 was on the right flank and did not
| see the start Of il and ! cannot tell
| who started the firing. We had &c
/ men, having sent ten f our men back
! knew It the fighting started and tbs