Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-01-18
. The Machine Guns Al Columbus.


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For several weeks after the fight
Columbus, ~ NJ, there was considerable
comment in the papers. and also on the
floor of Congress, on the ''iamming' OF
the American machine guns. The i'm
preston given by these remarks seems
to be that the machine guns were put out
OF action altogether, and took no part in
the fight, which impression is wrong.
commanded the machine-gun troop, 18Th
Cavalry, and the machine guns were not
only the first TO make any organized re-
turn OF the VilIistas' fire. but were also,
in my opinion, responsible, more than
any other organization, for the failure oil
their attack on camp and the town.
In the first place, the report that the
guns gave trouble was made, according
TO the FL Paso papers, by an enlisted
man of the Hospital Corps, who was sent
TO Fort Bliss, Texas, with the wounded.
This man knew nothing whatever about
the facts IN the case. He was nowhere
in the vicinity OF the machine gu IS during
the fight and. in fact, seems to have spent
most Of his time in the camp hospital.
which is an adobe building and bullet
proof A machine Tun IS delicate me-
chanism and, as il is subjected 10 very
severe usage. it is bound TO give trouble
at times. This is true OF all guns. no
matter what make or type, and their only
justification for military use is that, when
they are working. they are terribly de-
structive. II is impossible TO eliminate
"iams" altogether, so the object to be
worked foris the elimination OF all "ilmS"
not excuSabIe that is due 10 facts beyond
control of operator, as for instance those
due TO defective ammunition, and the
quick correction OF the others. The ma
jority OF them can be corrected in few
seconds.
The machine guns at Columbus did
give trouble. The night was dark and
the conditions bad, so trouble was 10 be
expected. They did not, however, give
as much as my experience with them
could have led me to look for There
was one serious jam in the first gun set
up, which was near the stables and firing
at about twenty Mexicans thirty yards
away. ! was with this gun myself when
il went into action. 1t was so dark that
man five feet away could hardly be seen.
and the only target for the gunner was
the flash OF the Mexicans' rifles This
gun went out OF action, but was later re-
paired and got back in the fight.
The camp at Columbus lay just south
ofthe El Paso and Southwestern Railroad.
and Just east of the Deming road. Camp
headquarters was on the Deming road,
and about one hundred yards south OF the
railroad. East OF headquarters, about one
hundred and fifty yards. was the camp
exchange, and three hundred yards fur
ther on the stables. Between the ex-
change and stables was the stock corral.
The main attack OF the Mexicans on
the camp was dismounted and came
from town. The machine guns were
placed as follows, the idea being 10 sweep
the railroad and the streets Of the town
and keep the Mexicans from getting into
camp. The gun mentioned above was at
the stables and controlled one crossing OF
the railroad. One gun was placed in po-
sition 10 sweep the corral. The third was
at the corner OF the camp exchange,
where il could sweep section OF the
track and part Of town, and the fourth
was at the railroad crossing near head
quarters. This latter gun had the best
target OF all, as the attack was heaviest
here, and, when the bandits set fire 10
Lennon and Romney's store, they gave
us big advantage do not mean that
these positions were kept during the en-
tire fight, because the guns were moved,
as the need for them decreased in one
place and increased in another, but the
above general idea was carried out, and
carried out successfully.
OF the four guns on the firing line, two
were in action all the time, which. under
the circumstances. is more than would
have thought possible. Also during the
two hours fight in town and camp, these
four guns fired nearly twenty thousand
rounds at an enemy less than three hun
dred yards away They probably goI
some hits. Villas losses were admitted
by him to have been about two hundred
probably they were more, and believe
the machine guns got their share.
There has been some talk by news
papermen who probably never saw eitheI
a Mexican or a machine gun 70 the eifec'
that the machine guns used by the Mex
leans ID not liam" have seen several
guns captured from Villas band. and
none OF them was in shape to fire shot
Villa had three Of them at Columbus, bu
they were not in action and could not
have been gotten into action in their rusty
and dirty condition
trust you viii publish the above as il
is an account Of what actually took place
and not the opinion OF man some miles
away from the scene based on what he
thinks happened.
IoHN P. LUCAS. 1st Lieut.. 18th Cav
Commanding Machine-Gun Troop.
Casey had dropped in for visit on
Callahan, and during the course Of his
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