Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-02
WITHDRAWAL OF
FORCE DRAMATIC
Picturesque Incidents Crowd
March; Refugees Guarded
by U. S. Troopers

Temporary Field Headquarters, Punt
tive Expedition, Ojo Federico, Chi
huahua, Feb. , (by airplane to Co
lumbus) ).-Withdrawal of the Ameri-
can punitive expedition from Mexico.
accompanied by rumors of Villa at
tacks and curious collection of
refugees, has seen quite as mapy dra-
matte and picturesque incidents as its
entry ten months ago.
| Despite the fact that Mai General
| Pershing received the formal with
drawal order from Washington as late
as January 27, preliminary prepa-
rations to evacuate the occupied ter
ritory were begun more than week
previous to that date. When the or
| der came truck trains had carried out
all baggage in excess of that required
| Tor equipment. All forage had been
stored at convenient points. organ
| lIaton commanders had received con-
hdential and detailed orders, marches
had been laid out and routes for cav
airy and infantry chosen.
When the first provisional cavalry
| brigade broke camp at Colonia Dub
| Ian, January 81. the 10, $50 American
soldiers in Mexico were moving with
| clocklike precision toward the border
| In the van were the infantry regi-
| ments. who left before the cavalry in
order that they might arrive at Pa
| Tomas, six miles south of Columbus,
| with the cavalry. At PalomaS it is
planned to assemble the entire eXpe-
ditton, which will cross the line into
Columbus as a unit on February 5.
Guarding Refugees
Because of rumors that Villa forces
were close on the heels of the retiring
I fF-n Il IT, Il.
soon as they were evacuated, cavalry
patrols and airplanes were used in
numerous reconnaissance.
Preparations for sending forward
and guarding the refugees, who began
to move as soon as it was evident that
| the Americans were leaving, were inn
| proyised hurriedly The bands were
| registered, assigned to camps near the
| lines and escorted north by cavalry
| as soon as the parties threatened to
| become too large to handle. Many of
| the vehicles, patched and bound with
wire, appeared as though they would
collapse. The ponies and burrows,
emaciated, seemed scarcely able to
1 move. Swarms of children, ragged and
wlde-eyed, watched the mounted es-
cort or sGualled in chorus when the
night wind bit through their garments
and they huddled about the camp
fires. When the transportation was
inadequate mothers with children at
their breasts trudged through the dust
Fear villa
| The trip from San Joaquin was an
especially hard one for the refugees.
! The wells at Charcos were dry when
| they reached Chocolate Pass and the
animals were unwatered for two days
and nights. Investigation of the rea-
son for the delay of one cart disclosed
that child had been born. The
march, however, was delayed only
few moments.
Those who have had dealings with
the troops fear to stay in Mexico in
view of the threats by Villa against
the lives of any who profted through
the expedition. The others, openly
announcing their fear to stay after the
Americans leave, state that no serious
attempt would be made to keep Villa
out of Northern chihuahua.
|. Expeditions Death Toll
Simple but impressive ceremonies
marked the hauling down of the Stars
and Stripes when Dublan was aban-
doned Wednesday morning. That part
of the expedition which has served on
foreign soil numbers . 2SS officers
lO,463 men, 9,441 animals and 400
wagons.
The expeditions death toll, both
from battle and disease has been:
Two officers have been killed and one
has died; forty enlisted men have sue
cumbed, battle and disease claiming
equal shares Not a single death was
! caused by disease usually epidemic
among troops unused to this country.