Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-17
FORGED PERSHING'S PASSES
Old Timers Story Of The Campaign
Info Mexico
GENERAL FAILED To INCLUDE Date
More Mexicans Were Killed In the
Campaign Against Villa Than the
Records Ever Showed-When the
Americans Came Back They Had a
Big Blow Out at FL Paso.
BY James D. Grist

and does very little writing; he was
hardly ever known to have pencil or
a pen or a piece Of paper in his pock-
ct" So said my friend a regular
army man, now an officer at Camp Sc
vier, who was formerly sergeant OF
General Pershing's guard, as he and l
sat in his tent talking II over night or
two ago. And then he spun this anec-
dote concerning the general, to show
that he knew what he was talking
about.
The officer wasn't talking for publi-
cation. Officers. especially old regu-
lars. whose only profession in life is
soldering, hardly ever do. This off,
Ger has of late related to me many in
tcresting stories about General Per-
shing, gathered from actual experience
and contact with him, and l am trying
to write the gist Of them as they are,
because | know that almost everybody
Just at this time is interested in any
facts about the great American soldier.
That little punitive expedition into
Mexico a few years back, which lasted
for several months, wasn't the easiest
ljunket have ever been on during my
twenty-three years Of army life. and
don't you forget it. We saw some
pretty strenuous service and we had
several brushes with them greasers
THAT amounted to considerable more
than popgun battles We lost quite q
number Of men at one time and anOth-
Ter and of course the greasers lost a
darn sight more. You haven't seen any
statistics Us TO the losses Of the Mexi-
cans during that campaign and I don't
reckon you ever will. ! recall one lit
tie scrap when we left 800 Of 'em in
such position that they wouldn't ever
raid Columbus. New Mexico, or any
other border town again. There was
lanother little skirmish in which at
least ninety OF 'em to my KNOWN went
TO that land where all bad greasers
should go. and there were a few other
occasions in which they had ample OPP
lportunity to ride to the mourner's
bench over considerable numbers of
their relatives and friends.
THE Federals, that is the Carranza
Isoldiers, were supposed to be aiding us
lin searching for Villa and his gang of
cutthroats; but 1t turned out that they
were Just as mean and hated us just as
bad as did the arch banditever. Con-
tsequently we fought Federals and Viii
llistas and the followers of every other
Mexican general and colonel and ma
ljor and captain, and there is scores Of
'cm, all having their particular gang
land all hating the 'gringoes.' as they
call white folks. a darn sight more
THAN they ever did or ever will hate
each other.
But that amt me story. We was in
THAT God -forsaken country Of mesquit,
lcactus, drouth and loneliness for a
number of months and soon after we
lhad Villa surrounded and they would
mt let us mop up with him because Of
Isome monkey business in Washington
unknown to me, why we went back to
the land of the free and the home of
the brave and was camped at Fort
Bliss, a few miles out of FL Paso, Tex
las. We was all pretty well tuckered
out and General Pershing realized 1t as
we'll IL not better than most of us did.
We'll, we rested up a few days and
Ithen a number Of us, myself included.
ltook a notion that we wanted to go
over into the city Of Ell Paso and
spread little joy. We had been on the
wager and walking the straight and
marrow path for several months down
lin Mexico and several months Is about
as long as a soldier can stand 1t.
"One old timer. I've forgotten his
name, goes into General Pershing one
day and asks for pass to visit the city
Of Ell Paso.
How lo,,g do you expect to be over
there?' asks the general, and tie SOL
dier replies. oh. just few hours, sir.
THE general has good idea tie lad
is lying about the few hours stun; but
lrealzing that the campaign had been
hard one and that there was nothing
much for the men to do just then. he
comes across for the pass.
II can see him now as he hunted all
Through his clothes that morning for
pencil and a piece Of paper, until final
lily he got hold of the required articles
and wrote a pass about like this: Pass
Private In the city Of Ell Paso,
j. ]. p
THE general amt strong on writing.
That is, he doesn't write much Of fist.
The US look like a couple Of fish
hooks and the 'P' is perpendicular
lime crossed at the top with sort OF
horizontal with a crook in 1t.
The lad got his pass, the general
handing it to him without ever look
ling up. He hardly ever looks at you:
but when he does he sees all the way
Through you. and don't forget that.
Then the soldier hit it for the city OF
Ell Paso and Joy, though Of course he
took occasion to let bunch Of US know
that General ]. ]. had come across
with the leave of absence, and we no
ticed that the piece of paper didn't
bear no date and that it was just ini-
tailed j.. ]. p or course bunch OF
us, about ten. I guess. hot-foots 1t to
lJ. ]. to get piece of the literature for
lour own respective conveniences. and
he come across.
In a couple Of days there was some
700 soldiers in the city Of FL Paso,
each Of 'em having pass without any
date on it and bearing them initials
u. ]. p They raised some cane In
THAT little old Texas town. The whole
gang had money and plenty Of it, you
lsee, most Of 'em having several months
Ipay in their pockets because they
hadn't had a chance to blow 1t before
soon thereafter Fort Bliss was for
some reason, I've forgotton just why,
quarantined against the city; but them
l70O or so of soldiers who had them j.
lJ. P.'s' wasn't included.
The general sends for his chief OF
istaff one morning to get line on the