Omaha daily bee., 1918-11-29
General John J. Pershing
Floyd Gibbons, in Chicago Tribune.


American expeditionary forces in France, is a
direct descendant of French Huguenots OF Al
SAGE. His -great-grandfather was born
about three-quarters of a mile from the River
Rhine.
This great t-grandfather came to Amer
lea in l749 AT that time the family name was
spelled "Pfoerschn" To better conform with
English the name was finally changed to Per
SHIN" and Isaac Pershin added the final g
The son of the first Pershing in America was a
Methodist minister in Pennsylvania. His son,
Joseph, was the grandfather of the present
American commander. John Fletcher Pershing
moved westward into Missouri and in the town
of Lacede. Linn county, Missouri, on Septem-
Der 80, 1860, there was born the man who today
occupies with American forces one of the old
provinces of France from which his ancestors
migrated
AT the opening of the civil war in the follow
ing year homemade flag appeared on pole
in front of the Pershng homestead. According
to Rena Michaels Atchison, who relates this in
cident, the flag had been made from materials
purchased in the nearest town. Father Pershng
was prepared with rifles and couple of friends
Some days later wood burning engine
drawing troop train groaned along the track in
front of the farmhouse. 1t carried the first d.
vision of Union soldiers to enter the disputed
state of Missouri. Pershing and his two friends
all armed with rifles. stood at salute beside the
pected reinforcements Beside the little band
stood Ann Thompson Pershing, who had
bravely stitched the emblem. In her arms she
carried the boy who later as man was to carry
that same flag on distant battlefelds. John J.
Pershing has carried the Stars and Stripes
against the Indians, against the Moros, against
the Spanards, against the Mexicans and against
the Germans.
At the age of 80 Pershing graduated with the
degree of B. A. from the Kirkeville Normal
school. In 1882 he entered West Point, and
upon his graduation with high honor in 1885,
he was assigned as first lieutenant in the Sixth
cavalry and detailed for duty in the Apache In
dian country. Two years later he was COM
handing the Sioux scouts under General Miles
in the Dakotas He became instructor of mill
tary science in the University of Nebraska in
1882 and there manifested his first severe in
sstence upon extreme discipline.
One day at the cadet encampment line of
cadets under Pershing's command were lying
on their stomachs firing by volleys on screened
target In, those days the drill regulations
Ready" aim" and Fire" Pershing having
given the first three commands, waited and then
touched one cadet on the foot and in quiet
tone ordered him to fire his piece. The cadet
did so, and Immediately all of the other cadets
in the line blazed away Every man nthe COM
mand who had discharged his piece without
order received a severe reprimand for his breach
of discipline The instructor had tricked them,
but the trick had effectively inculcated in them
great principle.
In recognition of Pershing's suppression of
the Moro uprising in the Philippines President
Roosevelt promoted his in 1906 from the grade
of captain to that of brigadier general In this
elevation Pershing jumped over the heads of
1862 serior officers who preceded him on the
seniority list. Considerable dissatisfaction re-
suited from the promotion, but this i'll feeling
gradually disappeared in view of the officers
continued success.
In 1918 Pershing, upon his return to the
United States, took command of the Eighth
sidio in San Francisco The general was sta
toned at Fort Bliss, Tex, in August, 1915,
when the tragedy of his life occurred His home
in San Francisco was destroyed by fire and his
wife and three daughters, aged 3, 6 and 8 years,
persisted in the flames. His only son, Warren
Pershing, was saved
In, March, 1916, Pershing was ordered to
lead the American punitive expedition into Mex
leo to run down the bandits responsible for the
raid on Columbus, N. M. While one column
started south from Columbus, Pershing in per-
sonal command of flying column crossed the
United States-Mexican border some so miles
to the west at place called Culbertson's ranch.
With the Seventh and Tenth cavalry and one
battery of field artillery he made memorable
ride of 120 miles in two days and led his men
into the Mormon settlement at Colonia Dublan
Just on the heels of the retreating bandits. Un-
der Pershing's direction the expedition pushed
as far south as the Chihuahua Durango line and
at the period when success was about to crown
his efforts the expeditionary commander re-
- l. 4
Villa. the bandit leader was never captured,
but his forces were entirely dispersed in north
ern Mexico.
Upon the death of Gen Frederick Funston in
February. 1917, Pershing was placed in COM
mand of the southern department. Upon
Americas entry into the war in April of that
year, Pershing was chosen commander of the
American expedtionary forces in France He
landed at Liverpool, England, on June s, and
after four days in London crossed the channel
and arrived in France at the port of Boulogne
on June IS. Several days later. in Paris, the
American commander n-chief, accompanied by
his staff, went to Picpus cemetery and laid
wreath of roses on 2 tomb and gave voice to
the historic words, Lafayette, we are here"
In October of last year he was promoted
to the rank of a full general and on the 23d
day of that same month led into the first line
the first American soldiers to reach the western
front. He personally directed the training of
our overseas forces. In March of this year,
when the Germans struck in Pcardy, it was
Pershings wholesouled and unselfsh offer of
his entire command to Marshal Foch that was
most instrumental in bringing about the long
delayed and all desired unified control of the
military forces of the allies The training which
Pershing had ncu1cated into our overseas forces
was revealed when our men stopped the Ger
mans at the Marine in June and later struck the
blow that started the German withdrawal on
July IS.
Pershing, himself, demonstrated his capacity
as one of the greatest field commanders of all
the allied forces when in September of this