Chapter IX: In Pursuit of Villa

GENERAL PERSHING had been sent to the Mexican border in command of the Southwestern Division early in 1915. In command of the El Paso patrol district, he necessarily was busy much of his time in guarding and patrolling the long thin lines of our men on duty there.

The troubles with Mexico had been steadily increasing in seriousness. The rivalry and warfare between various leaders in that country had not only brought their own country into a condition of distress, but also had threatened to involve the United States as well. Citizens of the latter country had invested large sums in mining, lumber and other industries in Mexico and were complaining bitterly of the failure of our Government either to protect them or their investments. Again and again, under threats of closing their mines or confiscating their property, they had "bought bonds" of the rival Mexican parties, which was only another name for blackmail.

Raids were becoming increasingly prevalent near the border and already Americans were reported to have been slain by these irresponsible bandits who were loyal only to their leaders and not always to them. The condition was becoming intolerable.

Germany, too, had her agents busy within the borders of Mexico, artfully striving not only to increase her own power in the rich and distracted country, but also to create and foment an unreasonable anger against the United States, vainly hoping in this way to prevent the latter country from entering the World War by compelling her to face these threatening attacks from her neighbor on the south. President Wilson was doing his utmost to hold a steady course through the midst of these perils, which daily were becoming more threatening and perplexing.

The climax came early in March, 1915, when Francesco Villa, the most daring and reckless leader of all the Mexican bandit bands, suddenly with his followers made an attack on the post at Columbus, New Mexico. The American soldiers were taken completely by surprise. Their machine guns (some said there was only one at the post) jammed and their defense was inadequate. They were not prepared. When Villa withdrew he left nine dead civilians and eight dead American soldiers behind him.

Instantly the President decided that the time had come when he must act. There was still the same strong desire to avoid war with Mexico if possible. The same suspicion of Germany was in his mind, but in spite of these things Villa must be punished and Americans must be protected. Quickly a call for regulars and State troops was made and General Pershing was selected as the leader of the punitive expedition.

The New York _Sun_, in an editorial at the time of his selection, said: "At home in the desert country, familiar with the rules of savage warfare, a regular of regulars, sound in judgment as in physique, a born cavalryman, John J. Pershing is an ideal commander for the pursuit into Mexico."

The selection indeed may have been "ideal," but the conditions confronting the commander were far from sharing in that ideal. Equipment was lacking, many of his men, though they were brave, were untrained, and, most perplexing of all, was the exact relation of Mexico to the United States. There could not be said to exist a state of war and yet no one could say the two countries were at peace. He was invading a hostile country which was not an enemy, for the raids of bandit bands across the border did not mean that Mexico as a state was attacking the United States. He must move swiftly across deserts and through mountain fastnesses, he was denied the use of railroads for transporting either troops or supplies, enemies were on all sides who were familiar with every foot of the region and eager to lure him and his army into traps from which escape would be well nigh impossible. The fact is that for nearly eleven months Pershing maintained his line, extending nearly four hundred miles from his base of supplies, in a country which even if it was not at war was at least hostile. It is not therefore surprising that after his return the State of New Mexico voted a handsome gold medal to the leader of the punitive expedition for his success in an exceedingly difficult task.

It was on the morning of March 15, 1916, when General Pershing dashed across the border in command of ten thousand United States cavalrymen, with orders to "get" Villa. A captain in the Civil War who was in the Battle of Gettysburg, when he learned of the swift advance of General Pershing's forces, said: "The hardest march we ever made was the advance from Frederick. We made thirty miles that day between six o'clock A.M. and eleven o'clock P.M. But Maryland and Pennsylvania are not an alkali desert. I have an idea that twenty-six miles a day, the ground Pershing was covering on that waterless tramp in Mexico, was some hiking." And the advance is one of the marvels of military achievements when it is recalled that the march was begun before either men or supplies, to say nothing of equipment, were in readiness.

It may have been that it was because of his better knowledge of these conditions that the general wrote:

"Our people are not a warlike people and the
average person knows little about our army. The
centers of population have never been brought into
close contact with it, and, like anything that is
unfamiliar, the people entertain a certain
prejudice against it. To overcome this prejudice
and to arouse and maintain an active interest in
military preparedness it will be necessary to
adopt some plan that will bring the army more
closely in touch with the people. The time for
this seems opportune and it can best be done by
assigning the various units of the army to
prescribed districts for local recruiting.

"If each regiment or smaller unit were composed of
young men whose families were neighbors,
especially if the home station of that unit were
easily accessible, the people would undoubtedly
support the unit with men and money. Each
regimental unit might be given a local name and
there surely would be quite as much pride in
having a regiment named for a city or state as in
having a war vessel so named. A regiment recruited
locally would start out with a high _esprit de
corps_ and the evil of desertion would be
eliminated. Men now desert mainly because they
have no pride or interest in the individual
organization to which they belong. Localization
would soon develop both. It would also in time
become an easy stepping stone to universal
training to which we must come if we are ever to
hope for a satisfactory solution of our military
problem.

"Universal training does not mean that every man
would have to serve with the army two years or any
other given length of time, but it should mean
that every young man though not drawn to the
colors would have to take a certain amount of
military training. Universal training is a
necessary prerequisite to effective war armies.

"Under a system of compulsory service the whole
number of men to become eligible each year would
be greater than required for active service in the
army, but selections could be easily determined by
lot. Those not drawn for service with the colors
would be given enough training to teach the
meaning of discipline and make them familiar with
the principles of marching, camping and shooting.
They would all be subject to call in case of war
and the question as to whether they were needed at
the front would not be left to the judgment or
personal inclination of the individual. The
humiliating spectacle of expending time and effort
after war begins in appealing through the press
and platform directly to the people to support the
Government would not have to be repeated. Each man
would expect to do his part. Men called out for
service during the war require at least a year of
drill before they are familiar with what the
modern soldier must know. The demands of modern
warfare upon individuals are greater than ever
before and only the thoroughly trained and tried
soldier is able to stand the strain. In the Civil
War troops were confronted by equally untrained
levies."

Behind this calm, clear and deliberate utterance it is easy to read the unspoken anxiety and the needless strain forced upon the commander of the punitive expedition in pursuit of Villa. And these words were written long before Pershing ever dreamed he would be the leader of a mighty host to cross the seas and in a foreign land fight not only the battles of his country but also those of humanity as well.

Although the punitive expedition failed in its main purpose,--the capture of Villa,--the opinion in America was unanimous that the leadership had been superb. _The American Review of Reviews_ declared that "the expedition was conducted from first to last in a way that reflected credit on American arms."

An interesting incident in this chapter of Pershing's story is that fourteen of the nineteen Apache Indian scouts whom he had helped to capture in the pursuit of Geronimo, in 1886, were aiding him in the pursuit of Villa. Several of these scouts were past seventy years of age; indeed, one was more than eighty, but their keenness on the trail and their long experience made their assistance of great value. One of the best was Sharley and another was Peaches. Several of these Indian scouts are with the colors in France, still with Pershing.

The main facts in the story of the punitive expedition are as follows:

LEADING EVENTS IN THE PUNITIVE EXPEDITION INTO MEXICO

1916
Feb. 17 Report in United States Senate that
76 Americans since 1913 had been
killed in Mexico. 36 others had been
slain on American soil.

March 9 Villa and his band cross the border
and attack the 13th U. S. Cavalry at
Columbus, New Mexico. 8 troopers
were killed and 9 civilians wounded.

March 10-13 Notes were exchanged between the
U. S. and Carranza. The U. S. decided
upon an immediate punitive
expedition. Two columns estimated
at 6,000 men under Brigadier-General
John J. Pershing and Colonel Dodd
enter Mexico from Columbus and
Hachita.

March 20 Three columns are in Mexico. The
maximum penetration is reported as 80
miles.

April 11 It was officially announced that
18,000 Americans were now on the
border while 12,000 have penetrated
375 miles.

April 16 A false report of Villa's death.

April 23-29 Conferences are held at El Paso
between American and Mexican officials.
The Americans ask for the active
cooperation of the forces of Carranza.
Skirmishes are reported in
Mexico and raids are made on the
frontier by followers of Villa.

May 9 President calls the militia of Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona to the border.
Additional regular troops are also
sent.

May 22 Carranza protests to the United
States against the violation of Mexican
sovereignty.

June 18 President calls many militia units to
the federal service for duty on the
frontier and in mobilization camps.

June 20 In a note to Carranza the President
declines to withdraw American troops.

June 21 A force of Carranza's men attack a
scouting body of U. S. cavalry at Carrizal.
A score of Americans are killed and 22 made
prisoners.

June 22 Secretary of State Lansing informs
the governments of South and Central
America concerning the intentions of
the United States in Mexico.

June 24 Carranza again demands that American
troops must not advance west, east
or south in Mexico.

June 25 Secretary Lansing enters a demand
for the return of the prisoners at
Carrizal.
In the same letter he also declares
that the action at this place was
a "formal avowal of deliberately
hostile action." He also inquires
what Carranza's intentions are.

June 28 Carranza orders the release of the
prisoners at Carrizal.

July 1 American troops in Mexico are gradually
being withdrawn.

July 4 Carranza suggests the acceptance by
the U. S. of Latin-American offers of
mediation.

July 7-10 Views of American and Mexican officials
are exchanged at Washington.
Within three weeks 60,000 militia has
been brought to the border.

July 20 Carranza suggests a conference of
three commissioners from each nation
to confer concerning withdrawal of
troops and the raiding of bandits.

July 28 President accepts the proposal.

Aug. 1 The 98,000 militia on the border is
increased by 25,000 more.

Aug. 3 Luis Cabrera, Ignacio Bonillas and
Alberto J. Pani are selected as Mexican
commissioners.

Aug. 22 Franklin K. Lane, George Gray and
John R. Mott are named as commissioners
of the United States.

Aug. 30 The War Department orders 15,000
militia to return from the border to
state mobilization camps.

Sept. 6 American-Mexican joint commission
meets at New London, Conn.

Sept. 7 The War Department orders a return
of militia regiments to be mustered
out of federal service.

Sept. 22 Militia from Kansas, Wisconsin and
Wyoming are ordered to the border in
place of the departing units.

Nov. 15 Militia to the number of 5,296 ordered
from the border.

Nov. 21 The President's new proposal is placed
before the Mexican commissioners.

Nov. 24 At Atlantic City, N. J., a protocol
signed by the joint commission is sent
to Carranza. It provides for the withdrawal
of the punitive expedition from Mexico within
40 days after ratification and also for
combined protection for the border.

Dec. 18 Carranza refuses to ratify the protocol
and explains his desire to submit a
counterstatement. The U. S. force on
the border is reduced to 75,000 men,
while 12,000 are still in Mexico.

Dec. 27 Carranza asks for revision of the protocol.
This is declined by the U. S.

Early in the following year satisfactory adjustments were made and the punitive expedition was withdrawn. Villa was not captured, but it is confidently believed the troubles on the border have been greatly mitigated.

FOOTNOTE:

[B] Quoted in the _Army and Navy Journal_ from the New York _Times_.