On Villa's Trail in Mexico

3M IMPROVEMENT ERA

GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING "A thorough disciplinarian, he has the heart and sympathy of a woman for those — who are in distress. That splendid type of manhood citizen, soldier, gentleman, friend, of whom every American is justly proud."

On Villa's Trail in Mexico By Hon. Anthony W. Ivins

III When the order was issued to the United States troops, who were stationed along the Mexican border, "to pursue and capture, or disperse Francisco Villa and his followers" —a responsibilitywas imposed upon the army involving the solution of problems, surmounting of difficulties, calculated to tax the wisdom and courage of the wisest and bravest of men. The moment the advance columns of the punitive expedition crossed the boundary line, they were in a hostile country, a country of barren, desert plains, and rugged mountain ranges, with only occasional towns and scattered ranches, occupied by people who had been robbed of various revolutionary parties until they had been reduced to conditions of abject poverty. The roads were little better than trails, watering places were few and far apart, and bridges there were none. Supplies for both men and horses must be taken from the United States, long lines of communication established and protected, and means of transportation provided. As has always been the case when emergency has arisen in our country, men were found capable and equal to every requirement. The direct command of the expedition was given to General John A Villista J. Pershing and under his leadership and direction the machinery of the The type of man who is fighting with Villa. Does he great undertaking was soon moving look like one who will sursmoothly. After the cavalry came render without a struggle, wagons drawn by the world-re- or will he fight to the last? nowned American army mule. Strug-

356 IMPROVEMENT ERA

OUTLINE MAP OF CHIHUAHUA The dotted lines show the route traveled by the American punitive expedition, from Culberson's Ranch and Columbus to Parral, the most southerly point reached. The x shows the places where Villa executed Americans.

A Train of Auto Trucks Carrying Supplies to the Front, on a Mexican Desert

gling over the dusty desert roads, numbers of these faithful animals perished from the heat and dust. The army engineer was early on the ground, roads were constructed, bridges built, and almost as soon as the advanced columns had reached Dublan, long trains of motor trucks and automobiles rolled in, laden with supplies for both man and beast. Cavalry divisions pressed on to the front, while detachments of infantry made long and trying marches over the dusty roads, garrisoned the line of communication, and gave protection

Graded Road and Bridge Over the Boca Grande River at Vado de Fusiles (Shotgun Crossing) Hundreds of miles of such roads have been constructed by the army. It was just up the river above this bridge that Villa executed Arthur McKinney and companions.

358 IMPROVEMENT ERA

to the supply depots which were established. Officers and men alike acquitted themselves as Americans are expected to, when duty calls. The splendid personality of the general and his officers was reflected in the rank and file; and, whether white or colored, each soldier sought to be the first to come to grips with the enemy. General Pershing possesses that rare personality in which the executive and legislative are harmoniously blended. To the character and courage of the soldier are added the wisdom and discernment of the statesman; a thorough disciplinarian, he has the heart and sympathy of a woman for those who are in distress, that splendid type of man, citizen, soldier, gentleman, friend, of whom every American is justly proud. As stated in a former article, Villa organized his forces for

After the Cavalry Came Long Lines of Infantry These soldiers are resting for lunch, after a long and tiresome march.

the Columbus raid in the vicinity of Guerrero Madera, and traveled north through the Sierra Madre mountains. At Hop Valley he found Edward Wright and wife, and Frank Hay den. Wright and his wife had recently come from the Cumberland mountains, in Tennessee, and were running a saw mill. Hayden was assistant. Mrs. Wright pleaded with Villa to spare the lives of the men and he promised to do so, but when Cave Valley was reached, ten miles from where they were arrested, the men were shot and the woman compelled to go on with the Villistas to Columbus, several days travel, where she made her escape. Farther on, at Boca Grande, he found Arthur McKinney, Bill Corbett and Bob McNeil,who were in the employ of the Palomas Land and Cattle Company, an American corporation, and not-

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withstanding their protestations that they had been friendly to Villa, and had shown this by many acts of kindness in the past, killed them all. On his return from Palomas, at Corralitos, he executed the Polanco family, father and two sons, because they were in the employ of Americans, thus making good his threat to kill every American who fell into his hands, and all Mexicans who were in American employ. When the advanced columns of American cavalry reached Dublan, Villa had already passed on south to Galeana and El Valle, heading for his old haunts in the Sierra Madre mountains, near the Durango line. After a brief rest at Dublan the Americans took up the trail and the real pursuit of Villa began. The difficulty which confronted the soldiers can only be appreciated by one familiarwith this wild, unoccupied country. The Sierra Madre mountains are rugged and in many parts heavily timbered; there are few roads, and the bridle paths and trails are dim and dangerous. It is a country admirably adapted to guerilla warfare, and one with which Villa and his followers were thoroughly familiar, for it was their birthplace and home. Into this desert wilderness, the sparse population of which was hostile to them, and friendly to their enemies, the American troopers plunged.

Relief Society in Omaha

The lady missionaries of the Omaha branch of the Nebraska conference, Faymetta Cameron, Blackfoot, Idaho, and Jane B. Yates, Brigham City, Utah, report from the Omaha branch that they are meeting with good success in their work. "We devote a few hours a day to trading from door to door, and leave a goodly number of our tracts and books. We meet with many honesthearted people who are desirous to learn more of the Lord and his ways, and we are often invited to call again and explain the true gospel to them. With one of our investigators who was down-hearted we prayed, and before we left, we all felt that

the Lord had answered our prayers. re- We joice that we have had the privilege of organizing a Relief Society in this branch, and hope to make it a success, and that it will give us an opportunity to reach sisters whom we could not otherwise reach. We love our work and have a desire to continue in it."