GEORGE S. PATTON DIARIES Annotated transcripts 1916 BOX 2 FOLDER 1 Prides, Crossing, Mass. April 23 1917 Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing, Fort Sam Huston, Tex. Dear General Pershing, The inclosed diary is not so good as I could wish because I had no time to typewrite it my self and so had to read it into a dictaphone and when the man wrote it he made a great many mistake. I have another copy which I will correct and send you, As you know the rather exciting circumstances under which I left El Paso I hope you will not think to badly of me for sending you this It was not complete when I left and had to follow me here hence the delay in its reaching you. When we got here we found Mr. Ayer had just regained consciousness but he was terribly weak and being over ninety it is still very doubtful if he recovers. Mrs. Ayer is also in bed with two nurses and My sister in law Miss Ayer is trying to get married. Beatrice is adding to the general jollity by being also in in bed sick so I am having as you may guess a very gay time and my disposition is in a fair way to be spoiled. All the people here are war mad and every on I know is either becoming a reserve officer or explaining why he can't It looks to me as if we were going to have too many reserve offices many of whom are meer children. My business affairs are progressing very well but I expect that the new taxed will hit every one pretty hard I wish that they would exempt officers? If I can possibly get away from this combined hospital and matrimonial establishment I am going to Washington for a dayand see if I can't get into some regiment near here as when Miss Ayer is married Beatrice will have to be here as her parents are too sick to be left alone. Of course if we go to France it will be all right as in that case she can't be with me any way and could stay here as well as any where else. This is a very stupid and personal letter and the machine is out of order please excuse all the defects. Very respectfully, George S Patton Jr. 1st Lieut 7th Cav Diary kept by GEORGE S. PATTON, Jr., while on duty with the Headquarters, Punitive Expedition into Mexico. March 13 : General Pershing called me up at 8.30 a.m., to say that I could go with him as Acting Aide, but that I would have to be relieved later, as Lieutenant Collins was to be appointed. I loaded the Headquarters' horses at 12.15. The General was in his office until 5.30 p.m. At 5.40 General Pershing, Major Hines and myself rode to Camp Cotton in an automobile. Lieutenant Shallenberger went ahead to decoy the newspaper men away so they would not bother the General, and we could board the train unseen. I got the General a little lunch on the train from Captain Allen Greer's Company. We reached Columbus, New Mexico, at 10.30 p.m., leaving the train about a mile from town. Colonel Cabell, and Major Ryan reporter to the General. The horses were not detrained until 5.00 a.m. March 14 : General Pershing worked all day organizing the Expedition, receiving reports, and dodging newspaper men. I secured some arms for Mr. Stevenson, of the Palomas Land and Cattle Company. A man we called "The Poison Doctor", came and told us we would all be poisoned with cyanide unless we took him. General Pershing and myself rode around camp at 5.00 p.m., all was in pretty good order, -1- Correct spelling Houze to Howze in first of this of a little hill, looking they thought they saw March 15 : All officers' baggage was reduced to fifty pounds and Colonel Berry, Inspector General, inspected them to see that his was carried out. I bought ten day's ration for DIvision Headquarters, which then consisted of General Pershing; Colonel Cabell, 10th Cavalry, Chief of Staff; Major Hines, Adjutant General; Major Ryan 10th Cavalry, Intelligence Officer; Captain Burt, 20th Infantry, Assistant Chief of Staff; and myself. We had three wall tents, two conical wall tents and three wagons. Lieutenant Stringfellow, 13th Cavalry, was detailed in charge of the wagons with ten men. At 11.30 a.m., General Pershing told me to take two Ford Cars and go to Las Cienegas and pick up the telefunken set there and take it to Culberson's Ranch. At this ranch I would find Colonel Dodd to whom I took orders, to be ready to cross the line when General Pershing reached there. I started at 12.05 a.m. and reached Las Cienegas at 4.30, having traveled one hundred miles. No artillery team was on hand at Las Cienegas, as per orders, and so I took a four mule team from Captain Benjamin Tillman, 18th Infantry, who was in command of two companies there. After starting the wireless set, I went on ahead to report to Colonel Dodd. -2- the men were all on top of a little hill, looking toward Palomas, where they though they saw mexicans. March 15: All officers' baggage was reduced to fifty pounds and Colonel Berry, Inspector General, inspected them to see that this was carried out. I bought then day's rations for Division Headquarters, which then consisted of General Pershing; Colonel Cabell, 10th Cavalry, Chief of Staff; Major Hines, Adjutant General; Major Ryan 10th Cavalry, Intelligence Officer; captain Burt, 20th Infantry, Assistant Chief of Staff; and myself. We had three wall tents, two conical wall tents and three wagons. Lieutenant Stringfellow, 13th Cavalry, was detailed in charge of the wagons with ten men. At 11:30 am, General Pershing told me to take two Ford cars and go to Las Cienegas and pick up the telefunken set there and take it to Culberson's Ranch. At this ranch I would find Colonel Dodd to whom I took orders, to be ready to cross the line when General Pershing reached Las Cienegas at 4:30, having traveled one hundred miles. No artillery team was on hand at Las Cienegas, as per orders, and so I took a four mule team from Captain Benjamin Tillman, 18th Infantry, who was in command of two companies there. After starting the wireless set, I went on ahead to report to Colonel Dodd. I reached Culberson's Ranch, at 7:00 p.m. and, at 9:00 p.m., as the General had not appeared, I suggested to Colonel Dodd that he wire and see if the General had started. We could not get them so we sent a car. During this time, General Pershing had crossed into Mexico, and gone a little way beyond the gate, and then returned and motored in a Dodge Car, over the same road which I had followed toward Culberson's Ranch. MARCH 16: At 12:15 a.m., Mr. Stevenson arrived with order for Colonel Dodd to start, leaving one troop as escort for the General, I had gotten eight horses from Battery B, Sixth Field Artillery for the use of the General and his staff. Colonel Dodd started with the Seventh and Tenth Cavalry at 1:15 a.m. General Pershing and Major Ryan, with scouts Tracy and Houghton and some others, arrived at 2:00 a.m. We started, escorted by Troop D, Seventh Cavalry, Captain Boyd and Lieutenant W.H. Smith, at 2:45 a.m. We crossed the line at 3:16 a.m., reaching Carreso, a distance of twenty miles, at 7:00 a.m. As none of us had slept over eight hours since the night of the 12th, we were very sleepy. General Pershing had the wireless set put up and we tried to get into communication with Columbus, but failed. We ate some bacon and slept a little, starting again at 12:02 for Ojitos, at which place we arrived at 6:30 p.m., having covered a distance of 52 miles since leaving Culberson's Ranch. -3- Here at Ojitos there was plenty of water, and some mexicans cooked us a good dinner. The General loaned me a saddle blanket to replace one that someone stole from me while we were eating, I stole another one for him. We set up the wireless again and tried to get into communication, but failed. It was very cold. We killed five cows and distributed the meat. March 17: The column started at 7:45 a.m. The Cavalry and Pack Trains by trail and the [B. Btry] [ and 6 F.A.] Artillery by road. We halted eight miles out, at a very fine lake where we watered. We then continued at a walk over very bad trails, finally reaching Tres Alamos, just north of Colonia Dublan, having gone over fifty-eight miles. The camp where the Seventh Cavalry halted at 6:30 p.m., was not large enough, so the General had to take the Tenth Cavalry to the river, about one mile further east. During the afternoon, the General got the names of all men in the [Sixth Field Artillery] 10th Cav. & 6 F.A. and Seventh Cavalry, who could use the heilograph, and of all locomotive engineers. There were three in the Tenth Cavalry. Before we reached camp, Major Ryan and Ted Houghton went ahead to Casas Grandes to get information. In the late afternoon my horse fell and broke my flashlight. I found some hay in the camp so all the horses had a good feed. We lost two mules and eight horses in making this trip. Of -4- the horses, four had been ( I. C'ed.) before entering Mexico. MARCH 18 : Moved the entire camp to a new camp at the river. We set up the wireless and got in touch with Columbus. General Pershing and Major Ryan went to the railroad at New Casas Grandes in a Mormon Automobile to get information. I went there looking for them and saw the Carranza Soldiers. They were a poor lot, about half in uniform, Colonels and Majors were young fellows not over twenty. The Captains were older. At the railroad station the General got important information of the Villistas. He arranged for the Seventh and Tenth Cavalry to continue south the next day. They intended to use the Mexican Northwestern Railway. We had dinner over at the Mormon Bishop's Call. It was a very excellent meal. General Pershing planned the campaign under a large tree near the river. We had only one flashlight with which to see the map. Wagner and Fox were present, and the advice of Wagner seem very useful. [(Civilian guards?)] MARCH 19 : Seventh Cavalry moved out at 3.00 a.m. with five hundred best men and horses. Moved the headquarters to a group of large trees accross [abreast of] river. The Tenth Cavalry with five hundred best men and horses left by train at 2.45 p.m. Just after they left someone set fire to a large pile of hay near the stock yards. -5- Lieutenants Collins and Shallenberger arrived at 10.00 a.m. with four automobiles, one Buick, one Dodge and two Fords. The General placed one of the correspondents in arrest for sending a message without authority. Sent orders by wireless that night for Aero Squadron to start that night for Dublan. MARCH 20 : The aeroplanes got in about 9.00 a.m. having missed the camp in the dark, one had gone to Pierson and was wrecked in landing, one got lost at Ascension and Lieutenant Bowen's machine was wrecked late that day while moving it to a place near the camp. All the pilots found it difficult to land on account of the high altitude which was four thousand feet. MARCH 21 : The Second and Third Squadrons of the Thirteenth Cavalry with their wagon trains got in at 11.00 p.m. MARCH 22 : The First Squadron of the Thirteenth Cavalry, under Major Lindsley started south. Colonel Dodd went to El Valle in auto to see if he could not stir up some information. I went to the station in an ambulance and got General Garvia and his two aides. We had intended to use an automobile but they were all out of order. -6- The General was dressed in an O.D. Blouse cut like the French. He had [been out] dinner with General Pershing and scratched himself all the time. In taking the General back [in the afternoon], the driver was very poor and nearly upset us several times. It was pitch dark. I found that the General talked French well, and had been a professor at the University of Vera Cruz before the war. Major Tompkins with two troops and a machine gun troop of the Thirteenth Cavalry started south, late in the afternoon of the twentysecond. MARCH 23 : The first squadron of the Eleventh Cavalry under Colonel Allen arrived in camp. The horses were all remounts and in very poor shape. The headquarters arrived with camp tents and bedding rolls. Aeroplanes went to look for the Seventh Cavalry but failed to locate it. I volunteered to hunt the Seventh Cavalry in an automobile and General Pershing said he would go also, so we got ready but at the last moment decided not to do it. There was a heavy windstorm this night. MARCH 24 : Major Ryan and myself were wakened by the General and he told us to get ready to go to Namiquipa with him by automobile. We had four automobiles, one Studebaker, one Dodge and two Fords, one guide and four guards. We started at 9.00 a.m. and reached El Valle at 1.00 p.m. -7- Here we found Major Tompkins with his two troops and the machine gun troop. The General decided to go on to Cruces with Major Tompkins' two troops as escort, after going six miles met Lieutenant Nicholson who had come with a message from Colonel Dodd, who was in the mountains east of Cruces. This message told the General what he wanted to know. General Pershing wrote Colonel Dodd a strong order telling him to use all possible vigor in the pursuit of Villa. We sent Major Tompkins on and returned to El Valle. It was very cold and there was a great deal of wind. Lieutenant Lucas gave us dinner in a dug out, General Pershing had only one blanket and tried to sleep in the automobile. Major Ryan, Lieutenant Lucas and myself slept on some oats. Mar 25 The first train load of forage and provisions reached El Valle this afternoon, with twelve White Trucks under command of Lieutenant Wilburn, Twelfth Cavalry. Later we talked with the Mexicans of El Valle. Here the people were all supposed to be in favor of Villa, yet when General Pershing offered to buy some supplies from them for real money, they seemed to be quite friendly. One of them said that on the night of March 23rd, forty men had deserted the Federal Troops at El Valle and gone over to Villa, some of our scouts reported a trail supposed to have been made by the deserters running up the river. They lost it when it headed southwest. Villa had been in El Valle the night of the nineteenth of March and had taken thirty-seven men and one woman by force. Seven of the men had already deserted him. We expected two aeroplanes -8- to report to us, but found that they had turned back to Casas Grandes. The General was quite angry over their non appearance. Major Howze reported from Dublan about 10.00 a.m. He had two hundred and forty of the best men and horses of the Eleventh Cavalry with him. General Pershing and Major Howze talked over the operations and General Pershing gave Major Houze his final orders. Lieutenant Collins was accompanying Major Howze. We started back to Dublan at 2.00 p.m., reached there at 6:00. On the way we passed two companies of the Sixteenth Infantry in wagons, going to form the advance base at El Valle. Also we picked up Lieutenant Christie who had broken his plane in landing, and he had been out in the open prairie for two days and nights without any blanket and without anything to eat. He was very cold. MARCH 26 : The General worked on the organization of the Expedition all day. He formed a pack train out of the Combat Train of the Fourth Field Artillery, we got Mr. Merril to act as guide of this train which was to go down along the river. Bishop Call helped me to find the guides and told me that several soldiers had been to the Mormon Church the previous day. MARCH 27 : Lieutenant E. S. Hughes of the Fourth Field Artillery and the Artillery Pack Train started south. -9- General Pershing was preparing to go south and put some more vim into things. I worked on a Buick all day to get ready to start the next morning at five. Finally had to abandon it and take the Studebaker and two Fords and a Dodge. March 28: General Pershing, Major Ryan, G. Patton cooks Booker and Lanckton, and Major Ryan's striker, with four cars started for El Valle at 3:30p.m. Two cars with newspaper men accompanied us. These men were Dunne of the New York Tribune, Gibbons of the Chicago Tribune, Elser of the New York Times, Blakesley of the Associated Press. We had no tents or baggage, the tires on the cars were very old and we had a great many punctures and had to wait for the correspondents. We reached El Valle at 9:30 p.m. We passed the engineers working on the road en route. March 29: Sent an aeroplane back to Casas Grandes and waited for it to return. It got back at 9:30. While waiting I told the General of the arrival of Lieutenant West, who had come over from Major Lindsey's column and he told General Pershing of the conditions west of the mountains. We started to Namiquipa at 11:00 a.m. Elser and Blakesley stayed at El Valle as their machine had broken a rear axle. -10- I had to drive the car as the Mormon boy we had was no good. The roads were very bad and we had two punctures. We reached Namiquipa at dark. MARCH 30 : Left camp at Namiquipa at 10.00 a.m., following Major Howze whom we passed just north of San Geronimo ranch. We drove on nearly to Bachineva, where we saw two mexicans plowing in a field. When we questioned them, they seemed very freightened, and told us Colonel Dodd had left the day before. The General tried to get one of them to take a message to him, but the man replied saying Villa would get him. He also told us that he would be shot, and as we would not be able to reach Colonel Dodd, we decided to return to San Geronimo. We met Colonel Howze and turned him back to San Geronimo also. At this ranch San Geronimo we found much corn in the warehouse. While Major Ryan was talking to the japs who ran the ranch, Lieutenant Collins came up with a report from Colonel Dodd, that he, Colonel Dodd, defeated Villa at Guerrera the day before, and that Villa was in the mountains south of us. General Pershing at once made plans to surround and comb the mountains. Major Howze was to enter from the east and lead north west, while Major Tompkins from the southwest near Providencia would move east. While he was writing the order, Private Gregg came up on a motorcycle and said that he had been fired upon near Bachineva and had turned back. I took the auto to Namiquipa with orders -11- for Major Tompkins to move to Providencia, I reached there at 8.30. I had permission to accompany Major Tompkins. Found Blakesley and Elser at Namiquipa and sent them back to San Geronimo in the automobile. Major Tompkins took five days rations and two days grain and started for Providencia. MARCH 31 : Major Tompkins reached Providencia at 7.00 a.m. I had a discussion with Major Tompkins for the way he interpreted the order did not correspond with the plan. I told him I would take the responsibility for moving in the way which I thought the order intended we should go. We searched the mountains very thoroughly and all dwellings. In one of them we found several cases of very bad smallpox. Towards the afternoon it got very cold and hailed, rained and snowed, and finally sleeted. All the men suffered. We reached San Geronimo at 7.30, having ridden at a walk for sixteen hours with only one hour's rest. It was still very cold. APRIL 1 : Weather moderated at 10.00 a.m. The General sent me to Namiquipa with dispatches in car, giving as complete an account as possible of General Dodd's fight at Guerrero. I reached Namiquipa about noon. During my absence the General and Major Ryan left San Geronimo at 1.00 p.m. and joined Colonel Dodd at Providencia, then they went Bachineva and were lost for a time on the way, but finally reached the town. -12- I went to look for them at 9.00 p.m. but found nothing, and got lost myself in the hills. It was a very cold night. APRIL 2 : Got word from General Pershing by motorcycle orderly at 10.00 a.m. Lieutenant Collins was in camp with me at the time, having returned from Major Howze's forces, which were then near Providencia. General Pershing and Major Ryan got back from San Geronimo at 3.00 p.m. We received news at 6.00 p.m. that the Tenth Cavalry had had a skirmish with Villa, and that night Mr. Gibbons of the New York Tribune secured an orchastra of mexicans, who played for us from 7.00 till 8.30. General Pershing gave them some money. APRIL 3 : General Pershing stayed in camp. Two troops of Major Howze's squadron got in, followed later by the others. They came from Bachineva. I left in an automobile at 1.00 p.m. to take a message to Colonel Dodd at Santo Tomas. Had six punctures and failed to find Colonel Dodd. I reached camp about 11.00 p.m. APRIL 4 : General Pershing sent forage and provisions to Col. Tompkins at Bachineva. Major Howze started south with pack train and four troops. -13- General Pershing personally inspected the condition of the horses, before dispatching this column. I started at 6.30 with an automobile to take additional information to Major Howze. I secured two horses at Providencia and rode from six to twelve p.m. through the mountains in order to find Major Howze. It was very cold but I finally located him by the reflection of his camp fire on the clouds. APRIL 5 : I returned to Providencia, in company with two mexican viqueros who had been Colonel Howze's guides, as far as Frijole Canyon the night before. On reaching San Jeronimo, I found that Colonel Allen's squadron had already gotten in. General Pershing ordered Headquarters moved to Namiquipa and arranged for further movements of troops to the south. APRIL 6 : Lieutenant Dargue and Captain Foulois flew to Cusi, locating Colonel Brown. On the fifth Dargue made another flight, locating Major Tompkins. That afternoon a mexican came out to camp and offered to give us all a drink. He said he was a very unfortunate man, being a pacifico, first the Villa people came and hit him on one cheek and then the Carrancistas came and hit him on the other, and that he was very sad. -14- APRIL 7 : Captain Foulois and Lieutenant Dargue, and Captain Dodd and Lieutenant Carberry flew to Chihuahua. The rurales shot at them, and Captain Foulois was put in jail. I took rations to [two troops of] the Seventh Cavalry into Frijole Pass. APRIL 8 : Captain Foulois, Dargue, Dodd and Carberry, returned with news from Consul Letcher who [and] told General Pershing he could ship some supplies to the American Troops along the Mexican Railway to San Antonio, Mexico. General Pershing, Major Ryan, Major Brown of the Engineers, and myself, left for San Antonio at noon, with all our stuff in an automobile truck. We reached camp at dark and found Colonel Allen with one squadron of the Eleventh Cavalry there. APRIL 9 : Sent out aeroplanes to scout. Colonel Allen took one troop and left about 10.00 a.m. General Pershing, Major Ryan, myself and Mr. Solomon Roker, went to Cusi. At this place the General got on the wire and conferred with Consul Letcher. APRIL 10 : Three aeroplanes scouted seven hundred square miles but failed to locate either our own men or the enemy. -15- April 11: Colonel Cabell, Captains Kromer, Reed and McKinlay and Lieutenant Campanole, arrived with five Dodge cars about 9:00 a.m. General Pershing Major Ryan, Captains Kromer and Reed, and myself, with six dodge cars, and our baggage on a truck, left San Antonio for Satevo at 10:00 a.m. We had with us twenty-two rifles. At Santa Ysabel we found the road impossible so made a detour reaching Satevo at 9:00 p.m. On the way, an outpost of General Cavasos [Gorgia's] men fifteen miles north of Satevo. On reaching Satevo we found two aeroplanes about three miles from town. The aviators not knowing whether we would arrive, were hiding in the bushes nearby and were very glad to see us. The trucks of the aero squadron with eighteen Sixth Infantrymen as guards, got in at 10:45. They were fired on eighteen miles out. About one hundred and fifty shots were exchanged, one man got a bullet through his hat. Lieutenant Davis commanding the Sixth Infantry guards, was driving one of the Dodge cars when the firing commenced, and he lost his head and ran into the rear of a truck, broke the radiator and the car had to be abandoned. We thought it probable that the men who did the firing were some bandits under a person called General Tarrango. April 12: Captain Reed and Lieutenant Winters with fifteen men and two trucks, left to investigate the shooting and salvage the cars. Lieutenant -16- Chapman made a flight south but found nothing. Lieutenant Carberry reached camp in a plane. Captain Reed returned with car and motorcycle, both of which had been burned. We used parts of the car, for extra parts. Colonel Allen with two troops of the Eleventh Cavalry, came into Camp at six p.m. APRIL 13 : Captain Foulois returned at 8.10 with news from Consul Letcher at Chihuahua, he also brought a rumor of the attack of our troops at Parral, which were supposed to be Colonel Brown's men. General Pershing sent Captain Reed in four automobiles to go out and and investigate. They left at 11.00 a.m. We sent Captain Foulois to Chihuahua with 2 automobiles, to take a letter of remonstrance to the Commanding Officer there. Captain Foulois got back at 10.00 p.m. No further news of the troops at Parral or of the reported attack. APRIL 14 : Captain Reed got in at 7:30 a.m. with full report. It was clear that Major Tompkins had been attacked by Carranza troops. Full report of the circumstances was handed the newspaper men. We all left camp at 10.04 in eight autos. We had twenty rifles and went to San Antonio via Palomas. At Palomas General Pershing got Consul Letcher on the phone and from him had word from -17- Howze, dated the 13th day of April, at Parral. The General sent word through Consul Letcher to General Funston, also to Major Howze. We passed Santa Ysabel just at dark and one of the Fords broke down. We were rather nervous for fear one of the many bands of mexicans should fire on us. We reached San Antonio, a distance of ninety-one miles at 12.40, [a distance of ninety-one miles]. We took gas and oil here and left at 1.15 a.m. APRIL 16 : Drive until 7.30 when we reached new camp at Namiquipa. General Pershing came here in order to be on the land wire in communication with Columbus, on account of the many faults we had discovered in using the wireless and aeroplanes as means of communication. Although General Pershing had not slept for two nights, he worked all day. Lieutenant Campanole was fired upon in the evening, while returning from Namiquipa on a motorcycle. The wire to Columbus was cut as usual. APRIL 17 : A very bad windy day, Colonel Cabell, Captain Burt and [Lieutenant Collins] arrived. General Pershing wrote several important telegrams as a result of the information he received from Colonel Cabell and [Lieutenant Collins] about the operations at Parral, and about Major Howze's fight in [El Oso Valley.] the Bellyesa Valley -18- APRIL 18 : Still waiting orders to do something on account of the Parral incident. A wire cutter was killed north of El Valle. There is a persistent rumor that Villa is dead, and the body found south of Cusi. Lieutenant Shallenberger and Captain Reed went to Cusi to investigate on April 19th. APRIL 19 : Campanole left at 3.00 a.m. to search for Villa men reported at Namiquipa, he returned about 6.00 a.m. with three men and two rifles. One man was the sone of President Munyos of Namiquipa. Colonel Cabell decided to go toward Parral with five autos. Major Ryan with one auto and one truck started toward Santo Tomas. APRIL 20 : Carberry and Chapman flew from Columbus, they left at 5.00 a.m. and arrived at 8.30. At. 10.00 a.m. we received news of the death of a relative of General Herrera in the Parral fight. President Munios of Namiquipa informed Captain Reed of the death of several people of importance, in the Parral fight. This was a very fine day and no wind. -19- APRIL 21 : I inspected the horses at the rest stations for the general, found most of them in very poor shape. This was largely due to failure to get long forage, which at this time was unavoiadable. APRIL 22: A truck train of Jeffrey Motor Trucks arrived from Colonia Dublan. The rest of the Eleventh Cavalry and two squadrons of the Fifth Cavalry arrived in camp at 10.00 a.m. The horses were in bad shape. Major Ryan returned from Santa Tomas. General Pershing published a memorandum regulating the feeding of the horses. APRIL 23 : The Fifth and the Eleventh Cavalry left for camp at Lake Itascate. Truck train from Columbus arrived with mail. Colonel Cabell returned from near Parral with Lieutenant Collins who had been with Major Howze. He also brought with him the report that a truck guard of the Twentyfourth Infantry had killed a mexican near Santa Ysabel. I rented a seven passenger Buick touring car from the Tailor Brothers, at the rate of Twenty-five dollars per day. APRIL 24 : General Pershing went to San Geronimo and returned in the afternoon. -20- I took five trucks to the Seventh Cavalry camp at Neuarachic Pass. Here I learned that Baca was reported to have been killed at Santo Tomas. I went there with three soldiers and Scout Barker, in a light truck. I saw the Presidente and he said that Baca was shot the night of April 22nd by his orders, and had been buried. I returned to Namiquipa and reported the fact of Baca's death to General Pershing. APRIL 25 : General Pershing assembled the correspondents and told them that the orders for the withdrawal of the Expedition had been revoked. APRIL 26 : Captain Forsythe of the third squadron of the Fifth Cavalry got into camp. Captain Reed and I went to Namiquipa to arrest Calanderio Cervantes, but after we got there near the house we found that we could not approach it without being seen, and so we returned to camp at Namiquipa. The sleeping bag which had been ordered for General Pershing, arrived this day. APRIL 27 : A very bad wind storm raged all morning in the afternoon General Pershing and myself went for a ride about the camp, and to inspect the forage. We found that while on the plains it was -21- very poor, on the hillsides it was very good. April 28: This was a very windy, dusty day. The wind blew so hard that two of the big storage tents went down. Major Ryan was ordered to rejoin his regiment. April 29: Colonel Dodd and Colonel Erwin came Providencia to Namiquipa to confer with General Pershing. April 30: General Pershing, Colonel Cabell, Captain Kromer and Lieutenant Collins left at 2:20 p.m. for San Antonia Mexico. General Pershing permitted me to join a column of the Thirteenth Cavalry and see a little service. I left at 2:45 with one man and two horses, arrived at San Geronimo, a distance of seventeen miles. Captain Gardenhire of the Tenth Cavalry gave me supper and breakfast. General Pershing and his party reached Lake Itascae at 4:20, and inspected the camp of the Fifth, Eleventh and Thirteenth Cavalry. They left at 8:30 and reached San Antonio at 11:30 p.m. -22- MAY 1 : The regiments at San Antonio, all the Sixth Infantry, six troops and the machine gun troop of the Tenth Cavalry, arrived from the south. Colonel Allen and Colonel Howze and the second squadron of the Eleventh Cavalry, Major Tompkins with two troops of the Thirteenth Cavalry. On this day also, the General went over the subject of guides, and dispensed with the services of those whose services were no longer useful. MAY 2 : Captain Reed and Lieutenant Campanole arrived from Namiquipa at 7.00 p.m. Satisfactory news came over the wire of General Scott's conference. MAY 3 : Lieutenant Campanole left for Namiquipa with two Japanese guides & Col. Brown General Pershing and Colonel Allen inspected the horses of the Eleventh Cavalry in the afternoon. Colonel Allen was at this time, acting Inspector General. The Thirteenth Cavalry, less four troops got in from the Lake. Colonel Wilder with part of the Fifth Cavalry also arrived. The news that we were to raise an army of One Hundred and Eighty thousand men, got in that night. -23- MAY 4 : General Pershing, Captain Reed and Lieutenant Collins, worked this morning, over the rates of pay for the guides. The news came of the Villista attack on Ojo Azules. Here they captured seventy-seven of a garrison of eighty carranzistas. Major Lopez of the Carranzista Army asked the General to send troops to Cusi against the Villistas. In pursuance of this Major Howze with two squadrons of the Eleventh Cavalry, left at 8.30 p.m. MAY 5 : General Pershing ordered the first Squadron of the Thirteenth Cavalry to El Rubio at 1.00 p.m. At 12.00 just as I was saddling my horse, Colonel Allen told me that I was ordered back to Headquarters. I went to the General and told him that he would think me lazy if I came back so soon. He told me however, to come. About 2.00 p.m. a man came in with the news of Colonel Howze's fight at Ojo Azules, where forty-two mexicans were killed. General Pershing was much pleased. MAY 6 : The rest of the Thirteenth Cavalry started for El Rubio at 7.00 p.m. Their camp was dirty, so I caught them at Ojo Calientes, and one troop came back to clean up. At 3.00 p.m. Lieutenant S.M.Williams of the Seventh Cavalry, Adjutant of Major Howze -24- came in with a full report of the fight, and also Sergeant Chicken of the Apache Scouts, reported and gave the General a sabre he had captured. At 7.00 p.m. we had news of the serious illness of Major Moore, and General Pershing sent Major Nauberg of the Medical Corps to operate. MAY 7 : Colonel Allen, Lieutenant Campanole and Major Tompkins went to Namiquipa, but the General remained in camp working on the details of the Quartermaster supply. MAY 8 : Got news of the defeat of the two hundred and fifty thousand amendment to the Army Bill. Captain Kromer and I went for a ride. MAY 9 : Nothing of importance happened until 2.00 p.m. when Lieutenant Collins and I translated code message about imminent break with Carranza. Collins went in three autoes to recall Major Howze. The Quartermaster of the fifth Cavalry left at 5.00 p.m. to bring back that regiment. Truck trains with hay, came in in the evening. -25- MAY 10 : The General arranged March Table and sent for truck trains to take away the forage. I went to El Rubio with orders to get in touch with Major Ryan. I found him there. On return to camp everything was ready to move. We took down the tents at 8.00 p.m. The Sixth Infantry and the Eleventh Cavalry marched north to San Diago del Monte. MAY 11 : We all got up at 5.00 a.m. General Pershing, Colonel Cabell, Captain Kromer, Captain Reed, Lieutenant Collins and Lieutenant Campanole started north at 6.30 in autos to Lake Itascate. The General arrived at 10.00 a.m. I rode with the 5th Cavalry, started at 9.00. Colonel Wilder took one hour to find camp. General Pershing got word at 8.00 p.m. to suspend movement north. MAY 12 : I went hunting with Lt. Scott, saw two deer. We reached the lake at 3.30 p.m. MAY 13 : General Pershing inspected the camp at 10.30 p.m. In the afternoon I went to inspect a camp where the General desired to have the Eleventh Cavalry camp. I found this spring about a mile further up the canyon that reported. Captain -26- Reed and Captain Campanole went to Namiquipa that night. MAY 14 : General Pershing sent me with ten men of the Sixth Infantry, in three autos and scouts Homdohl and Lunt to buy some corn. I was to pay for this corn at the rate of four pesos per hectare. I went to a ranch at Coyote, Rubio and Salsido, where I secured two hundred and fifty hectares of corn. Then I decided to go to the ranch at San Migel and see if I could not find Colonel Julio Cardines, I found him there and killed him and two of his men a Captain named Isadore Lopez. orderly Juan Gaza We captured 3 saddles, two rifles three pistols, two sabres and two belts. The fight started at 12.30 p.m. and lasted until about 12.45 p.m. Lt. Patton personally killed Cardines & GAZA. MAY 15 : This day, we have been two months in Mexico. I stayed in camp all day. Three troops of the Fifth Cavalry went toward San Antonio and one troop of the Thirteenth to El Rubio. General Pershing decided to leave for Namiquipa. MAY 16 : Sixth Infantry and one Battery of the Fourth Field Artillery started for San Geronimo at 6.00 a.m. -27- The General and Collins went to the Fifth Cavalry Camp, . We all started for Namiquipa at 9.30 and passed the Sixth Infantry about 10.30. a.m. They looked very tired and very dusty. General Pershing stopped for half an hour at San Geronimo and talked with Colonel Allaire. 8 Companys of the Sixteenth Infantry was there under Colonel Allaire. We reached Namiquipa at 1.30 p.m. MAY 17 : Bad wind all day. Colonel Allen got in late from San Geronimo where had spent all day making inspection. Nothing happened of importance around the camp this date. MAY 18 : Two squadrons of the Eleventh Cavalry started for El Valle at 1.00 p.m. Captain Reed and Campanole went to Santa Ana, to see Aldarete. Jose M. Espenosa reported to General Pershing that Calendareo Cervantes had been in the town of Namiquipa the preceeding night. The Sixth Infantry arrived from San Geronimo about 9.30 a.m. MAY 19 : A terrible wind storm lasted all day. No one did any thing. -28- MAY 20 : Lieutenant Engle arrived at Namiquipa and was put in charge of the maps. MAY 21 : We started to reorganize the headquarters. MAY 22 : Lieutenant Shallenberger has charge of Headquarters Office and [?]. Lieutenant Collins of Automobile section, and myself in charge of Mounted section. There were twenty- seven men in the Automobile Section, six autos and one truck. Twenty three privates and two corporals in the mounted section, and twenty- five privates one corporal in the office section. Also three cooks for the officers and three for the men. We did not think this organization would work at the time, but later we found that it worked very well. I went to San Geronimo to get four men of the Thirteenth Cavalry for my section. I saw a mexican with a gun ride off from the mountain and at first I decided to kill him, but later I thought he might possibly be innocent and I let him go. I believe however that I should have shot him. MAY 23 : Captain Reed got information on Cervantes and the General sent four troops to the northwest from Santa Ana, one troop of the Thirteenth Cavalry north east from San Geronimo, one troop of the -29- Fifth Cavalry east from Cruces and one troop of the Eleventh Cavalry southwest from Cruces. All troops to start so as to be in position by midnight. We were very busy getting all the guides off for their different places, particularly the guides who would go to Santa Ana. As usual with them they had lost their horse, or saddle at the last minute. The mexican guides that Alderete had promised to furnish us at Santa Ana were all busy and could not come and act as guides. MAY 24 : All troops moved out as directed, but succeeded in getting nothing. About 2.00 p.m. a mexican came up saying Cervantes was in town. Captain Reed went to town in four autos and my detachment, Shallenberger took the Headquarters detachment, but all this excitement was caused by the mexicans seeing the advance guard of the troop of Fifth Cavalry, this troop having started back. It was funny that this troop had orders to back to attack Cervantes. In other words to chase its self. About five p.m. got word that Cervantes and his Lieutenant had been killed close to Cruces. Private Hill of the Machine Gun Company of the Seventeenth Infantry, killed both. Collins went up to Cruces with orders to bring the body of Namiquipa for further identification. -30- MAY 26 : There was a meeting of the equipment board and I was asked to give my opinion on equipment. Espinoso came to see the General and also to get permission to capture three hundred and eighty rifles and eleven machine guns, out in some caves in El Oso Canyon. He succeeded in doing this May 26th. Captain Campanole tried to secure these guns but did not go far enough up the Canyon and on the way back met Espenoso returning with the guns. We started a new mess this day for the correspondents, as the General's mess was too large. This mess at that time had ten members. We had a rumor that Obregon had called all officers, of what ever faction, to the colors in order to attack the Americans. MAY 28 : Major Hawze and Major Lindsley arrived for Cavalry Equipment Board. MAY 29 : Captain Reed secured the arms captured by Espenosa, these consisted of three hundred and fifty rifles and eleven machine guns. -31- Gen. Pershing, Collins, Correspondents Clements, Baehr Blakesley and Elser went to El Valle at 9.45 en route to Dublan. The Sixth Infantry started to El Valle at 8.00 a.m. The Sixteenth Infantry arrived from San Geronimo at 10.00 a.m. Colonel Dodd came in at 9.15 a.m. MAY 31 : Cavalry Board met and called several witnesses. Captain Fechet's saddle was examined. JUNE 1 : We received word in camp that there were some guns about sixteen miles northeast in El Oso Canyon. I started with Captain [?], Troop M Thirteenth Cavalry, Lieutenant Lininger and Johnson and Campanole were also along. We reached the cave where the arms were concealed, at 10.00 p.m. and got ninety-four rifles and returned to camp reaching there at 5.25 a.m. JUNE 2 : Nothing to report, until the 4th of June. JUNE 4 : Colonel Dodd and Captain Reed went to El Valle. JUNE 5 : Nothing JUNE 6 : I went hunting with Carson and Bell, saw one deer. -32- Captain Reed and Major Ryan, returned from El Valle. JUNE 8 : I went duck hunting with Captain Black. JUNE 9 : We moved our camp to a point two miles east of our first camp at Namiquipa. The move was made without any confusion and in very good order. JUNE 12 : I went duck hunting with Captain Black. In the evening I got ready to go out with Troop M of the Thirteenth Cavalry to look for Pedro Lujon, at Tepehaunes. JUNE 13 : Troop M Thirteenth Cavalry, Captain Turner and myself left Camp at 7.30 a.m. We reached Santa Clara, twenty-six miles at 2.30 p.m. Saw several deer on the road. At Santa Clara we found Troop L, which reported having had a fight at the ranch, with bandits the day before. JUNE 14 : Left Santa Clara at 12.05 a.m. and reached Tepehuantes at 4.40 a.m. Surrounded the place and captured Pedro Lujon. We left there at -33- 12.00 noon and got to Santa Clara at 5.30 p.m. just before we left we received a message over the wire from the Carranza Commander at El Rubio asking us what in ---- we were doing there, fighting the mexicans. JUNE 15 : Left Santa Clara at 8.00 a.m. and reached Namiquipa at 3.30 p.m. JUNE 16: I went through the mountains north of camp on an Expedition of my own, looking for some rifles, I found caves which had been recently lived in but there were no guns. This day Captain Reed had intended to make a round up at San Geronimo, but decided not to do so. JUNE 17 : Three Carranza Majors came to Namiquipa to force Espenosa to surrender to them the prisoners he had captured, all of whom were supposed to be Columbus raiders. Captain Reed who had gone to Cruces, was called back in haste, he was much disturbed over the circumstances. JUNE 18 : Captain Reed secured the prisoners without a fight but it was very close. We had one squadron -34- mounted and two others ready to move at a moment's notice. JUNE 19 : The Sixteenth Infantry left at 6.00 a.m. for Cruces. We received news this night that the militia had been called out, or would be called out on June 20th. I left with the mounted section of the Headquarters at Namiquipa at 8.15 a.m. and got to Cruces at 3.00 p.m. JUNE 21 : Left Cruces at 9.15 a.m. and got to El Valle at 2.30 p.m. having stopped two hours for lunch. JUNE 22 : Made our camp on some cleared ground. Major Hines arrived about 1.30 p.m. We got news of the Tenth Cavalry fight at Carrizal. JUNE 23 : Pitched the headquarters tents in the morning and got orders at noon to start for Dublan. We left camp at 2.30 p.m and got to Ojo Laguna at 5.30, a distance of eighteen miles, and we camped there with detachment of the engineers. Here we got the first news of the death of Captain Boyd and Lieutenant Adair. -35- June 24: Left camp at 4:15 a.m., stopped at Charcos at noon. This was a very poor camp with but little water. Saw some Chinamen who seemed to be favorable to the Mexicans. I also recovered a mule at this place, that a mexican had found, giving the mexican ten dollars for the mule. June 25: Started at 4:55 a.m. and reached Dublan at 9:00 a.m. where we found the General and the rest of the staff. Late in the afternoon we received news of the discovery of Captain Morey. Lieutenant Collins went for him in a automobile and brought him in, he was not much hurt. June 26: I heard confidentially that Villa was still alive. June 28: I went to the Mormon Lakes with some orders for the Seventh Cavalry. Movements of truck trains to the border was suspended, owing to the reported presence of Carranza troops near the line of communications. June 29: First squadron of the Eleventh and all of the Seventh Cavalry got in from Mormon Lakes. Truck trains again started south from -36- Columbus. Nothing else to report, nothing else to report until July 4th. July 4: Field day, and also Concert given by Twenty-fourth Infantry Band. Very amusing. July 5: A very bad wind all day. July 6: Captain Campanole and myself went to Old Casas Grandes and took some pictures. While we were there the Presidente of the town seemed to think we had no right to be there, and while we were talking with him, we could see men in the various houses. We did not like this and left. July 8: General Pershing went for horse exercise with me in the morning, we rode about eighteen miles, it rained in the afternoon. Lieutenant Shallenberger and I went to the telegraph station at New Casas Grandes to find out whether the train was coming in from Juarez with supplies for the American Troops. The train arrived at 11.15 p.m. but had no supplies. July 9: Some of the officers went to the Mormon Church in the afternoon. -37- July 10: A train of hay from Juarez over the Mexico Northwestern Railroad, got at 8:00a.m. It rained in the afternoon. July 11: The train left for Juarez. July 12: A train with nine cars of supplies came in at 8:00 a.m. July 13: I took the correspondents to Colonia Juarez, and thence to Pierson in the afternoon. At Pierson there was a large number of wooden buildings, we were very much surprised that the Villistas or some other bandits had not burned them. On the way back to camp we got stuck in the river and had to get out and push in order to get the car across. July 14: Ted Houghton brought me a new carbine, it shot too high. It rained in the afternoon. Two truck trains got in from Columbus reaching camp at 6:00 p.m. -38- July 15: One truck train got into camp. Quite a heavy rain storm. Mr. Blakesley of the Associated Press, went north, we were all very sorry to lose him. July 16: General Pershing went to Colonia Juarez one truck train arrived. July 17: Nothing happened until 10.30 a.m. when a train with General Gonzales and Colonel [?] Chavis and seventy-five cavalrymen came into camp. Colonel [Cajbis] Chavis had a consultation with General Pershing. He acted as interpreter for General Gonzales. General Pershing told them of the status of Espenosa at Namiquipa and urged them to treat him fairly. July 18: Nothing execpt that General Gonzales and his men returned, having found a broken bridge near Pierson. In the evening a lot of newly made Captains reported to the General on their way to the border to join new regiments. Among these were Captain Swift, Captain George, Captain Gottschalk, Captain Mann, Captain Hunt, and about five others. -39- JULY 19: General Pershing went as far as [?] to inspect roads running north. He was gone all day. Jap spies returned and reported that Villa was still alive but injured and still using crutches. JULY 20: Truck train Number twenty got in from Columbus. It had stared the sixteenth but the rain had delayed it. Mr. Robert Bacon and Doctor Strong got in about 11.00 p.m. to visit General Pershing. JULY 21: Mr. Bacon and Doctor Strong left in the afternoon. They went over the camp with the General in the morning. JULY 23: Jumped my mare and also Major Hines' gray horse. Discussed the sabre with General Pershing, he does not think much of it. It rained a little. I went to the Mormon church in the afternoon. JULY 24 : This is Pioneer's day for the mormons. General Pershing and staff went to Colonia Juarez today, and witnessed some interesting ceremonies at the church. It consisted of the children -40- singing and giving a play representing the Mormon Expedition across Utah. Afterwards Alanzo Taylor gave us a dinner. He had two of his wives present at this dinner. One of Bishop Bently's daughters seemed to attract the attention of Colonel Cabell and several other officers. JULY 25: General Pershing, Colonel Cabell and Lieutenant Collins went to El Valle. Colonel Cress, Captain Burt, Colonel Berry and three other officers went to Columbus. There was a prize fight in the evening and about fifteen hundred men were present. JULY 27: Nothing to report. JULY 28 : Three truck trains arrived from Columbus. General Dodd arrived from El Valle. He had just been made General, and was on his way out having just been retired. The Tenth Cavalry gave a dinner, celebrating the Fifth-eighth year of its organization. This dinner was preceded by some very interesting ceremonies, in which the Tenth Cavalry soldiers gave imitations of all the fights in which the regiment has been [in]. This was staged by Major Young, who refused to sit down at the table on the pretext that he was not feeling well. -41- Major Hines, in behalf of General Pershing, gave a reception for General Dodd at Division Headquarters. JULY 30: Lieutenant Collins came up from El Valle to go to Columbus to get General Bliss. JULY 31: Captain Johnson and myself went antelope hunting and I killed one. My horse got away when I dismounted to fire and I had to walk home, while Johnson hunted up the horse which he finally found. AUGUST 2: Colonel Cress returned from Columbus. AUGUST 3: I went antelope hunting with Johnson but got nothing. We found some old cliff dwellings in the mountains east of camp. General Pershing and his staff returned. AUGUST 4: The General, General Bliss, Major Connor Major Nolan, and all of the General Staff got in at 11.00 a.m. They went to El Valle with General Pershing at 1.30. -42- August 5: Both Generals returned to Dublan at 1.10 p.m. General Pershing told me that I could go to Columbus with General Bliss. AUGUST 6: I started north with the General at 7.00 a.m. We had one Studebaker, one Ford and two Dodges. We reached Columbus at 7.00 p.m. I saw General Bliss to his car. AUGUST 7: Looked up property for Shallenberger, saw to the repair of two Dodge Cars. Went to El Paso at 11.55 a.m. AUGUST 8: I inspected the camps of the militia in order to report on their condition to General Pershing, also called on General Bell, and saw about having General Pershing's horses taken care of. Saw Colonel Holbrook of the Seventeenth Cavalry. AUGUST 9 : Looked up General Pershing's property, and got two cases of White Rock, took train to Columbus at 2.55 after seeing about cars, I got new Studebaker for the General [and a Dodge for Major Hines.] -43- AUGUST 10: I started at 7.06 a.m. with eight guards; three Dodges and one Studebaker. Got into the mud at Vado Fusiles. A very heavy rain started at Corralitos. We had to push the cars for some distance, and got into the camp at 8.30 p.m. AUGUST 11: General Pershing went horseback riding, a truck train was reported stuck in the mud at Corralitos but it later got in at 3.00 p.m. AUGUST 12: Another truck train arrived from the north, having been a long time on the road. AUGUST 14: Lieutenant Shallenberger, Mr. Boyd and myself went hunting on the Parajo mountain. We rode thirteen hours but saw nothing. Nothing further to report until August 18th. AUGUST 18th: Field day. I was one of the judges, and also won the shooting event. The shooting was very poor. [Nothing further to report until August 31.] -44- August 19: General Pershing and myself with Barker and Boyd as guides went antelope hunting east of camp. The General got one shot at about four hundred yards. We rode back in a car and the auto stuck in the sand and broke the propeller shaft and the General, Barker and I started to walk. We travelled four miles in fifty minutes, the General setting the pace. The hardest walking I had ever done. Both Barker and myself were stiff for several days. When I reached Camp I found that one of my horses had been badly cut up in a barbed wire fence. August 20: General Pershing and I started to go [hunting] pistol shooting but it rained. August 21: The General reviewed the entire command at 10.30. It took fifty minutes for it to pass at a walk. August 22: Inspected the [camp of the] 7th and the 11th Cavalry. The General and Collins inspected their general appearance. Colonel Cabell and myself inspected the equipment and horses, the condition of the horses, and the shoeing. Colonel Cress and Captain Reed the personal equipment. -45- August 23: I inspected the Tenth Cavalry and the Twenty-fourth Infantry also Fourth Field Artillery and camp in the afternoon. August 24: General Pershing, Colonel Cress, Colonel Cabell, Colonel Glennan, Lieutenant Collins and I left at 10:30 for San Joaquin. We inspected the third battalion of the Seventeenth Infantry stationed there. August 25: We inspected the headquarters Seventeenth Infantry in the morning. General Pershing went to inspect the old ruins. Captain Wright Seventeenth Infantry, was excavating. It rained hard in the afternoon. August 26: We started to inspect the Thirteenth Cavalry but the San Joaquin river was too high and we had to stay in camp. All the staff except General Pershing went up the canyon on horseback in the morning. In the afternoon Collins and I climbed the high hill in the back of the camp and got a fine view. August 27: Left camp at 8:30a.m. and got to Angostura at 12:30, having left the machines about five miles out and taken horses brought over by Captain Murchoon. We had to nearly swim the river in order to reach the camp. We inspected the regiment at 1:30p.m. it was very poor. Especially the wagon train. Very few of the men had underclothes. Nor had there been any attempt as far as we could find out made to secure any for them. We left there at 4:00p.m. and campted at Carbolijena for the night. This place was also called by the truck drivers Naco. August 28: Left camp at 7:20a.m and reached El Valle at 9:10a.m. We were met by Lieutenant Chamberlain. We rode over to El Valle, leaving the automobile of the river, which had just broken down the Engineers bridge. The engineers under Captain Graves were working on the bridge as we passed. Here again it was almost necessary to swim the river. After reaching camp General Pershing held a review of the entire command, and inspected until noon. Started the inspection again at 2:00p.m. and in- spected until 5:30p.m. The General sent in the wagon trains of the Sixteenth Infantry, the Sixth field Artillery, as being too dirty for inspection, back to the camp. All of the officers called on the General at 7:30p.m. August 29: The General inspected the camp of the above named wagon trains. I helped Colonel Cress condemn horses and inspected the Hospital. We started north at 10:30a.m. We lunched on the road and inspected Company I of the Twenty-fourth Infantry at Charcos. It was in most excellent condition. Before we reached Charcos we met a patrol of the Thirteenth Cavalry looking for two escaped prisoners. These were the two men who had held up a Chinaman and taken all of the provisions out of his wagon. Just before reaching New Cases Grandes, the car in which I was riding with Colonel Cress and Colonel Glennan, had a puncture, so that we were about ten minutes behind the rest in reaching Dublan. As we neared it the whole sky became black and we absolutely could not see the town, the water in the streets was over a foot deep. In the gutters it was still deeper. In attempting to cross one of these it flooded our carburetor and we were stuck. It was necessary for a truck to tow us in and I had to walk ahead in order to find the bridges. The water was running clear over the top of them. August 30: General Pershing worked all day in camp on Adjutant General and Judge Advocate papers. -48- August 31: General Pershing, Colonel Cabell, Colonel Cress, Lieutenant Collins, Lieutenant Patton, Mr. Adamson, the General's Clerk, and Mr. Smith of the Hearst papers, Mr. Schovall of the Associated Press, and Mr. Fox, the Underwood and Underwood photographer, started for Columbus at 10:00a.m. We reached Ojo Federico at 4:00p.m. and inspected the first battalion of the Seventh In- fantry and Headquarters Tenth Cavalry. We suffered very much the night with mosquitoes. September 1: We left Ojo at 7:20a.m. and after stopping frequently along the road to examine the engineer work which was being done, we reached the Wind Mill. The General wanted to have the reservoir there fixed so that it would hold water. We reached Vado Fusiles at 3:00p.m. and inspected one troop of the Tenth Cavalry and one Company of the Seventh Infantry. Left at 4:00p.m. and reached Columbus at 5:10p.m. A total distances of one hundred and seven miles. September 2: General Pershing, Lieutenant Colonel Farnsworth and I inspected the tentative camps for the Expedition in case it were left at Columbus. We also looked over the camp of the Second Mass. Infantry. In the afternoon General -49- Pershing, my sister Mrs. Patton Colonel and Mrs. Farnsworth and myself went to Palomas for a ride. September 2: General Pershing investigated the reasons for the slow issues of Quartermaster and Ordinance supplies. In the evening the Mayor and the leading citizens of Deming, called on General Pershing. They were very anxious to get the Expedition there and tried to persuade him that was the best place in the world. September 3: General Pershing, Mrs. Patton, my sister and Mrs. Collins and Lieutenant Collins and I, a lot of Arkansas and Kentucky troops. We returned at 7:20 to dine with General Pershing. September 4: General Pershing worked over the supply question in the morning and looked over the remounts in the afternoon. Also General Pershing, Mrs. Collins and Mrs. Patton went in an automobile in the afternoon to look over the Aviation Field. -50- September 5: General Pershing inspected all the troops at Columbus. Second battalion of the Seventeenth Infantry, Second Mass. Infantry, Troop H Twelfth Cavalry, Signal Corps Detachment Engineer Detachment and Truck Companies. The Second Mass. Infantry marched very well but their arms were very dirty, their being as many as eighty dirty rifles in a company of one hundred and twenty. In the afternoon we inspected the camp and found many extra articles beyond Equipment C. September 6: Inspected the Aero Squadron in the morning, and started out at 12.30, Lanckton and Booker and Burgie were absent so I drove the General's car. We inspected the Engineers at Palomas and Vado and Esquilla. We camped at this last place in a light rain. The Engineer equipment was dirt and the camps not properly made. Many of them had hair which was too long. The General pushed on and reached camp at 4.30. Colonel Webb Hayes had accompanied us on this trip, he was a politician from Ohio. but a very nice man. September 8: Colonel Hayes went north, nothing un- usual happened except that the El Paso Herald reported a battle at El Valle, there was none. September 10: Major Hines, Lieutenant Patton, Mr. Boyd and Mr. Barker and some soldiers went hunting. We saw fifty antelope and four deer, but shot none. We spent the night in a deserted ranch where we all walked guard in turn. The rats ate up Major Hines hat cord, and some parts of the saddles. September 12: Captain Reed went to El Valle on business yesterday [?] Nothing else to report. September 13: Major Hines, Major Lindsley, Captain Hoyt and myself went to the lake duck hunting. I killed two plover and the automobile got stuck in the mud. September 14: General Pershing and I went out to watch a problem, First squadron of the Thirteenth Cavalry under Captain Lewis. The men did not take cover properly. One of the aeroplane made too fast a landing and broke the running gear and right lower wing. Captain Reed returned home. September 16: Went duck hunting today and got seven. On the way back, met several Carrancistas and one of them fired right in front of us for the purpose of frightening us, as far as we could see. September 17: Colonel Beacom died at noon, from ex- cessive blood pressure. We held the services in the afternoon, all the officers were present. September 18: Major Hines, Captain Kromer and I were going hunting but just before we started the General decided against our going on account of the danger of our being picked up by some roving band of bandits. September 21: General Pershing and I went out to watch some problems and we rode up the canyon northeast of camp about ten miles. September 23: Colonel Wilder came to came to camp to report on the shooting at El Valle. One soldier of the Fifth Cavalry was killed and one badly wounded and two mexicans were killed. Nothing else to report until October 22nd. October 2nd: I was working on some musketry reports for General Pershing and I was burned by a lamp. I went to the hospital and Major Baker fixed me up. General Pershing, Colonel Cabell, Major Hines and all the other officers came to see me that night, which I appreciated. October 3: Major Vose dressed my face and all the officers again called. I remained in the hospital until October 9th, when on reporting to the General that I would not be fit for duty for at least three more weeks, he told me to take a sick leave, so I left on a Truck Train with Captain Graham, and Doctor Darby at 10:30a.m. They were very nice to me, and we reached Columbus at 3.30 October 10th. From October 10th to November 10th, I was on leave. -54- November 11: Traveled from Columbus to Dublan, November 11th and 12th. I reached Camp at 2:30p.m. Everyone was very glad to see me and Lieutenant Collins had Captain Reed's room fixed up very nicely for me. November 14: Stayed home all day on account of my ear, it was not well. I returned to General Pershing's mess. I found that I was on a pistol board with Major Lindsley, Captain Latrobe, also Lieutenants Grininger and Lieutenant Hickam. November 15: Shot on the pistol board in the afternoon. General Pershing told me to write an article on the instruction the troops had received and also to get pictures. November 16: Went out riding with the General in the morning, inspected the troops, sat on the pistol board in the afternoon and worked on my article in the evening. November 17: Got my right ear out the bandages. -55- November 18: General Scriven of the Signal Corps flew down in an aeroplane. He was so stiff that when he tried to get out of the aeroplane he could not move and had to be lifted. At retreat he failed to come out and the General had to tell him that retreat was blowing before he could come. November 19: General Scriven left by auto with Captain Dodd. We had a turkey dinner. November 20: Went out early to show Colonel [Will] Winn of the Twenty-fourth Infantry, where to go to start the problem. After having placed him at H,I watched with my field glasses, the deployment of the attacking force and later joined General Pershing. We were almost run over by two black tailed deer while watching the final attack. We got in at 6:00p.m. Bishop Bentley and Mr. Call, and Apostle Ivers had supper with us. Ivers, who is one of the twelve Mormon Apostles, is a very intelligent looking man. He founded the original colonies in Mexico. After supper he gave a talk to the soldiers over at the moving picture show. -56- November 21: General Murray, and General Roger Williams of Kentucky, with their aides, Captain Pratt and Lieutenant Woods, came down by automobile. They made the trip in nine hours. November 22: The visiting Generals went home. We had a polo game in the afternoon. November 23: Nothing to report. November 24: Tried advancing one hundred yards, firing the pistol fourteen times while at the run. Did not like the idea of allowing the men to halt to reload. Because it is believed that they would never advance again. November 25: We got the reports of the Army and Navy game by periods. Collected fifteen dollars to pay for the wire. We had the defense problems of the Machine Guns in the morning. General Swift reported at 1:00p.m. NOVEMBER 26: Chased coyotes on horseback, with the Eleventh Cavalry in the morning. Discussed Cavalry with General Pershing who seemed to think my ideas were alright. I did not carry the Diary beyond the Twenty-sixth of November, Lieutenant Collins was always present, and he had a complete record of events. Very respectfully George S Patton Jr. 1st Lieut 7th Cav. -58- San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, April 12, 1916 SURVIVOR TELLS OF MASSACRE BY VILLISTAS --- J.H. Locke Describes the Killing of Blankenburg and Bruce at Minaca --- HUMAN LIFE HELD CHEAP --- Bandits Raid Town Before Dawn, and Residents Indiscriminately --- PERSHING'S CAMP AT FRONT. April 10 (by aeroplane to Columbus, N. M.). April 11.-- The cheapness in which the Villistsas hold human life was brought out pointedly here today by J. H. Locke, an American of Minaca, who escaped from that city the night of March 28th, when Herman Blankenburg, a German and David Bruce, an American, were killed by the bandits. Locke described to General Pershing the utter recklessness with which these two were slain. Letters found on Bruce indicated that he had adopted a pen name in Mexico while trying to sell magazine stories, and that his friends expected him to write something about Villa. The letter gave his right name as Don McGregor. He was from Minneapolis, Chicago and Denver. "The night of March 28th," said Locke, in telling his story, "we three were in my hotel. Early in the morning, before daylight, we heard shooting, and soon Carranza soldiers said that Villistas were attacking the town. This was the same night that Villa attacked Guerrero and San Isidro. The soldiers remained behind guarding the room where the Carranza commander resided in our hotel and which he left at the shooting to take command of his troops. I told the other two, who came to my room, that we must get away immediately before daylight. Blankenburg said he would not leave, that he was a German, with nothing to fear. Bruce seemed to be in fear, but decided not to risk going out. So I started alone. DESCRIBES THE KILLING "The Villistas were riding through the streets fighting Carranza troops when they encountered them, and shooting wildly the rest of the time. The moon was in its last quarter, so that there was considerable light to see by. I carried my pistol ready, but never had to use it. By a freak of good fortune I passed through the entire band of Villistas without one of them catching sight of me. "The next day I hid out and two days later a Mexican friend brought me news of the deaths of Blankenburg and Bruce. "They had stayed together in my office, which faced the street, until about 8 in the morning. The thick adobe walls protected them. Then Blankenburg decided that he would go to the hotel kept by Richard Heimple, another German. Taking his valise, Blankenburg stepped into the street. Just at that moment a Villista rode past. Without warning [Photo caption] FIRST PICTURES FROM THE FRONT PASSED BY ARMY CENSOR General John J. Pershing and staff "somewhere in Mexico," near Casas Grandes. The photograph, passed by the censor, shows, from left to right: Colonel L. G. Berry, Fourth Field Artillery; Colonel De R. C. Cabell, chief of staff; Lieutenant M. C. Schellenberger, personal aid to General Pershing; General John J. Pershing; Lieutenant George S. Patton, aid; Major J. L. Hines, censor; Major J. B. Clayton, chief of medical officers; Captain W. B. Burt, assistant chief of staff. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.