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 a.s.signing 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 a.s.sistance 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.