Show Dodds Dodd's Strategy I IJ J T To 00 Much for Villa I AT THE FRONT FRONT- March 31 Via 5 aeroplane can n border i and motor courier to American Ameri- Ameri at Columbus N. N M. M April 4 The 4 The strategy whereby after two weeks of pursuit the Villa band baud under Gen Eliseo Hernandez was overtaken by American troops and anti dispersed was revealed here today The plan was to send the American column in a straight line Une along the string of the bow while Villa was taking a longer route along o the arc of the HIU bow Cou V n with this maneuver pled was a general gen era eral order Spare nothing except horseflesh Under these instructions the cavalrymen cavalrymen caval caval- with CoL Cot George A. A Dodds Dodd's brigade bri gade ado always In the van pushed straight southward from tho tio border through the Santa Maria Mania river valley meanwhile rn after artor passing passin r r Casas n n Grandea and Points south of t th there rc had hadI I I swung eastward behind the ridge of mountains close dose to feet high and aid topped with huge green copper-green cliffs which b borders r closely on n the ell eastern side of the river In this Ibis swing to tile the east Villas Villa's POS were difficult difficult difficult cult to locate Sometimes it if seeded led sheer guesswork NI N. Erthel Nevertheless s athe the cavalry steadily hurried southward along the shorter line Une trusting that Villa finally would try to turn ahead of them to his old haunts Literally nothing except horseflesh was spared by the tho Americans On March 22 Colonel Dodds Dodd's men were reduced by the necessity of oC leaving patrols and amI by the ilIn illness ss of or about forty men to a total advance guard of about They had run completely out of provisions for the themen themen themen men and f feed ed for the horses Never Never- Continued on page on-page- page 7 J DODDS DODD'S STRATEGY Continued from page 1 instead of halting to a await wait food they pushed on leaving no regular reg reg- ular lines of communication with wih the columns in the te rear For one solid sold week they lived on their wits and their reserve strength and such scanty food as as as' they could pick up but always following following fol fol- fol lowing the tile order Spare nothing but horseflesh How well wel they spared the horses was proven by their final dash into the Villa Via stronghold Wednesday morning morn morn- mor ing ing-a ing a march which for endurance and brilliant effort effot has never been surpassed Before this dash on Monday Monday Mon Mon Mon- day an aviator flying over unknown mo mountains farther into Mexico than any of ot the aeroplanes had probably penetrated had discovered Dodds Dodd's column The next day he flew few back to General Pershing who had started south from field feld headquarters giving the tile general the most important news of the tile campaign to date namely date namely that tha Dodd believed lie he knew where Villa Via was The night of that same Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day Dodds Dodd's column strong started for Guerrero five fifty five miles mies away where it i was reported that Villa Via with will wih men had captured the town from the garrison The Americans made five fifty miles mies in seventeen hours' hours riding on a chill chil chi night which cut to the bone bone- most o of the men who had discarded every piece of equipment except except ex ex- ex blankets and canteens and mess mes kits kis Some of them even had thrown away their blankets |