The General and the Jaguar (51 page)

91 “The old scoundrel”: J. J. Dickinson, “The True Story of the Villa Raid,”
Mississippi Valley Magazine,
December 1919, 5, Rivard collection.

91 George Seese: “Seese Is Wedded to Miss Louder,”
EPH,
March 18-19, 1916.

91 Zach Cobb: John F. Chalkley,
Zach Lamar Cobb
(El Paso: Texas Western Press, 1998), 12.

92 stumped tirelessly: Ibid., 14-16.

92 second job: Ibid., 8-9.

92 six telegrams: The telegrams can be found in the U.S. Army’s “Investigation of Raid,” the 1916 volume of
Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States,
and individual claim files. Only three of the six Cobb telegrams are mentioned in the army report: those sent on March 3,
March 6, and March 7. But on March 8, the day before the raid, Cobb sent three more telegrams to the State Department. The
noon telegram mentions the fact that Villa had taken the Palomas cowboys hostage (Cobb to Secretary of State, March 8, 1916,
McKinney claim). The other two discuss what the Carrancistas were doing to pursue Villa’s forces. “If Villa is permitted to
remain in the open as at present, without efficient action by the Carranza forces, it will encourage border opposition to
Carranza and tend greatly to undermine the de facto government” (
Foreign Relations,
1916, 479). It’s not clear why the army left out Cobb’s three March 8 telegrams. The telegrams may not have been received
by the War Department, or military officials may have deliberately omitted them because it made them appear even more negligent.

93 “commit some act of violence”: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
42.

93 “The General replied”: Ibid.

94 received a second report: “Investigation of Raid.”

94 “Villa, with 500 men”: Ibid.

94 disquieting reports: Ibid.

94 political asylum: Tom Mahoney, “When Villa Raided New Mexico,”
American Legion Magazine,
September 20, 1964, 11, EPPL.

94 “supposedly friendly”: “Investigation of Raid.”

95 “I came on”: Affidavit, Juan Favela, June 8, 1916, O’Neal claim.

95 twenty dollars: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
44.

95 sixty-five miles: Ibid.

95 officer’s patrol: Ibid.

8. Villa Is Coming Tonight, for Sure

97 Milton and Bessie: Affidavit, Myrtle Wright Lassiter, August 14, 1925; affidavit, Fred Gregory, October 31, 1925, James
claim.

98 empty the classrooms: Fall hearing, 1606.

98 Susan Moore, a lovely: The background of Susan Moore, the killing of her husband, and the destruction of their home
and property come from her affidavit and documents in her claim, as well as her testimony before the Fall committee, and letters,
statements, and related documents that she sent to Senator Fall.

100 garter had come loose: Oral-history interview, Blanche Ritchie Dorsey, May 2, 1981, NMSRCA.

100 Charles DeWitt Miller: The details relating to Charles Dewitt Miller’s business affairs come from affidavits and background
information in the July 3, 1925, claim filed by his wife, Ruth.

101 “That sounds like home”: Fall hearing, 1601.

101 “Can they get their”: “Army Caught Sleeping in Columbus Raid Despite Numerous Warnings of Villa Attack,”
EPT,
May 27, 1956, Braddy papers, UTEP.

102 Ravel’s room: Dorsey, “My Personal Story,”
Password,
128.

102 Fonville: Affidavit, J. L. Fonville, March 11, 1916, McKinney claim.

102 “as might be caused”: Affidavit, Louis Ravel, June 29, 1916, Fall microfilm records, UNM.

103 spoke Spanish poorly: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
43.

103 “I reported that”: Letter, Marcus M. Marshall to Father, March 12, 1916, Scott papers, LC; “Says Villa Found Border
Unguarded,”
NYT,
March 19, 1916.

103 “too scared”: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
44.

103 “I found everyone”: “Investigation of Raid.”

104 Three sentinels and a watchman: Ibid.

104 Slocum did not increase: Ibid.

104 Carothers had planned: Fall hearing, 1781.

104 Griffin: Affidavit, Ambrose E. Griffin and Leona C. Griffin, July 3, 1926, Griffin claim.

104 Favela: Thelma Cox Knoles and Jessie Peterson, “I Could Have Saved Columbus,”
True West,
July-August 1965, 25.

105 “Mr. Moore, being”: Affidavit, Susan Moore, December 9, 1925, Moore claim.

105 E. A. Van Camp: Tom Mahoney, “AP Writer Anticipated Villa Raid on Columbus,”
Southwesterner,
April 1963, B-10. There is conflicting information about the spelling of the AP correspondent’s name. In his book,
Chasing Villa,
Frank Tompkins refers to him as George Seese, but Tom Mahoney uses the last name of Sees and that is also how it’s spelled
in the congressional report. I am using Seese because a story that appeared in the March 18-19, 1916, edition of the
EPH
also uses that spelling.

106 “were hoping to get in”: Letter, Horace Stringfellow Jr. to Haldeen Braddy, August 11, 1966, Braddy papers, UTEP.

106 “A cluster of”: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
50.

106 Machine Gun Troop: Ibid., 51.

107 Castleman returned: “The Columbus Raid,”
U.S. Cavalry Journal,
April 1917, 490-496.

9. The Fiddler Plays

108 Juan Alarconcon: Arthur Jack Evans, the oldest living survivor of the raid, said his house was surrounded by Villistas
and that a man next to Villa was playing a violin during the fighting (“March 9: Big Day in history,”
DG,
March 8, 1976, 4). The fiddler is also mentioned in Tom Mahoney’s article, “AP Writer Anticipated Villa Raid on Columbus,”
B9-10.

110 approached her with a rifle: J. K. Richardson, interview notes, courtesy Johnnie Wright.

110 “He told the men”: “Dramatic Speech by Villa at Palomas Incited His Band of Bandits to Murder Americans,”
EPMT,
March 15, 1916. Spencer’s account conflicts with those of a number of prisoners who claimed that they didn’t even know they
were on U.S. soil.

110 column began marching: RO, 29.

110 Two small groups: “Former Member of Villa’s Bodyguard Settles Old Argument; 364 Bandits Raided Columbus,”
EPH,
February 21, 1962, Braddy papers, UTEP.

110 deep arroyo: RO, 29. Maud’s version of the Villistas’ approach differs somewhat from the Punitive Expedition’s RO.
She maintains that the column, upon reaching the border, turned east, crossed the Deming-Palomas road, and proceeded to cut
the fences. Then the soldiers turned west again, making a large half circle that eventually put them on the flat plain behind
Cootes Hill. S. H. McCullough, a section foreman for the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad, partially confirmed Maud’s version,
testifying several years later that the right-of-way fence on both sides of the railroad tracks was cut in three places for
a distance of three miles east of Columbus (Fall hearing, 1584-1585).

111 “We were finally”: J. K. Richardson, interview notes, courtesy Johnnie Wright.

111 marksmanship training: Mason, “Mexican Man of the Hour,” 302.

111 three-pronged assault: RO, 29-30. The Villista attack was tactically more complex than that described by Colonel Slocum
in his official report or by Colonel Frank Tompkins, who was in Columbus at the time and later wrote a book about the raid
and subsequent expedition. Neither says anything about the raiders descending on the town from the north, but several newspaper
accounts published immediately following the raid mention it (“Villa Attacked Columbus by Circling the Town,”
EPH,
March 11).

111 dismount and advance: RO, 30-31.

112 “My God, we are”: Statement, Mary Slocum, Scott papers, box 22, LC. Although the document is not signed, the contents
indicate that it could only be Mrs. Slocum’s statement. It is dated February 14, 1916, which is undoubtedly a typographic
error, and was probably March 14, 1916.

112 Lucas was awakened: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
51.

112 “Griffin managed to squeeze: “Columbus Raid,” 492; James Hopper, “What Happened at Columbus,”
Collier’s,
April 15, 1916, 11; Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
49.

112 killing two: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
49, 51; From the Commanding Officer to the Commanding General, “Border Conditions,” March 11, 1916, 1, NARA, RG 159, IGO,
General Correspondence Files, 1914-1917, box 17. This is Slocum’s official report and is part of the inspector general’s investigation
into the raid (hereafter cited as IGO Report).

112 poorest shots: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
52.

113 Lucas fed the clip: Letter, John Lucas to Commanding Officer, May 9, 1916, NARA, RG 94, AGO, Doc. No. 2377632.

113 soldiers had recently been drilled: Letter, Horace Stringfellow Jr. to Haldeen Braddy, August 11, 1966, Braddy papers,
UTEP.

113 “On account of”: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
50.

113 “We made about”: Ibid., 50.

114 regiment’s officers: Colonel Slocum and his adjutant, Captain Williams, lived in the northeast quadrant. Tompkins,
Smyser, and McCain lived in the northwest quadrant on the other side of the dirt road that led into Mexico. A sketch done
by Frank Tompkins after the raid shows the northwest sector to be heavily infiltrated with Villistas (Frank Tompkins, n.d.,
New Mexico State University, Rio Grande Regional Archives).

114 “The bullets were falling”: Statement, Mary Slocum, Scott papers, box 22, LC.

114 “Our greatest fear”: Letter, Alice Tompkins to Mother and Father, March 10, 1916, Columbus museum; Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
55.

114 outhouse: Frank Tompkins says in his book that the Smysers hid in an outhouse; Mrs. Smyser states in her claim that
it was a lean-to, and her son, Craig, maintains it was the stable.

114 “We sat up”: “El Pasoan Sees Davidson Shot,”
EPH,
March 11, 1916.

115 “When we picked”: U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, “Staff Ride Walkbook for Pancho Villa’s Raid on Columbus, New
Mexico, 8-9 March 1916,” 2004, 21, Bouilly collection.

115 “brains out”: Tompkins,
Chasing Villa,
21.

115 don the shirts: “Story of Villa Massacre Told in Letter to Gazette Editor,”
Wray County Gazette,
Colorado, n.d., Braddy papers, UTEP. This is taken from a letter written by Frank Dow, a passenger-train conductor for the
El Paso and Southwestern Railroad, who spent six hours in Columbus on the day of the attack.

115 buggy: Affidavit, Mrs. Rudolph Smyser, October 30, 1925, Smyser claim.

115 “very fine quality” gray trousers: Base Commander to Commanding General Expeditionary Force, “Property Lost in Columbus
Raid,” May 29, 1916, NARA, RG 395, Punitive Expeditions to Mexico, Correspondence of Commanding Officer.

116 “We did not go”: Alberto Calzadíaz Barrera, “El Ataque a Columbus,”
Impacto,
January 11, 1961, 34, EPPL. Juan Muñoz, documents show, later served as an informant for the U.S. military authorities and
everything he said should be viewed with skepticism.

116
“No me maten!”:
Arthur Ravel, autobiography, unpublished typescript, July 13, 1966, 5, Dean collection.

116 intruders smashed: Affidavit, Louis Ravel, June 29, 1916, Fall microfilm records, UNM.

116 Cervantes: Barrera, “El Ataque a Columbus,” 31.

116
“No molesten”:
Affidavit, Arthur Ravel, June 16, 1916, Fall microfilm records, UNM.

116 invaders hammered: The details of the killings at the Commercial Hotel are taken primarily from the congressional
testimony and sworn affidavits of Rachel Walker, Laura Ritchie, and Arthur Ravel, as well as those of friends and relatives
of Charles DeWitt Miller, and Blanche Ritchie’s written account. Their stories differ significantly from the one that several
former Villistas gave to Mexican author Alberto Calzadíaz Barrera, which was published in Mexico City’s
Impacto
magazine in 1961. According to those interviews, the Villistas went to the hotel to find Sam Ravel. The American men, they
insisted, were killed only after they fired upon and killed the Mexican troops. But Mrs. Ritchie testified that, although
the men in the hotel considered shooting at the Villistas, they discarded the idea because they were afraid the hotel would
be set on fire.

117 Ritchie tried: Fall hearing, 1600.

117 Pereyra stepped: “Mexican Gives His Life for American Women,”
RMN,
March 18, 1916.

117
No disparen:
Ibid.

117
Cállate!:
Fall hearing, 1600.

117 William Ritchie gave: Affidavit, Laura Ritchie, May 2, 1916, Ritchie claim.

118 pink dress: Dorsey, “My Personal Story,” 129.

118 Sam Ravel: Fall hearing, 1601.

118 male guests: The order of the executions is taken from a February 19, 1925, affidavit that Laura Ritchie made in support
of Ruth Miller, Miller claim.

118 watch the snow fall: Letters, Ruth Coleman Miller, UNM.

118
“Éste es gringo”:
Affidavit, Arthur Ravel, February 23, 1925, Miller claim.

119 “They have killed”: Affidavit, Mrs. Ben B. Henry, May 6, 1936; affidavit, Mrs. Myrtle Garner, April 30, 1936, Walker
claim.

119 Greeley’s advice: Dorsey, “My Personal Story,” 127.

119 “I cannot go”: Fall hearing, 1601.

120
“No lo matamos”:
Affidavit, Arthur Ravel, February 23, 1925, Miller claim.

120 “He said, ‘Humph’”: “Boy Won Gamble with Death in Columbus Raid,”
Chicago Tribune,
June 13, 1919; Haldeen Braddy,
Cock of the Walk: The Legend of Pancho Villa
(Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1955), 131.